DES 305 Studio — Emily Oberg
Phase i: Research
I began by looking over my classmates' eating blogs and searching for a few key points per blog. I made note of things that stood out to me while reading the blogs & made inferences based on each person’s feelings about eating in their blogs.
Findings: Gabriella’s Blog — Overnight Oats
- the task of making overnight oats is very simple, thus very easily accomplished and always rewarding
- the process for making overnight oats is not a set-in-stone list of steps, so there isn’t much stress/tension during the routine
- inconsistencies in a routine make the process of making oatmeal a lot more interesting for Gabby — restricting the routine to specific ingredients make the routine boring, resulting in a loss of yearning
Findings: Amy’s Blog — Yum cha Cantonese Breakfast
- Yum cha Cantonese breakfast is something that Amy doesn't need a lot of precision for; she can make adjustments as she goes
- eating breakfast with the family provides more daily interaction that is enjoyable, however, being alone is sometimes just as satisfactory
- the value of tea/breakfast is weighed very differently depending on the culture; China’s culture of eating in social spaces harnesses greater social interaction and bonding
Finding’s: Nandita’s Blog — Breakfast
- the process of having a consistent oatmeal making routine is therapeutic; possibly having a constant to start each day creates a sense of balance
- not getting to make the food yourself causes tension, the crusis of the process is changed — you have less control in how your meal turns out when you’re not making it
- cooking food allows you to focus your mind on one sole task, it takes you away from the distraction of everyday life
Takeaways:
Food itself is a rewarding substance; sometimes the process of making it is tedious and creates tension, but the act of getting to eat the food you made is fulfilling. The process of labor then immediate reward provides the maker with a feeling of accomplishment.
All of the blogs portrayed different routines involving breakfast. Breakfast seems more often than not to be done in “routine-form”. There is not as much flexibility with making breakfast, because of the time of day. Whereas with lunch and dinner, you get more time to plan what to eat, however, with breakfast, this is not the case. All 3 bloggers generally used the same type of food for breakfast each day.
Phase II: Ideating
Ideating Actions with Similar Feelings to Preparing Food
Next, I came up with different motions that had similar feelings to the process of preparing yourself food. From my understanding of the blogs, preparing yourself a meal is a process of starting with nothing and ending with a fulfilling ending. At the moment, making yourself food seems like an inconvenience, involving work, concentration, and precision — yet, the results of completing this process makes up for the amount of time and effort put into it. The following motions generate the same feelings that come from the process of preparing a meal. I then produced -ing words that simplified the motions into verbs.
Actions:
- The act of lighting a firework: igniting
- Filling up a bathtub: filling
- Pushing on a spring: pressuring
- Unscrewing a jar: twisting
- Boiling a pot of water: heating
Ideation: An Interface for Filling (In Relation to Food Prep)
After finding -ing words suitable to the feeling of food prep, I then began to develop an interface for the word “filling” in relation to making a meal. I chose the action of “filling a bathtub” for my interface because it resonated the most with the process of making a meal. Filling a bathtub involves starting the water, waiting the amount of time for the tub to fill, stopping the water when the tub is full, and then finally being able to get in. Likewise, making a meal involves starting a process, being patient enough to finish making the meal, and then being rewarded for your efforts.
Journey Map: Interface for Filling Food Preparation
Steps and Affordances Involved in the Interface
- The user pulls ingredients towards the “spout” to be processed — When all ingredients reach spout, the screen is triggered to change to the “flowing” screen
- On the “flowing” screen, the user taps and holds down on spout, and “processed” ingredients flow into the metaphorical “tub” that is the screen — ingredients flow into the tub rise until the tub is full, triggering the next screen
- On the full screen, the tub is full of the “processed ingredients” and the meal is now prepared — ready to enjoy!
Testing:
Link to Prototype (make sure to open in new tab):
https://framer.com/share/Filling-Interface--2yYGou4smdR3Y0A1D0sD/hGAUu7MEs
For the test, use the prototype for exactly 3 tries. When using the prototype, please comment on a few things in the comment section at the bottom-
- Did the prototype result in success (full!) the first time you used it? If not, what went wrong?
- How many tries did it take to understand the prototype? (Maximum 3 tries)
- Are there any confusions about the prototype?
- What can be done to make the prototype better?
