Appliance Integration Exercise
Design brief: Choose two household or dormitory devices/appliances—each with its own interface. Develop a new interface design that integrates the two into one. Integration should reflect an appropriate design rationale.
Step 1: Discover the variety of interfaces in the home/dormitory. Bring to class sketches, pictures, and graphics to share with the class. We will put these on display and discuss them. Each group should interrogate the interfaces they bring in. What does this mean? Describe/parse the features, devise a categorization system, delve into the historical, cultural and technological trajectories of these devices. Due Monday, September 27.
Step 2: Explore the notion of integration. Develop three integration possibilities from the research you have done. Create a PMI diagram on these possibilities. A PMI diagram is P-Plus, M-Minus and I-Interesting. This is an intuitive way to evaluate a design concept. Identify the plusses of a concept, the minuses and what makes it intriguing, different, worth pursuing. The PMI diagram should be large enough and well-designed enough foe the class to look at together. Remember, we do not have a conduit for the web in the class. Due Friday, October 1.