These are the direct result of identifying everyday problems and using a combination of intensive research and my imagination to create playful solutions. I found that by ignoring existing constraints, I was able to create solutions that are being increasingly viable.
+ Mobile Dream Machines Project
- IAGO
- Quintessence
- Lunettes
- Seamstr
- Moodle
- Wordinatrix
+ Trend Blocker
+ Closet Hound
+ Jiminy
–––
mobile dream machines – IAGO
“Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything.” – Wyatt Earp
IAGO
If only one could use the “show grid/ruler” feature in real life. IAGO (Incredibly Accurate Grid Overlay) lets you do just that. Choose from a range of units of measurement (including pixels), select whether you would like a straight line of a certain length or a grid of certain parameters and watch IAGO use tiny, precise OLED lights to project your line/grid onto any surface. Potentially invaluable to designers, typographers, and architects who prefer to use pen and paper for part or all of their creative process. IAGO also has a potential bevy of unorthodox uses, from determining whether that settee will fit to carving up cake in an equitable manner.
mobile dream machines – QUINTESSENCE
“To see a worldin a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.” – William Blake
QUINTESSENCE
Quintessence is an app that allows the user to take a picture of anything—the sky during a thunderstorm in this instance—and enter two sets of parameters: colour, texture or pattern; and element (i.e. furniture, wall covering, fabrics). Quintessence then searches various databases and returns matches based on your requirements. The same principle could be applied to nearly any profession that requires a creative to source and pull together elements. The emphasis is being able to draw from the things around you, whether you are travelling through Latvia or walking down to the corner shop.
mobile dream machines – THE LUNETTE
“When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls." – Ted Grant
THE LUNETTE
The idea behind the Lunette is that a filmmaker or photographer facilitate the shift from left-brain to right-brain by showing the world in true B&W. These little spectacles would not just desaturate the colour of people and things surrounding the wearer, but also increase contrast of these surroundings. The principle is to aid observation (a crucial skill for any creative) by forcing the viewer to see objects in terms of shape, texture, dimension, and composition, thus de-emphasising the usual focus on colour. By making everyday sights look so markedly different, the wearer finds him or herself in a new mental and physical landscape, where the appearance—and therefore, fundamental nature—of his or her surroundings has changed. Look all around you while wearing Lunettes, and see the world as your own Chaplin or Resnais film (see Modern Times and Last Year in Marienbad) or perhaps even as a real-life David Bailey exhibit.
mobile dream machines – SEAMSTR
“Virtual reality is the first step in a grand adventure into the landscape of the imagination.” – Communication in the Age of Virtual Reality. Biocca, Kim, & Levy.
SEAMSTR
Seamstr might be considered augmented reality pushed into overdrive. This iteration is adapted for fashion designers, tailors, seamstresses or indeed anyone who needs to use a pattern or template. Our intrepid fashion designer could import patterns to her mobile device and project it onto any surface (whether a plain white wall, a mannequin, or an actual model). If it were dark enough, she would even be able to see her design or pattern projected into midair, translucence aside. To really push the limits of virtual assistance, the app would allow the designer to make adjustments on the screen and see the changes mirrored on the life-sized projection. Voilà.
mobile dream machines – Moodle
“When one has much to put into them, a day has a hundred pockets.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
MOODLE
Imagine being able to take a Polaroid-style snapshot of people, places and things on your mobile device. Now imagine being able to do that with images, video, audio, and text. Take this capability and project it onto a tool like Moodle, which allows users to set up a digital project moodboard that is supremely touch-friendly. Record an interview on the streets of Amsterdam, save it onto your Moodboard as a slide, along with audio recordings and photos shot earlier in the day, run your fingers through the pile of “slides” on your Moodle moodboard and double-click to expand to full-screen. Arguably the best feature of Moodle is the ability for your colleague in Beijing to view the moodboard in real-time, and vice versa. The notion behind this is to simplify documentation of project inspiration by giving it a fun, simple interface that stores video, audio and text as easily as an instant camera takes snaps. The real-time collaboration is an added but essential bonus.
mobile dream machines – THE WORDINATRIX
“The more reasons you have for achieving your goal, the more determined you will become.” – Brian Tracy
THE WORDINATRIX
Is there any more convenient a means to procrastinate than the Internet? Quite possibly, but this jaunty little productivity tool takes full advantage of our writer’s innate desire to surf the web instead of writing that novel by blocking internet unless he writes. For added incentive, every word he types on his mobile device gives him 5kb of Internet data. The Wordinatrix matches up all words with a dictionary database to prevent cheating of course. For a small device, it intends to pack a punch—and yes, it has a certain whip-like appearance for an extra bit of cheek.
TREND BLOCKER
Part of an ongoing study on how we take in media in the digital world vs. the physical world, and the problems faced in each.
WHAT | An app or plugin that blocks certain tags or key phrases from your social media and internet activity.
HOW | (See below for illustrations). Enter some details of what you would like to block (hashtags, specific names, key phrases, places) into your Block List. Trend Blocker then blocks or redacts phrases, images, video etc pertaining to what you have added to your block list.
WHY | Although it’s possible to block certain information on some websites (such as Tumblr), these tools are often cumbersome, glitch and not universal, You might have blocked #gameofthrones on Tumblr, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to see season finale spoilers on Twitter, Facebook, Google, Reddit, Buzzfeed etc. Other uses: to block/erase triggering phrases for trauma survivors, people with eating disorders, PTSD sufferers, epileptics – this means they would be able to surf the internet as freely as everyone else.
CLOSET HOUND
Part of an ongoing investigation into potential innovations in manufacturing as relevent to self representation and sustainability.
WHAT | Database that allows users to see what they have in their closet & make outfits out of their wardrobes before even opening cupboard doors.
HOW | Large-scale project to have all clothing manufactures print a Closet Hound label for every item of clothing. Upon purchasing an item of clothing, the user would use their phone to scan the label. This would automatically add detailed information and photographs of the item to the user’s database. This data includes: size, colour, material, washing instructions, price paid.
WHY | The advantages of being able to see every item of clothing you own are numerous: To avoid buying things too similar to what you already own; To create outfits without going through the motions of trying everything on (like Polyvore but for items you already own)—also beneficial to mobility-challenged users. And on a sustainability level, to make full use of all your clothing rather than forgetting about items for months or years.
JIMINY
Part of an ongoing project on innovations in sustainability.
WHAT | An app for socially-conscious users who are tired of unnecessary packaging and for manufacturers who are interested in sustainability and savings.
HOW | Users scan barcodes for items they purchase and rate how good or bad the packaging is, which is then sent on to manufacturers and shared on a public database. On the user end: five stars for good, efficient packaging and one star for unnecessary, wasteful packaging. If three stars or fewer, users then choose from a short list of unnecessary materials (cardboard, plastic etc). The more they rate, the more points they get towards discount vouchers. The ratings and additional information are then sent on to manufacters along with information on how much money the manufacturer would have saved without that material.
WHY | As time progresses, I am developing an interest in socially and environmentally-conscious innovations. This is one of my initial forays into this territory. The name is a reference to Jiminy Cricket, as the tool is meant to allow users to be the “conscience” to corporations and manufacturers by offering feedback on unnecessary packaging.