This was a 12-week team project for my 4th-year Minor Projects course.
Although we worked collaboratively, I focused more on the technical aspects while my teammate, Jaclyn Jamieson, focused more on the form.
My individual work included:
In order to discover a problem, Jaclyn and I created a "Bug List" of common annoyances.
This led us to the following problem...
To solve this problem, we wanted to design a kettle that would play pleasant music once the water boiled.
Therefore, I came up with the idea to use a Peltier chip (thermoelectric generator) to power a speaker in a wireless, stovetop kettle.
Jaclyn loved the concept, so we created a mood-board and iterated visual designs.
We wanted to emphasize the speaker feature and differentiate our product from existing kettles. Therefore, we made the lid sink in with a conical shape (to mimic the shape of loudspeakers) and incorporated a hydrophobic mesh (which also enables users to wash the product).
We used anthropometric data and personal testing to estimate the minimum clearances needed for the lid's handle. Then, Jaclyn created a cardboard prototype to test different shapes and angles for the main handle.
To ensure that a Peltier chip could feasibly power the speaker, I tested the power output of a TEC1-12706 Peltier chip over some boiling water.
The power output was lower than expected, but we deemed that the final product would still be feasible due to the following reasons:
To finalize the design, I researched components that we could hypothetically use. As well, I considered how all the components and plastic parts could be manufactured and assembled.
Unfortunately, the current design still includes undercuts and other features that make manufacturing more difficult or expensive. Therefore, I would have loved to work with an engineer to take this project to the next level.
We chose the following materials due to their food-safe and heat-resistant properties:
After completing this project for our Minor Projects course, we applied to The Inspired Home Show’s annual student design competition and won an Honourable Mention.
ReSense was my 4th-Year Capstone Project which spanned 8 months.
This project occured during the COVID-19 pandemic, so I wanted to address emerging and relevant issues. However, I did not want to address problems that would resolve naturally after the pandemic.
Therefore, I chose to focus on improving healthcare. This field was a prime example of pre-exisitng issues becoming exasperated by the pandemic.
I learned that many stroke survivors could not access adequate rehab services, inhibiting their ability to recover.
I designed an app and sensor that make at-home stroke rehabilitation more accessible for patients with hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the body).
Software used for the projects on this page:
This was one of the projects I worked on during my UX Design Internship in the School of Industrial Design. I worked independently and met with my supervisor weekly over Zoom.
First, I analyzed the brief word-for-word to understand the goal and clarify questions with my supervisor.
This helped me determine applicable research methods and led to the following research goals:
To guide my primary research planning, I first conducted secondary research on the following topics:
Since this internship occurred after Carleton's first full year of remote classes, the effects of the pandemic and the rushed transition to e-learning had a significant effect on my research.
My main findings at this stage were:
To understand SID-specific user needs and pain points, I needed to conduct primary data research. After reviewing various remote research methods and discussing with my supervisor, I determined that semi-structured interviews and a school-wide questionnaire would be most appropriate.
Knowing I would want to revise my second research method after gaining insights from the first, I decided to conduct the interviews before sharing the questionnaire.
Afterall, I could pivot during interviews and revise questions between participants with few issues. Whereas altering a questionnaire after sharing it would have more consequences. I would need to segregate the data between revisions, potentially submit a CUREB-B Change to Protocol form, and re-send the mass email invitation, (annoying participants and decreasing engagement).
This way, I could also transcribe the interviews while waiting for questionnaire responses to roll in.
To determine key members to invite as interview participants, I created a stakeholder map of the SID.
I then chose members who could provide diverse perspectives and key insights.
At least one member from each category:
Administrators provide key insights since they:
After preparing interview questions, submitting the necessary Protocol Form, and attaining CUREB-B ethics clearance, I invited each key stakeholder to a 30–60-minute Zoom interview.
I conducted 13 interviews, transcribed them using NVivo, and used an affinity diagram to analyze recurring themes.
After conducting interviews, I shared a Google Forms questionnaire with all members in the SID and received 34 responses.
I analyzed the numerical data as well as the text-based answers to find recurring themes and unique insights.
Users often waste time searching for resources instead of using those resources to complete tasks.
Common examples include:
Members use many different platforms for similar tasks.
For example, one professor shares their weekly Zoom link on CuLearn, another through Outlook, and another through PowerSchool Learning.
This forces students to check multiple locations to find a resource since they cannot remember which class uses which platform.
Users are unaware of existing resources or how to find them.
For example, the SID website provides info on 3D printing services, yet many students are unaware of this.
This forces laboratory technicians to answer countless emails with questions that have already been addressed on the website.
I determined my fundamental goal was to help the SID develop competent industrial design graduates.
In an ideal world, students and staff would be resourceful enough to find necessary resources quickly and independently. However, this behaviour modification would likely not be possible through digital product design alone.
For example, classmates would often ask questions in the groupchat they could easily have answered themselves. I.e., "What is the director's email?"
A product design solution could be, "Add a search function to the SID site." But part of the solution could also be, "Stop answering questions in the group chat so quickly. Let classmates practice finding resources independrently."Another part of the solution could be, "Ensure that first-year studio professors teach their class how to use the SID site".
To ensure my solution would not be restricted to digital product design, I created the following criteria for a successful solution:
These tasks waste time and do not teach valuable industrial design skills.
These tasks help students develop into competent and employable industrial design graduates.
Link all school-related resources to a directory that is organized and searchable.
Instead of asking peers for help or searching multiple locations, users can refer to a resource directory on the SID site for commonly accessed resources.
One issue with this concept is that the SID site is publicly available to anyone, but some resources should be kept private within the SID.
Better-enforce the use of Microsoft Teams.
An SID Team was already set up, but few resources were made available on it.
One issue with this concept is that Teams provides few options for adjusting notification settings. This can lead to users either being spammed by email notifications or receiving none at all.
At the time, Carleton University was transitioning all its online courses to Brightspace. Therefore, it made sense to create a Brightspace 'course' of all SID-wide resources, info, and links.
This concept was chosen for development by the SID since Brightspace...
(This Webflow site is currently a work-in-progress).
Please use the link below to view a PDF of my work.
