Maddie Johnson-Harwitz

The E-Motion Skirt provides a fashionable and artistic way to communicate non-verbally. A belt with arm-like appendages is hidden under the skirt to create an artistic form of nonverbal communication. The appendages are attached to the wearer's arms and hands by strings. When the arms raised above the head, the skirt creates a butterfly-like shape with the fabric. On each side of what would be the wings, the red fabric would be revealed. When the skirt is lifted up it conveys love and when it is lifted in front of the user and the joints are moved around, it conveys anger. The movement and colors of a butterflies wings and the way they communicate nonverbally was an important inspiration for the E-Motion Skirt. Another meaningful inspiration for the skirt is a flamenco dancer and the way they use their skirt to communicate emotion and express themselves through movement. Many people in the world cannot communicate verbally, for various reasons, and the E-Motion Skirt could help them feel more confident and integrated into society. Many people who are non-verbal struggle due to their difference and the fact that many others do not care to accommodate them. This skirt would help them communicate their emotions with others and express that they are not invisible. The E-Motion Skirt is also a fashionable piece that wouldn't make the user feel self-conscious. The E-Motion Skirt creates a bridge between people, connecting them through novel forms of communication and opening them up to learning from people different from themselves. The hope is that the E-Motion Skirt will raise awareness of the challenges faced by people who are nonverbal and will inspire people to do more to include them.

Mila A. Contreras Godfrey

There are many people who are unable to communicate verbally and express their emotions well through sign language. Even those who do know sign language may not be able to communicate with those who around them don’t.  The E-motion Skirt allows the users to express their emotion artistically through fashion as an extension of the user. Pieces of wood that have been inserted into the skirt in the front are connected to the arms and allow for the user to create different motions or make different gestures using their forearms and/or wrists. By moving your arms up, down, or to the sides you can move the direction of the added limbs. By pulling the second string you are able to create a bending motion at the joint of the appendage to create signals and other movements. Raising your arms above the users head they will reveal the color red, symbolizing love. If the user bends the “arms” in a fast past it symbolizes anger.  The E-motion Skirt is based on the movements and colors of butterflies. The skirt is also based off of the emotions Flamenco dancers can express using their skirts to exaggerate emotions and feelings. E-motion Skirt combines art and functionality to create a statement that also allows for a new way of communication.

Brief - Julian Kennedy

 Poor air quality is a significant global health issue that is not going away. Well over 4 million deaths a year are attributed to outdoor air pollution. The "Lichen Limb" is an air-purifying arm prosthetic that uses lichen to help humans now, and to prepare them to adapt to and mitigate air pollution issues projected for the future. Like all plants, lichen naturally scrubs excess co2 from the air, but unlike most plants, it does not need dirt to survive. This makes it the perfect natural, mobile, co2 scrubber. 

Many similar natural air-purifiers use algae and an air pump to scrub co2. The "Lichen Limb" instead uses lichen because it is lighter, easier to maintain, and does not require electricity to operate. The device is designed with internal air tunnels lined with lichen that scrub away excess co2 as air passes through. The lichen tunnels spiral around a 3D-printed cone-shaped base. The tunnels are spiraled in order to maximize surface area, and two hinged pieces of clear acrylic fit around the base in order to air seal the tunnels. These features improve the efficiency of the co2 scrubbing. The "Lichen Limb" was designed as a prosthetic for practicality and social impact. The device is rather bulky and would be very difficult to attach to someone is fully limbed. Designing it as a prosthetic for below the elbow amputees allows for the necessary size of the device. Along with the goal of air purification, the "Lichen Limb" hopes to empower different limbed peoples and destigmatize disability.

Brief - Hagar Hirsch

The Lichen Limb is a prosthetic arm that hosts lichen that naturally filters toxins and provides clean air for the user. According to The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality, living in Boston for a year one takes in a number of toxins equivalent to living with a smoker for three months. Air pollution levels in Boston, as well as worldwide, are only projected to get worse. In order to combat this lichen is the ideal choice. It acts as a natural, portable, filter as it is both very hardy and also efficient at air filtration.

