No Wrong Answers
A collection of experience-based interventions bringing micro-moments of discovery and reflection to students.
ROLE
product designer
TIMELINE
April-June 2024
FOCUS
TOOLS
SolidWorks, Arduino, wood working, laser cutting
challenge
You're young and have big dreams; the world is yours!
But somewhere along the way, something happens. Those childhood dreams turn into a packed Google calendar where it takes work to block out just 30 minutes to see your best friends from freshman year.
We know what it feels like to lose yourself in the midst of this-
how might we encourage busy college students to take a moment to recenter and get some air in a "move fast, break things" culture?
Though we expected to hear that it would be journaling, therapy, meditation, or self discipline, instead we found that it was learning how to slow down and appreciate the little moments.
principles
We designed around four core ideas:
physical interactive art installation
We created a physical installation placed in the entryway of our design building, designed to catch people in passing and invite that moment of pause in their normal day. We wanted reflection to feel ambient, shared, and a little unexpected.
designing & building the physical system
I led the design and build of the installation's physical structure, focusing on durability and approachability.
Designed and constructed a custom wooden table to exact dimensions so the installation fit naturally withing the space and guided interaction flow.
Considered height, reach, and spatial layout to make participation feel intuitive and inviting.
Balanced aesthetic presence with functional constraints (stability, repeat use, visibility in a high traffic area)
prototyping mirror boxes
Also helped build the interactive display components that brought the experience to life:
Laser cut and assembled mirrored enclosures to create a visually intriguing, reflective interaction.
Wired multiple modules together and powered them through a single Arduino.
extending the experience
web archive: The inputs from the physical installation came together in an online representation to access the magic of the installation from anywhere.
popup events/activations: Beyond the installation, we brought our community together for a night of arts and crafts, chit chat, themed drinks, zine making, and keychain party favors.
but life happens
in the rubble we found this-
