Category: F2023 – Aya

I have always wondered whether I prefer form or function. To me, one of the most beautiful things in life is something non-functional, like my dad’s broken handheld camera that sits in my room back home. It doesn’t work or anything, but it has a vintage and worn-down look that I find appealing. I have attached a sense of history and personal meaning to it. I often think about my childhood memories and imagine my parents using it to film. As you grow older, it becomes harder to distinguish truth from fiction. However, I do have digitized videos from that camera from before. On the other hand, I’m not sure if I would be happy to have other non-functional items, such as my phone and laptop. I don’t want to deal with going to shady markets to get them fixed, but I also don’t want to pay Apple a lot of money when I can just buy a new laptop. There are so many more examples, and I can never truly establish which one I prefer more because i see it as a spectrum or a venn diagram. Objects inherently don’t have any meaning, we attach it to them, the good design we generally agree upon is also a product of the social and cultural era we live in. What might have been a perfectly fine clay container of the past is replaced by a stainless steel or glass container right now. Sure there are differences, but the aesthetic judgement or value we attach to this product is as I said a product of shifting tastes and consumer markets.

I was surprised by the reading on Margaret Hamilton. Of course, I was amazed by her visionary work in the 60s, but I was also intrigued by how coding was done back in those days. Currently, I’m accustomed to using p5.js and the Arduino IDE, where I can easily write code in English using familiar constructs like if, else if, and for loops. It’s much more understandable and accessible to us now. However, reading about how the most prominent scientists had to work with memory and hardwired code (I didn’t know about punch cards before this), it wasn’t entirely surprising, but it did put into perspective how far we have come in terms of technology and how much more accessible it has become.

I hate this puzzle/coaster/whatever the hell this is. Ever since I stole this (got it from a fair for free) I have kept it on my desk, neatly arranged in the exact way it came. But you can never have good things it seems. Because a few days ago, my friend came over and thought himself smart enough to reassemble this. Needless to say he wasn’t and he couldn’t. I had to bear the sight of this disarranged mess of a puzzle on my desk for days until another friend who had the same puzzle showed me his and I was able to successfully rearrange it. Those few days were not it, let me just say. But I have since come to realize that the puzzle isn’t for show. It is the process of failing to put it back and then eventually rearranging it that makes it… well, it. And so I created a little game with this puzzle called “The Last Piece”. Essentially, you know where the last piece goes, but the rest you have to figure for yourself. And only when you’re done with the rest can you put back the last piece. What do you get from it? The satisfaction of seeing an LED bulb turn red. Who doesn’t love to see little red lights?

The circuit itself is simple: I used aluminum foil to create points of contact between the board and the piece which I stole from my building’s main lounge. I then thought about what more this could use: more lights! So I added more contacts so that when the last piece is placed in the wrong position, a red light turns on and when it is in the right position, the yellow light turns on, indicating you’ve won.

I also finally have a picture of the solved puzzle so I never have to deal with the mess again, no matter how many times my friends fail at this game.

This week’s assignment involved creating a unique switch using the Arduino board. To be more specific, we needed to design a switch that could be activated without using our hands and without any additional coding. My idea for this project was to trigger an LED by completing a circuit through indirect user interaction, making it appear as if hands were not involved. Inspired by my love for football, I decided to take on this challenge because playing football doesn’t involve using your hands. I wanted to see how I could bring this concept to life.

This project presented a bit of a challenge for me since I am more comfortable with the software side of computing than the physical aspects. It felt like I was delving into a completely new subject. Below, you can see the initial sketch of my project, which outlines my concept.

I planned to connect the LED in a way similar to what we learned in class, but with a parallel setup to distribute resistance to both sides of the board. Additionally, I intended to set up a parallel connection for the 5V supply to ensure it reached both sides of the board. In this setup, when an aluminum ball was kicked into the “goal post,” the circuit would be short-circuited or completed, causing the LED to illuminate. A picture of my project is inserted below along with the link to my project video.

Circuit Diagram:

Picture of my project:

IMG_4043

Reflection and Future Improvements:

In terms of future improvements, I would like to focus on making the game more user-friendly by eliminating wires and creating a more efficient gaming space. I might also consider adding another LED to each team’s goal post to differentiate them. Nevertheless, I am proud of what I achieved in this assignment, and I look forward to facing more challenges in the upcoming projects.

Concept:

So, for my microwave, when I close the door, sometimes it doesn’t close and it is kind of hard to know whether it is closed or not so, for this assignment, I decided to create a switch that turns on when the microwave is closed to let me know that the thing is closed.

Circuit Diagram:

Video Description:

IMGhttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1a_zcv3GP1p9fMuXYDW-MN694Dwo3lf2_?usp=sharing

if that link doesn’t work, try this IMG_6562

Thank you.

Emotion & Design: Attractive things work better

The article serves as a response to the feedback of Norman’s previous argument in “The Design of Everyday Things” where he had emphasized on the importance of user centered design. In this paper, Norman clarifies that by usability focused design he did not mean the absence of aesthetics. An ideal design would no doubt be something that combines both pleasure and usability. This aspect reminded of the architecture of the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi. I believe the dome of the museum is an example of ideal design. While it rightly captures the essence of Arabic design with the creation of the “rain of light” effect, it also serves a sustainable purpose of reducing the energy consumption inside the buildings by shading it from the intense heat. Such a design is the right balance having practical functionality and being visually appealing. Another idea presented by Norman that I found interesting was the different ways in which a design can be interpreted depending on the situation and context.

