Strategy
More Work
About
Arden is a Human Centered Design student at Cornell University. Her education builds on an interdisciplinary curriculum with an emphasis on real-world examples and technical skills. Through an evidence-based, empathy-driven approach, she fosters strategic, sustainable, and healthy futures by design.
As of , Arden is working on adapting her studio project prototype, WeFrame, for installation on Cornell’s campus in order to improve the health and well-being of the entire Cornell community.
© Arden Van Hollebeke 2024
WeFrame
OBJECTIVE
Design an interactive experience for savoring your “hero’s journey” at Cornell
DELIVERABLE
Prototype Artifact
TIMELINE
Apr - May 2024
TEAM Matthew Shin
Albert Wu
Jennica Yoo
01 THE TASKOur group was tasked with designing a positive psychology intervention that encourages users to partake in a wellbeing activity that will be remembered ten years from now. More specifically, we had to design an interactive experience for the Cornell community that promotes long-term positive emotions and cognitions. Additionally, our final deliverable had to fulfill a few specific requirements:
- Support several Positive Emotion Regulation (PER) techniques
- Integrate meaning and enjoyment as design goals
- Appeal to users who are just passing by
02 BRAINSTORMINGWe began by participating in a brainstorming exercise whereby we used PER cards to design for four predefined archetypal student contexts: appreciating campus beauty, serendipitous reflection stations, spontaneous dance parties, and celebrating small victories. During six rounds of 15-minute sessions, we drafted a wide variety of designs.
Each of us reviewed our designs and consolidated our favorites into concise descriptions to share with the rest of our group. In selecting an idea, we largely considered material, time, and scale constraints. Thus, the idea we agreed on—an interactive picture frame designed to encourage people to appreciate on-campus beauty—was one that was both inspiring and manageable. We strongly believe that relationships significantly contribute to the beauty we see and feel on campus every day. That said, our product aims to encourage people to capture more experiences with others. In order to make the product more appealing to our target customer group, Cornell students, our concept merges the virtual world with the physical world through its incorporation of Snapchat filters uniquely tailored to specific Cornell activities and events.
03 IDEATIONEarly on, we defined the user experience of our product with three words: intuitive, playful, and special. We recognized a need for our product to be intuitive enough that passers-by immediately understand how to use it. According to schema theory, users have mental structures that help them interpret new information based on past experiences. This insight influenced the product’s shape: a large picture frame. By aligning with users’ existing knowledge, we reduced the need for instruction, thus enhancing the overall user experience. For a similar reason, we chose to place a QR code on the front of the product where passers-by can easily see it. Moreover, the Snapchat filters contribute to a playful and special user experience by offering people a dynamic interaction with their environment that changes depending on the special day.
We also identified the PER techniques that resonated most with our product.
- Engaging in a collective
- Capturing
- Anticipating
- Being aware of temporal scarcity
- Infusing the ordinary with special meaning
- Sharing the positive experience with others
- Enriching the sensory environment
04 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENTIn realizing our frame, we went through several phases of concept development.
05 FRAME CONSTRUCTIONIn designing the product, I sketched various picture frames, ultimately opting for one with curved edges, to best represent a playful user experience. From there, I mapped out the placement of the Arduino components on the front and back of the frame. Finally, my team laser cut the pieces and assembled them.
06 ARDUINO PROGRAMMINGWhat followed was a lot of trial and error with Arduino.
07 SNAPCHAT FILTER DESIGNIn addition to designing the frame, I designed Snapchat filters for the prototype. I used Snapchat’s AR Lens Studio software to design several filters for different Cornell events. My filter designs were relatively simple so as to not take away from users’ photos but enhance them.
08 FINAL PROTOTYPE ARTIFACT
WeFrame is an interactive picture frame designed to encourage people to appreciate on-campus beauty now and for years to come. The product encourages people to capture more photos, helping them remember their experiences during their time at Cornell. When people use the frame, they can scan a QR code that directs them to a unique Cornell-inspired Snapchat filter, adding a playful twist to their photo-taking experience. As aforementioned, we strongly believe that relationships contribute to the beauty we see and feel on campus every day. Our product fosters social connection because users can either take photos with friends or meet someone new by asking someone to take their photo. Due to the evolving nature of the product, users’ experiences change with each new event.
09 DEVELOPING THE PROTOTYPE FOR CAMPUS
The following semster, the professor of my studio course asked my classmate, Jennica Yoo, and me to refine the prototype for campus, sharing that faculty were enthusiastic about the idea. Together, Jennica and I refined the product’s design, working to deliver a more seamless user experience and enhance the product’s aesthetics.
There will be
more information to come as the project continues to unfold!