Sam Grosset

4th year Honours Project
Interaction Design

My 4th year honours project is based around re-designing the Engine Warning Light. The project began last year and focused largely on researching drivers, and the way they react and understand current engine warning lights. Since then, I’ve developed the idea of using the user’s phone as the main focus for interaction in the center of the steering wheel. A pulsating heart design reflects the current health status of the car, along with gaming-like vibrations running through the steering wheel. For example, the worse the problem, the more intense the heart will pulsate and the steering wheel will vibrate. Honda have shown interest and provided me with some support in the form of parts from a Honda CRZ. The technology I’ve been working with revolves around an arduino, with processing and of course the iPhone development SDK. This project is still ongoing, so please make a visit to the blog below to see how things are progressing.

Follow the progress blog for my Honours Project

YumTum
iPhone App & Business Plan

As part of my 4th year, I was given the opportunity to write a dissertation or join a Business Module for half a year. I chose the Business Module because this is where my strengths lie. The outcome of the course was to have an idea researched, developed and pitched alongside a fully written business plan and report. The business I went with was for an iPhone app called YumTum. YumTum is an app I designed and developed to encourage healthier eating. I have a strong understanding of business, and I really enjoyed working on this module. I achieved an A grade for the work produced.

Follow the progress blog for YumTum

The Winter Tradition - Firelight
Music Video

The Void had a name change and a re-brand as The Winter Tradition. To help promote the new name they asked for some help with a music video for their single ‘Firelight’. I helped direct and produce this video alongside my good friends Ross Forrest and Jonnie Lewis. I sourced the location just outside of Edinburgh at a disused brickworks, and we spend a good couple of days on site filming. It was a fantastic couple of days working with the band once again. It’s always a really good boost to have clients who are just as enthusiastic towards a project as you are. 

Graphic Novel E-Reader
Interactive Flash Prototype

With the recent news of e-readers selling more than books on amazon.com last year, our brief for this project was to create an e-reader interaction that appealed to graphic novels.

My chosen graphic novel to work with was the tale of Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson. This particular novel is close to my heart because my father, Ronald Grosset was largely responsible for the adaptation of the original book being brought to graphic novel format. As a Kidnapped fan, he was also able to give me vital feedback as I developed the prototype.

I based the prototype on the recently launched Apple iPad. I believe with the already booming success of iTunes as a marketplace, Apple have a massive advantage with the e-reader market. The iPad also has fantastic graphic capabilities and touch screen interaction that work well with the project.

The interaction focuses on simple interactions and the user experience. The flash prototype is designed to make the user feel like they are actually using an iPad. The user can slide left or right to move from frame to frame, rather than page to page. This is the first major difference from the graphic novel paper format. Subtle animations within the content occur as the user reaches the next frame. This further engages the user into the story. For example, a wave gently rolling in to the beach adds to the feeling of being washed up on the shore.

Explore the application

Surface Co-Design
Microsoft Surface Application (for NCR)

A competition was launched by NCR, with an open brief to design a multi-user application for use on the Microsoft Surface. Surface Co-Design is an application aimed at elderly and less-able users who want to design. These users often find difficulty in using keyboards and mice, which creates a barrier between them and the ability to design something on a computer. Working on a surface brings opportunity for the users to design something without barriers.

The application itself is focused on designing an interface for mobile, web or touchscreen. Using strong contrasts, bold colours and visually recognisable icons are key to the success of this application. The toolbox for example, where the user finds the items they want, visually represents a toolbox. It also opens in the same way you would open a toolbox - an advantage the surface has over traditional methods. The workspace is simple, but flexible. At any time, the workspace can be spun to suit other people at the table. At any point, a pen (recognised by the surface) allows users to annotate anywhere on the page - whether they want to scribble an idea quickly or just doodle. With multi-user capability, elderly users can work as a team with professional designers to create strong user interface prototypes.

I developed a series of screenshots simulating how the application would operate on the surface to present to NCR. I really enjoyed developing the idea, and was highly commended for my efforts.