Her Code Got Humans on the Moon – And Invented Software Itself

The article recounts the remarkable contributions of Margaret Hamilton in the field of software engineering. Her continuous efforts to strive despite the comments of people around her that tried to pull her back, serve as a source of inspiration to the women who face similar situations in male dominated fields of work. I feel the article also sheds lights on the power of creativity which can unexpectedly lead to great inventions. It is important for us to stay focused on our work with utmost dedication and passion. At the same time, it is necessary to remember that our path may not come without obstacles, like the errors that Hamilton encountered, and hence we must remain adaptable to change gears according to what the situation demands. An attitude that combines creativity as well as presence of mind is crucial to design and computing. What I found most inspiring in the article was Hamilton’s perseverance and her approach to try and provide a prevention for every possible error to make the mission as close as possible to being perfect. I believe such stories ought to be brought to light to create an awareness about the individuals behind ground breaking missions and the struggles they had to deal with.

For this assignment, I setup a cup of saltwater with two wires connecting to two aluminum foils, which were positioned in an empty cup. Next, I configured the Arduino board, connecting an LED to the breadboard along with a resistor. Powering up the Arduino with the computer, we poured the saltwater into the empty cup. As the saltwater facilitated the flow of current between the electrodes, the circuit was completed, and the LED was activated.

Saltwater lights up the LED by serving as a conductive medium that allows the flow of electricity. When the salt dissolves in the water, it separates into positively and negatively charged ions, making the water conductive. As the two electrodes, placed in the saltwater, complete the circuit, the flow of current is facilitated through the saltwater. This flow of electricity activates the LED, causing it to emit light. The presence of the salt enables the completion of the electrical pathway, allowing the LED to be powered and produce illumination.

https://youtube.com/shorts/xvapKBzMCXU?feature=share

One practical application of the saltwater conductivity experiment could be in the field of emergency lighting systems. In remote or disaster-prone areas where access to conventional power sources is limited, this saltwater-based circuit could serve as an emergency lighting solution. For instance, in regions prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes, where power outages are common, individuals could use this simple saltwater-powered LED setup as an alternative lighting source. This cost-effective and simple solution could significantly contribute to enhancing safety and visibility in challenging circumstances where traditional power sources are unavailable.

 

The concept that attractive things work better raises an intriguing question about the relationship between aesthetics and functionality. It is indeed thought-provoking to consider whether we find objects appealing because we can subconsciously perceive their potential ease of use, and the subsequent satisfaction we derive from confirming our expectations. Just as when we examine a product and intuitively sense its ergonomic design, we appreciate its simplicity and effectiveness even before handling it. This initial attraction is comparable to our perceptions of beauty in people; an attractive exterior often becomes more compelling when accompanied by qualities like a warm smile, healthy teeth, a pleasant voice, and a likable personality.

On the other hand, the counter argument suggests that our thoughtfulness in assessing attractiveness beforehand may be limited. It’s true that not all functional products on the shelves are necessarily coveted in the manner described. Many utilitarian items do not receive the same level of initial attention or appeal as aesthetically pleasing ones. However, the counter argument acknowledges that functionality can enhance attractiveness afterward. For instance, a product that may not appear striking initially but offers exceptional functionality can become more attractive once its usefulness and positive attributes are realized. This is analogous to a person who may not be conventionally attractive but is incredibly enjoyable to be around, gradually altering our perception and making us appreciate their company in a different light.

Concept

The unusual switch I decided to create is not as unusual as I anticipated. I just decided to create something out of that awkward experience when your roommate turns on the light in the middle of the night. I used the arduino to power an LED connected to a photo resistor. The photo resistor produces less resistance and it is exposed to more intense light.

 

Ideas for Future Improvement

I believe it would have been more fun with some form of text display or a buzzing sound, but hearing a buzzing sound in the middle of night isn’t a good idea (smiling emoji).

Concept:

With this assignment I was a little hesitant on how far I can go just to make an LED light up without heating up or burning  my circuit. So for now, I kept it fairly simple. Using a disconnected telephone and making the LED light up whenever “a call” isn’t happening, and off when a person is on the line.

Circuit:

Result:

IMG_0166

In “Emotion & Design: Attractive Things Work Better,” Donald Arthur Norman puzzles over the question of why things with attractive designs work better. Similarly, Robert McMillan touches upon how Margaret Hamilton’s improved code to fix a bug that wiped out the navigational data used by the Apollo 8 crew. While reading these articles, I could not help but think that we consider a design attractive if it enables us to use a product without risk or extra effort. When McMillan argues that attractive things allow people to use their creative abilities to the fullest, this statement implies that well-thought-out design enables us to make the most out of a product.

As I often find myself dissatisfied when an app or a program crashes, I believe that thorough product testing is crucial for creating an attractive design. Had NASA approved Hamilton’s suggestions, it would have allowed her to create a better code and minimize the risks for the astronauts. These articles demonstrate that researchers and scientists realized the importance of an attractive design and now see it as something that brings enjoyment, enhances people’s cognitive and creative abilities, and improves a product’s usability.