An AR platform that sustainably improves the air quality of homes
The Client
The Master of Science programme in Digital Design seeks to educate professionals who create, adapt, and apply design processes into interactive digital products, while driven by an ethical perspective on people, profit, and planet. The programme is centred around Literacy, Research, Creation and Strategy. You'll work on exciting real-life design briefs in a studio setting and self-directed projects of your choice.
Problem Space
We spend about 90% of our time indoors. Every year over 4 million individuals die prematurely from indoor air pollution, according to the UN Environment Programme. These deaths can be related to a variety of illnesses including cancer, heart disease, and asthma. Many individuals are either oblivious or just now becoming aware of the dangers of air pollution.
Design rationale
Air pollution is the deadliest form of pollution killing millions each year as it is the 4th largest threat to human health. How does air pollution affect people at home? How can we sustainably purify air in our homes? How can we build awareness of sustainable ways to improve air quality in homes?
Research
User Research and Interviews
Experts have detected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) indoors, which are released by carpets, computers, furniture, combustion products from heating and cooking, cigarette smoking, emissions from construction materials, paints, varnishes, solvents, preservatives, and other objects in our homes and offices. To complicate matters, modern homes and businesses are usually more airtight than in previous generations. While these modifications have resulted in more energy-efficient buildings with reduced operating costs, they have also created conditions where ventilation rates are low and airborne pollutants may collect to considerably higher levels than outside. Next, I researched the current ways people try to improve the air quality in their homes and 90% used a physical air purifier with/without indoor plants. 70% of those who used indoor plants buy them just for beautification purposes. This led me to research houseplants specifically for air purification purposes and I found the NASA research led by Dr. B.C. Wolverton discovered that adding air-purifying houseplants (such as; Areca Palm, Snake plant, Money Plant, Gerbera Daisy, Chinese Evergreens, Spider Plant, Aloe Vera, Broad lady palm, Dragon Tree, Weeping fig, Chrysanthemum, and Rubber plant) to homes and offices helped eliminate VOCs from the air. This not only decreases carbon footprint, but also refreshes the air resulting in improved focus and productivity (10% -15% increase), lower blood pressure, an increase in happy emotions, and a decrease in worry, anger, and despair.
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Analysis
Aligning Together
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Users in Mind
It was crucial that we created personas in order to keep our attention on the users and prevent letting our own needs trump those of the users.
Market Analysis
To emphasize the characteristics, benefits, and structure of comparable solutions that facilitate contact between medical experts and share medical data, I reviewed existing products. This made it easier to comprehend the network's trajectory and identify our product's unique selling proposition and the ways in which it benefits customers.
Ideation
Designing for Humans
To raise awareness of the health benefits of these air-purifying plants as well as how they can be better used for beautification purposes, I designed GreenHome: an augmented reality mobile app which enables users to find the most befitting air-purifying houseplant that will improve the air quality of their homes and beautify it at the same time. GreenHome allows you to visually place air-purifying houseplants 3D models that are accurate to size in users' physical environment by combining cutting-edge AR technology with uniquely curated recommendations.
Point of View Statement
Based on our discoveries a point of view was drafted.
I met Victor a 32-year entrepreneur who owns an ICT equipment supply business. He was surprised to realize that in 2020 banks are still using manual documentation to give out loans. He wonders if this means that the banks are not utilizing the power of technology to make the loan application process easier. It seems like he needs a way to secure loans for his business effortlessly from the comfort of his home.
How Might We statement
To generate creative solutions while keeping the team focused on the right problems to solve, we decided that the best approach will be to use a How Might We statement to suggest a possible solution.
Prototype
The wholesome experience
The solution improves the indoor air quality of users sustainably, thereby improving users' quality of life.
Abstract to Visual
In the care plan, each patient’s care line team has an overall care plan, which will describe the goals of the patient and medical professionals. Each medical professional also has an individual action plan where they describe what they’ll do during and between their one-on-one appointments. When an action plan is not going well, they’ll be able to update their status on the patient’s difficulty level, which prompts other team members to be notified. We found through interviews that medical carelines (especially rehabilitation experts) would like to intervene and offer advice to others when things aren’t going well.
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