Microsoft Design Competition
Hello everyone! this particular project was part of a 3rd year Industrial Design assignment in which we were to follow the guidelines and requirements for the Microsoft NextGEN PC design competition. Once we were finished we had to present our projects to the class, and were encouraged to submit our work to the competition. First off for anyone curious what the competition was all about, it basically is a yearly competition held to come up with new and innovative ideas for technology and products. It involves not only new designs of computers themselves but emphasis comes on finding new and creative ways that computers can integrate into our lifestyles.
My research and ideas have spread into an unconventional field, one that is developing rapidly and one day will become a reality. At this moment the technology is still being developed but i see this concept hitting the shelves quite soon, as its already being implemented by large companies for demo purposes. The idea was - instead of limiting yourself to your 20 some odd inch monitors and televisions – break loose. By utilizing this new technology i envision a household where potentially every wall could be utilized as a monitor. By using special polymers which are mentioned in detail in the PowerPoint your walls could come alive allowing you to change the atmosphere / colors of any room in seconds - the benefits of this chroma-therapy is mentioned in the PowerPoint. Instead of TVs, software running on a small centralized pc would power the entire home allowing you to watch TV anywhere in your home. Simply by dragging a window anywhere on your wall as small or as large as you like. Interactive elements such as clocks, wallpapers, and the like would be added simply just as widgets or gadgets. advanced interior decorating would be as simple as drag and drop and could be integrated in special wallpaper or texture downloads from your favorite interior design programs on television. Taking this even further i envision this being used to replace lamps, as lighting and brightness could be placed in specific areas. Aside from all the entertainment and design uses, there are several implementations where this technology could be used to educate children and provide years of pleasurable learning which would grow and change with the child. A child being able to doodle on walls with just a finger, and interact with different elements while learning fundamentals without a doubt would be an important asset for any child. Having a pet giraffe would just be a bonus.Feel free to browse the PowerPoint slides and view the videos to understand fully how close this technology actually is. also, below are the questions i had to answer to fulfill the entry requirements for the Microsoft entry, if your interested take a look.
Videos of emerging technologies
Entry Questions
Chris Pafiolis
1. Name of project:
Digital Lifestyle
2. Short Description:
Home decorating trends are constantly changing, which makes it difficult to keep up with the latest fashions in color, furniture, and decorating styles. Frequent painting and customizing is time consuming and not a viable option for most. By digitally painting the home, one will be able to change wall colors instantaneously, place digital pictures, view media and interact with any wall as you might with a computer. The possibilities are endless and will truly change the whole experience of a PC.
3. Passion:
Upon installation, my design will enhance every aspect of home life. People who strive for achieving the idea of the individual, (individuality is more about developing ones own style. Opposing bland conformity and having a desire to stand apart from your neighbour. Aesthetics, colors, graphics, and materials all play a heavy role in shaping an individuals style.) Also these users have a strong sense of spirituality, a response to living in hectic and busy world, where the users respond by creating calm living spaces and environments. Lastly these users have a bold desire for fantasy/adventure, also as a response to hectic living, these users’ desire adventure and experience without leaving the home, through any means possible, i.e. TV or Internet. In sum, these users have a strong passion for creating a unique style of their own, strive for calm living spaces and environments and have a constant desire for adventure and new experiences without leaving the home.
4. Users’ culture and lifestyle:
Busy upper-class media centric homeowners who embrace change and individuality. This group strives to meet the above passions, for a completely satisfying life. Interior design trends influence their lives daily, and they have trouble following with the times as remodelling/painting is expensive and time consuming. Having a quick and easy way to change interior schemes without the large job associated with re-painting an interior would be a great, but there is nothing on the market to service this need. Given technology outlined in my research this simple remodelling task becomes easy and a quite enjoyable experience.
5. Market Viability:
This product will appeal to many users; however will initially spread through upper-class media centric homeowners who embrace change and individuality. These are People who love decorating and keep up with emerging trends who value time over money.
6. Size:
Currently no physical dimensions
7. Overview of Design:
This design is innovative in how it turns the entire home into an interactive hub. Allowing unique experiences to flourish, creating immersing environments and delivering outstanding adventures without leaving the house.
8. User and Context:
This product will appeal to many users; however will initially spread through upper-class media centric homeowners who embrace change and individuality. The product will surround the users every minute they are in their home, influencing everything from their emotions, attitudes and cravings via chroma-therapy and ever changing designs.
9. Scenarios of Use:
After implementing this new digital lifestyle, the result was nothing short of amazing. The users were able to instantly change the color of any wall to whatever they wanted and as often as they wanted. The system also allowed for dynamic mood lighting which helped them unwind after a hectic day at the office. The best part of course was seeing new potential experiences and interaction with the home. The they both loved their new big screen, the they displayed their beautiful artwork, and their child was able to doodle and play games all over the walls with ease!
10. User Interface:
By taking the same concept as the Microsoft surface, using multi touch input, as well as technology such SeaDragon to control the large displays, interactivity will be streamlined entirely for the user experience.
11. Aesthetics:
The appearance, interaction, and system behaviour enhance the product’s emotional appeal to users and enhance their passion by putting heavy influence on the user experience. Adding final touches similar to the Microsoft surface, really would put this product ahead of any of the competitors from an aesthetic standpoint, software standpoint, and would rise over all other products on the market.
12. Technical Aspects:
Technologies that are emerging that would enable this Concept to become a reality are heavily embedded in research today. Many different methods are coming forward to accomplish the same multi touch larch screens, capable of covering walls. Researchers are developing light-emitting polymers that could be used as a paint-like coating for walls; some LEP’s are currently in testing and are proving to be extremely cost effective. Other forms such as OLED and LCD technologies are following suit, creating new opportunities for large paint-able screens. More closely related to Microsoft are the technologies embedded in the Microsoft surface, HP obscura, and Panasonic’s interactive TV wall all which are undergoing rigorous testing.
13. Ecology:
In the short term this product will require vast amounts of initial resources, however once the product system catches on, it will reduce the need for many other environmentally unfriendly products, from televisions and many other home electronics. Ideally in the end most of the electronics in the home will be limited, and the ones that do carry on will co-exist with the digital lifestyle system in your home.
14. Manufacturability:
According to research available on the web, the manufacturability of the hardware is quite simple, literally painting surfaces with special polymers, which are extremely cheap. One source quoted the technology as exceeding the cost effectiveness of LED’s by far. Apart from the screen technology, the system will require a basic computer to serve as the brain center, and Microsoft’s software will be the main experience or life behind the product.
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Macs are nearly 40% profit these days because of the demand. Apple’s market share for computers has tripled in the past ten years, and has exploded especially fast since the iPhone launched.