The prosthesis has been modeled to fit Jul, who is a below the elbow amputee. We spoke to her about creating a comfortable prosthetic and also about what routes we could take to make the prosthetic more useful. In order to create a comfortable attachment, we are using foam padding. All mechanisms have been designed to be operated with one hand. The prosthesis contains a drill-shaped spiral to encourage air flow and to make watering the lichen easier; the outside shell contains a spring-based latch to make the device easy to open. The Lichen Limb seeks to provide a natural and streamlined solution to air pollution as well as approaching prosthesis. The Lichen Limb doesn’t replace the function of a hand. Our project sought to explore how prosthetics could be made that challenge the human form instead of replicating it.

RollerFan is a wearable sail that allows the user to move faster on rollerblades.

It's hard to rollerblade fast when it is windy. RollerFan harnesses the wind from any direction to push the user forward. We created this project so that the user could go faster on rollerblades with less effort.  RollerFan is made out of two flat wooden beams, one is facing vertically and another is facing horizontally to make the skeleton of the sail. Sewed onto the beams is a quarter-circle piece of Tyvek to from a sail. The fabric that the sail is made out of is a plastic-like fabric that does not allow air through. This fabric allows the sail to be able to harness more wind. RollerFan helps rollerbladers move with more ease when there is wind. This project could even be adapted for skateboarders too. 

RollerFan is a sail-like an object that allows the user to move faster on rollerblades.

While rollerblading its hard to go faster in the wind so we created this sail that can catch the wind from a certain direction and use it to push you forward. We created this project so that the user could go faster on rollerblades with less effort required. We did this by having two different flat poles that hold up a quarter circle sail. We sowed the sail onto the poles so that it would all be one piece. In our project, we used wood and a windproof plastic-like fabric. We used this fabric so that more wind would be able to push on the sail. People who would use this would be people who ride on rollerblades and are annoyed of having to fight the wind each time they ride, and maybe even skateboarders.

THE PRESENTATION POST

This post's privacy is set to Everyone. This post showcases your final design by telling the comprehensive story of how your idea was born, developed, and manifested. The arc of the story should encompass the, How of your project in a compelling narrative. It showcases your design process including your brainstorming, each of your iterations, and your final prototype. It allows the viewer to delve deeply into your process.

• Every Slide should have a Title and Caption.
  The body of this post is The Brief. You should include a version of the Brief for each collaborator in the project.
• This post will be used in your review presentation at the end of the session.

You are encouraged to make your narrative as compelling as possible. All of the content below should be included, but if you would like to rearrange the material in order to tell your story differently, work with your coach.

INTRODUCTION PORTION

Your presentation is a narrative, and the introduction sets up the scene for that story. Here you introduce the project, say why it is important, and summarize what you did.

TITLE WITH TAGLINE: This slides shows a crisp, clear final image and the title of your project. with a pithy blurb describing the project. The image, name, and tagline should draw a viewer in. 

Examples:

• The Fruit - A line following, light tracking robot
• Segmented Vehicle - A vehicle that conforms to the landscape
• Cacoon - Wearable sculpture exploring the concept of transformation and death

EVOCATIVE  IMAGE: This is a single image that shows a clear image that evokes the soul of your project. This image helps set up the why in a compelling way, sets the stage for your narrative, and will help frame the entire presentation. The caption of this slide (set with the Edit Captions button when editing your post) should discuss the context of your project. No Text on the slide.

THESIS STATEMENT: This is a TEXT ONLY slide for which briefly describes the Soul and Body of your project. You can use the project description from your Brief or write something new. This statement ties together your narrative.

Examples:

• The Cocoon:  A wearable sculpture that explores the concept of transformations and death. The Cocoon explores the spiritual journey beyond the human experience; what it means to be human, how wonder effects us, and the concept of what happens after death.
• Body Accordion: A musical prosthetic that translates the wearer’s body movements into a dynamic multimedia performance. The Body Accordion converts flex sensor input to sound through Arduino, MaxMSP, and Ableton Live. 
• Seed to Soup Animation: A whimsical animation about the slow food movement. Seed to Soup showcases a holistic method of cooking. From garden, to kitchen, to dinner table.
• Antlers: A wearable sculpture inspired by antlers found in the deer and antelope family. "Antlers" explores the comparison between armor and attraction. 

PROCESS PORTION

The Process Portion of your presentation tells the story of how you iteratively developed your project. Somewhere in that story you should include conceptual and technical precedents that guided you at each stage as well as brainstorming and process sketches and clear photo booth imagery for 3-4 stages of your process.

