7) ORIGINAL DESIGN IDEA

Once we decided on a handheld device we took some time sketching potential design ideas for our product. Eventually, we decided that we wanted to create a glass AR tablet that revealed hidden data throughout the garden using an “X-ray” machine. We were originally inspired by AR glasses but wanted to create an experience that could be used by multiple people and kept the user immersed in the garden environment. We actively made decisions throughout the process that kept us aligned with our goals and how might we statements:

- How might we design an educational tool for families to use?

- How might we design something that is not invasive to the garden?

- How might we design something that shows data not visible to visitors?

Through one of the original sketches created, you can see these different ideas:

1. A clear handheld device: A clear device allows minimal “screen interaction” allowing the user to stay immersed in the garden. It also is a device that is not frequently used and presents a sense of novelty to the users.
2. Division of Layers: Originally, we came up with the idea to have a division of three hidden networks throughout the garden: sky, surface, and ground.
3. 3: Human-Tablet Interaction: We wanted the user not to have information be presented in a fixed order, but rather to let them choose what they wanted to learn more about. For this reason we came up with the idea of creating multiple “entry” spots for users to decide where and when they wanted to interact with specific information. The spots would glow a certain colour before interaction, be prompted to click to interact, and once completed the glowing light would turn into a check mark indicating completion

We also created an early sketch of the initial interaction users would have with the device to form a strong base of the interaction experience. In this experience you can see where we decided adding a mascot “wormy” would be a great educational guide and provide entertainment: