Human Centered Design | Research & Ideation

HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN

By Sierra Runnells

Research | Mood Board | Inspiration:

Idea #1 | Window Outdoor-Indoor Privacy Pod

Window Pod | Iteration:

The inspiration for this idea came from my own bedroom in my home. I enjoy the sounds and smells of nature so I sit by my window a lot as it is. This window space idea utilizes both the exterior of a house as its support system is largely outdoors, while tethering that world with the one in my room. I liked the idea of blending in and outdoors, and I especially drew the design inspiration from tiny house projects and treehouses. Additionally, I wanted to include many retractable and folding parts so the user would be able to experience the exact amount of nature that they want. With this in mind, I decided to create a window add-on because there is not much room inside many homes for a foldable interactive fixture of this scale. I gave the entrance doors to emulate the feel of a Hobbit Hole that you could just curl up inside and live in a beautiful bubble of your own for a while. The roof silhouette was my hardest part because the many types of designs I saw as beneficiary would not work functionally.

Idea #2 | Women's Body Concealment Jewelry

Concealment Jewelry | Iteration:

This idea comes from my general lack of pockets, simply due to the clothing I wear, so I wanted to incorporate a concealed pocket that could also be worn as jewelry. I started thinking about the new kinds of legging pockets that lulu lemon has come out with, and their designs in general. I decided to start with the female figure and find ways in which I could incorporate panels of space within a normally clothed area that would fit to the body and provide enough area for a functional pocket. I hugged he ribs and hips as these seemed the largest and most accessible areas for a women to naturally reach for. This such item could be handy in self-protective situations as well, if the wearer carries a means to defend themselves hidden on their person. The combination of functional form and wearable utility intrigued me and part of the jewelry design aspect solved this problem. In my eyes, this could be something worn to a movie theater to smuggle snacks, or to holster a knife or flash-drive in a 007 classy-spy-action-scene. I attempted to mimic and connect the chain pieces in strategic and aesthetically pleasing places on the body, and add further support to the pocket framing with wire reinforcement.