This portion is made up of three types of slides repeated 3-4 times. Each iteration in your process should include:

• PRECEDENTS:  Precedents are any projects that inspired you creatively or gave you technical guidance. These can include conceptual precedents and technical precedents. No Text.
• SKETCHES/SKETCH CONCEPT DIAGRAMS: These slides show your generative ideas in sketch form. These should clean, clear drawings. A sketch should show a clear idea. Do not simply scan a messy sketchbook page and expect that people will understand. If you do not have a clear concept or working sketches it is fine to make them after the fact. No Text.
• PROTOTYPE IMAGES:  These are actual images of the prototypes  you documented in your daily posts. These images illustrate your design decisions and how your project changed at each step. No Text.

FINAL PORTION

The Final stage of your presentation is the resolution of your narrative and shows your completed work. The use diagram shows how your project works and the construction diagram shows how it is assembled. Final photos show the project both in action and at rest. The imagery captures your final built design.

USE DIAGRAM: A diagram showing some aspect of the functionality. These can include:

• How one uses or interacts with the project
• The overall behavior of the project over time
• For a complex interactive project, this can be a clear diagram of the software behavior

MECHANICAL DIAGRAM:  A diagram offering insight on how the project is put together and functions technically.

• Ideally, this will be an exploded axonometric
• At minimum this can be a labeled disassembled photo  

ELECTRONICS or OTHER DIAGRAM: Additional diagrams showing some important aspect of your design. 

IMAGERY: The last slides should have an images of the final project. These images should be taken in the photo booth, cropped, and adjusted for contrast, brightness, etc. Images should include:

• An image of the project in use (taken in the booth or at large). This should include a human interacting with the project.
• Images of project alone. Include at least one overall image and one detail image.
• You can also use an image In-Use. 
• Consider using a GIF to show how the project works. 

The Brief Part 2 - Full Brief

Remember, all documents related to the brief are found HERE. These include a note from the writing coach and the Composition Reminder Sheet.

Now that you have created an document that outlines all of the information you want to relate in the Brief, it is time to weave that information together into a strong narrative that ties together the Why, How and What and Who of your project through clear, cogent writing. Tell the story of how your idea was born, developed, and manifested.

Create 1 post titled “The Brief” in the Writing tab with text that includes the following 2 items, numbered:

1. A 1-2 sentence project description for your transcript. This will serve as the basis of the Project Description that appears in your transcript. This description should not include the name of the project and should be written in the third person. This was Question 1 in your Outline.
   examples:
   Night Light Blankie: A child's sensory blanket that provides comfort and privacy in the high stress environment of the hospital using weight, textures, and light. The blanket transforms into a mini light up fort over a child’s head.
   Cocoon: a shroud that explores human spirituality and the concept of life after death through the use of repetitive religious iconography. Composed of over 300 pieces of laser cut balsa wood lined with space tape, the icons are arranged using a mathematical strange attractor.

2. A 1-2 paragraph brief for your project based on the description below. This will be based off the information you put together in your Outline and should focus on style. The NuVu writing coach will give you feedback and you will have the opportunity to revise this text before the final presentation. The primary purpose of The Brief is to explain, entice, and convince the reader that your project is amazing and important. Imagine your project on display in the Museum of Modern Art. The Brief is hanging on the wall next to your work. In 1-2 paragraphs, a viewer should understand what your project is, why it exists, and how you made it, and who it is for. More importantly, the viewer should be interested and care. You will draw them into your project through a compelling narrative.
   
   Things to think about:
   • Use the information in your Outline. Do not simply put all of the answers together -- you must weave it together into a clear story.
   • The what is a clear statement of the thesis or problem+solution. Your project description for your transcript (#1 above) can be adapted for this purpose.
   • The why explains how your project changes the world. It is the reason your project exists – what social issue is it engaging, who is your project helping, how does the project change the world, and what important social, intellectual, or technical questions does it raise? The scope of the why can vary widely.
   • The how briefly explains what technical prowess, innovative methods, or cool materials you used in your solution.
   • The who explains who will use your design, why they will use it, and in what context.
   • Think of the reader - it is good to imagine that a college admissions officer AND a potential employer in the field of your design should both be able to understand and be excited by the project based on your writing.

Write in the Third person in an explanatory fashion. Resist using I, WE, OUR, or YOU and focus on describing the work.

