Mossterpeace
Role
User Research, Ideation, Sketching, Usability Testing
Duration
Tools
Team
2.5 months
Miro
Raspberry Pi (Python, Humidity Sensor, LEDs, Vibration Motor)
About This Project
During my Interaction Design master's program, we dove into using breath as a design material for an Embodied Interaction project. We crafted a unique human-plant experience by exploring materials, researching human-plant relationships, and iterating through prototyping and testing.
The end result was an interactive plant pot that responded to the level of care given to it, emphasizing the importance and intimacy of the human-plant relationship. In 2.5 months, we delivered a complete design, including a 3D-printed plant vessel with a light and movement system, reacting to the humidity levels of the plant.
Design Challenge
With the Covid-19 pandemic, breath has taken on a negative connotation as a transmitter of the virus. Despite this, breath remains an essential bodily function crucial for survival.
How can we shift the perception of breath and use it as a design material to create a positive and engaging experience?
Solution
We discovered that the key to our design challenge lies in human-plant interaction. The mutual exchange of CO2 and O2 between humans and plants is crucial for both species' survival, but this important symbiosis can often be overlooked due to the lack of response from plants. To showcase the intimacy and importance of this two-sided relationship, we designed an interactive plant pot that responds to the human's caregiving - or lack thereof.
Background
• talking to plants can be a pastime for people (e.g. when experiencing feelings of loneliness or as a sign of care in the mutual human-plant relationship)
• taking care of plants has proven benefits for mental health
• sound vibrations can foster plant growth
Design Process
Double Diamond Process
Material Exploration
During the design process, we explored different materials, such as humidity sensors and LEDs to couple breath and light, and a simple switch made with copper tape. We also used a tiny vibration motor to create a rustling effect on leaves.
We looked into materials like glass, rock, cork, ceramic, plastic, wood, felt, and cement, in a variety of shapes like tall, short, round, square, oblong, cylinder, and rectangle.
Cultural probes
We gave little plant pots with journals to 10 participants to document their interaction with their plant. The journals included prompts for sketches and poems documenting their feelings about their four-day interaction.
Results showed that participants used pronouns like "he" or "she" when referring to the plant, indicating a shift in perception. Most of the interaction took place in private and in a low voice. However, the completion level of the task varied among participants and there was a level of participatory bias as we chose participants from our personal surroundings.
Sketching & Prototyping
3D Printed Vessel
The egg-shaped vessel with a round base was chosen for its unique shape that is easy to hold, visually appealing and aligns with the metaphor of nurturing and growth. The round base provides stability and the ability to place it on various surfaces. The soft LED glow adds a subtle lighting and enhances the overall aesthetic. The design encourages intimacy and care towards the plant, which aligns with the theme of human-plant interaction and growth.
Usability Testing
We wanted to understand how people interact with our design, so we did some usability tests with 5 people. All participants liked the movement and sound added to the plant by the vibration motor, making it more interactive. This helped make the plant feel more human-like to the users. They also enjoyed the playful aspect of being able to impact the behavior of the design through touch and breath. We observed that the interaction was mostly conducted through whispering close to the upper part of the plant. Overall, the usability testing helped us gather valuable insights on how users interact with the design and made necessary adjustments to improve the final product.
Design Changes
Based on the usability testing, we made some changes to the design. One of the major changes was moving the sensor from the soil to the leaves, as this became the main point of interaction with the users. This allowed users to have a more direct and intuitive interaction with the plant, making the overall experience more engaging.
Final Design
Our final concept is based on three pillars:
• using your breath as a tool for plant growth
• discovering ways to connect (particularly in a time of disconnect)
• moving beyond seemingly one-sided caregiving → encouraging a rebuilding of a human-plant relationship and mindfulness through somaesthetics (meaning: enjoying and appreciating all experiences - no matter how tiny)
Behavior
The LED behavior is programmed to change based on the day of interaction and the level of humidity.
Day 1: softly pulsating light for attention
Day 2: more frequent and urgent pulsating light for attention
Day 3: madly blinking light to attract attention
When picked up: base LED turns off and plant LED lights up
Rising humidity levels: LED lights up gradually
Peak humidity reached: rustling of the leaves (triggered by a vibration motor)
What I Learned
I learned that people are eager to get feedback from plants and that testing and involving users is important for creating a product that meets their expectations. The material we used highly impacted the final design and with more time, it would have been interesting to experiment with different prototypes.
Some more limitations were the need for a Raspberry Pi to be connected at all times and having visible sensors. Testing more with different components could have potentially made the human-plant interaction more smooth.
It's important to note that plants take longer to react than humans do, so we’d need to test the long-term effects of our design on the plants. By doing more research, especially over time, we can try to make the plant's needs more understandable for humans. This could make the interaction better for the plants and make people more aware of nature.