The Good Girl Time Clock
Interaction Design

The Good Girl Time Clock is an exhibit from The Museum of Lost Interactions’ “Curious Timepieces” exhibition.

In 1954, shortly after World War II ended, America wanted its female population to return to being housewives. The wives were more than happy to oblige, and sunk right back into the role, this time with the help of gadgets from American innovators. One of these innovations was the GoodGirl Time Clock by GoodGirl Incorporated. The GoodGirl Time Clock was a device used to help housewives manage their time. The clock face showed a timetable of the housewives daily routine, and a specific amount of time to fulfill each task. When they complete a task, they punched in, and the GoodGirl Time Clock would inform them if they had finished the task in time, and whether or not they were a good or bad housewife.

I had a great deal of fun working on this project with fellow designer Ruth Tullis. We paid a lot of attention to detail in terms of the clock’s design, and how it would work with the arduino.

Explore the Curious Timepieces Exhibition

RFad
Interaction Design

RFad is a futuristic, ‘Minority Report’ style concept using RFID implant technology, to enable targeted advertising. There are existing examples of RFID implants, being used in everyday life. Implants are currently being used in the US, in 5000 patients to record medical history and information. RFad is based on the idea that in years to come, RFID implants are commonplace in everyday life. In 2010, we have targeted adverts everywhere we go; Facebook already takes advantage of knowing users interests, and advertises directly to them with adverts that are relevant.

Users of RFad, will already have an RFID implant for purposes such as gaining access to their car, or home. When these users walk past a long distance RFID reader, their implant is read. The implant matches to the user’s social networking page, which lists their interests and hobbys. Anticipating the direction they are walking, a digital billboard will activate with an appropriate advert for that user, just before they come in viewing distance.

We were able to build a fully working prototype in the project, using RFIDs recognized by an arduino. I also produced a poster to explain the heavy research behind the idea, involving many of our HCI and ethical issues.

Do Me a Favour
Interaction Design (for Microsoft)

The brief for this project was an international set project, from Microsoft. Competing against Universities worldwide, we were to design ‘A New Way of Working’. In our case, how a retired person could continue working. Our group consisted of a mix between Interaction Designers, and Product Designers. The focus was on my grandmother, Muriel Hamilton, aka - Granny Hammy.

Granny Hammy is a very active person, and is often asked upon to walk the family dog as a favour by my mother Judy. This act of doing favours was to be our new way of working.

Do Me a Favour is an interactive object, placed in Granny Hammy’s living room. If the dog needs a walk, Judy email’s the dog object. The object recognizes when an email has been received, tips over, and whines. This alerts Granny Hammy that the dog needs to be taken out on a walk. Once Granny Hammy gets back from walking the dog, she stands the object back up and it barks. This in turn sends an email back to Judy, telling her that the dog has now been walked, and the favour has been done. Judy can keep a record of how many favours Granny Hammy does through the amount of emails she receives back.

The object works through an arduino that communicates with a mac. The arduino in turn also operates a weighted arm that moves the dog on it’s side. This was the first time I have worked with an arduino.

Explore the ‘Do Me a Favour’ Website

The Void - Game of Ghosts
Music Video

This is the second music video I have directed and produced for The Void. Filmed in the band’s hometown of Edinburgh, and in the city’s vaults. Working with bands is something I really enjoy, and The Void are always a great bunch to work with.

Invisible Marketplace
Augmented Reality iPhone App (for NCR)

Well known and global technology company, NCR were involved in creating the brief for this University project. The aim was to design a mobile application, that would benefit students in some way. Our team developed ‘Invisible Marketplace’ for the iPhone. Using the camera, and GPS in the phone, users are able to find second hand items for sale in a specific area. These items would be tagged to a geographical location using the GPS in the phone. When the user scanned round an area, the camera would recognise these assigned areas, and display an augmented reality speech bubble of the item description. 

Explore the Interactive Marketplace Website