Here is an example from Penelope the Pain-O-Monster:

Pediatricians and other doctors find it challenging to collect accurate self reported information from children about their level of pain due to lack of communication skills, fear, anxiety, and discomfort. Traditional 1-10 pain scales do not fully address these issues, often leading to uncomfortable children and inaccurate symptom information. Penelope the Pain-O-Monster is a cute plush toy that uses integrated pressure sensors to allow children to express their source and level of pain through play.

A previous project, The EmoOwl, helped children with autism to express themselves by translating motion into color. Penelope the Pain-O-Monster grew out of the desire to expand children’s health menagerie with a different stuffed animal, one that makes the pain charts patients use to express their pain more interactive and easier for a child to use. Because research has shown that playing with stuffed animals can take children’s mind off pain, an additional “Fun” mode was added to distract from pain and anxiety. The handcrafted stuffed animal uses force sensors in different body parts that light up from blue to red depending on how hard they are pushed to show the child’s pain level. The hope is that, as one of many future healthcare friends, Penelope can help sick children feel safer while providing more useful information to care providers.

Please upload your completed Outline Tuesday morning

The Brief - Part 1 - Outline

As part of your portfolio for each studio, you will be asked to write a Brief for your project. The Brief is a written piece that will accompany your presentation and is a strong narrative that ties together the Why, How and What of your project through clear, cogent writing. It tells the story of how your idea was born, developed, and manifested.

For students at NuVu Cambridge, to help you develop your writing, Rebecca, the NuVu writing coach, will provide feedback throughout the process. Rebecca is a published writer, a professional editor, and a teacher of writing. Her assistance is invaluable in developing your written communication skills. She will expect hard work and thoughtful writing and respond with thorough feedback on content and style.

------Copy & Paste this section below into a new post and answer ALL of the questions completely ---- 

The Brief Part 1 - Outline

Answer the following questions in full, complete sentences. Title the post "Brief Outline" and post it in the Writing Tab of your Project. Every student must do this assignment. Cut and paste the assignment below and write your answers below each point. You must respond to ALL items (#4 can be skipped if there is no individual client). Click Shift-Return to start a new line.

1. Write a A 1-2 sentence project description. This description should not include the name of the project and should be written in the third person. 
   1. What is the "soul" of your project? Describe the idea of the project in conceptual terms. This should paint a conceptual picture in the readers mind. (1 sentences)
   2. What is the "body" of your project? Describe the basic technical or physical construction of the project. This should NOT go into excessive detail, just provide an overview. Describe the project to someone with no technical knowledge in as few words as possible. The reader should be able to envision what the project looks like. ( sentences)
      
      Examples:
      Night Light Blankie: A child's sensory blanket that provides comfort and privacy in the high stress environment of the hospital using weight, textures, and light. The blanket transforms into a mini light up fort over a child’s head.
      Cocoon: a shroud that explores human spirituality and the concept of life after death through the use of repetitive religious iconography. Composed of over 300 pieces of laser cut balsa wood lined with space tape, the icons are arranged using a mathematical strange attractor.
2. Why does your project exist? The why explains how your project changes the world. It is the reason your project exists – 
   1. What social issue does your project engage? (1 sentence)
   2. Who is your project helping?  (1 sentence)
   3. How does the project change the world? This can be in a simple physical way or in a complex social way. (1 sentence)
   4. What important social, intellectual, or technical questions does it raise? (1 sentence)
3. Who is the project for? Who will use it and in what context (1 sentence)
4.   If you are designing for a specific person, answer the following:
   1. What is the client's name and what is their medical condition, if any? (1 sentence)
   2. How does their condition relate to your project? Include concise and compelling information about the client you are working with, their condition, and how that relates to your project design. (1 sentence)
   3. What is their personality like and how does it inform your design process? (1 sentence)
5. How does your project work. In non-jargonistic language, answer the following 
   1. What is the basic technology behind your project? (1 sentence)
   2. What is technically innovative about your project? How does it differ from existing technology? (1 sentence)
   3. How does a user physically and mentally interact with the project? (1-2 sentences)

Hello-

Thanks everyone for your focus today - the projects are moving into interesting places!

For Homework tonight, please do the following:

1) Do your nightly blog post: post all photos, sketches and videos of the work you did today. Caption each photo with a short description of your intention.

2) Find at least 2-3 precedents per idea and post them to your new team project folder. Remember, Hi Resolution!

3) Continue to develop your ideas, creating at least 1 drawing for each idea. Post these in the updates tab of your project folder

Creators: Sofia Carlson, Haley Roach