ux of Senses
Week 1 & 2
Team: Anwesha, Mustafa, Wuyou, Lissy, Ellen
Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, Burlington Arcade
The Brief: conceive, make and wear design that reimages the places throug the senses.
the warmup task
result:
Observation
Southbank is a popular tourist spot that, even that day was rainy but still filled with people. We noticed several groups of children on a school trip wearing neon vests. The colorful decorations, food trucks, shops, and those bright vests made the whole area feel vibrant and fun to explore.
We designed a vest that could be interacted with. We created pockets and added bumpy buttons to the vest, inspired by children’s tendency to touch and curiosity. These buttons made the vest both engaging and visually appealing.
Our research location was assigned as Burlington Arcade.
Lissy and I visited the arcade twice, noticing a stark contrast between days. Sunday felt dim and lifeless with closed shops and no music, while Monday was brighter and more vibrant. The arcade’s luxurious, bold style featured gold and wood elements, with most shops catering to high-end professionals, offering items like leather shoes, ties, and briefcases.
Then, we found out the beadle's top hat from the arcade was a fantastic source of inspiration for our wearable device.
The main task
observation & IDEATION
After exploring the arcade, we all agreed that it was exclusive and unapproachable, filled with luxury goods and decor that discouraged interaction.Then, Inspired by beadles' grand top hats, we blended elegance and sophistication into designing a luxurious wearable device reflecting the arcade’s opulence.
result:
We aimed to give the top hat a luxurious look by decorating it with coins and accessories for an opulent touch. Inside the hat, we lined it with scarf fabric to provide a unique and comfortable experience for the user. This design reflects the carefree spirit of customers in the arcade shops—unbothered by external factors and focused on their own enjoyment. And when people look at them, they can only see their gorgeous appearance.
Reflection
This project was a fresh and exciting experience for me. Transforming sensory perceptions into other forms was challenging yet fun. Collaboration was smooth, with shared ideas and mutual problem-solving, and we aligned on the top hat concept. We’re proud and thrilled with the results, especially receiving praise and inspiring interest from classmates. Additionally, we learned unique design concepts from other groups, like exploring smells, sounds, and creative structures, which were truly inspiring.