SproutCat

This subject was the first opportunity to work on developing a physical prototype, as opposed to the previous digital ones It required developing a physical product as a team, that either solved an existing problem, was a functional game, or a unique take on a musical instrument. Our group proceeded with the option of developing a solution to an existing problem, based on collective results from early interviewing conducted and ideas developed in the initial individual and group ideation and brainstorming processes.

Having observed the results from both the early interviews and ideation, it was my suggestion to the group that we proceed with this topic for the project, based on practicality, availability of skills and resources and indicative results.

In order to create a solution that was more useful to its target audience, it was necessary to conduct interviews and research in more earnest. This not only improved the effectiveness of what the finished product would aim to do, but it also allowed for the idea to be more polished and clearly defined even in the early stages. One discovery during this stage, was that by making owners feel more attached to their plants, they would be more inclined to take better care of their plants, which in turn would make them less likely to die.

To the extent possible, I chose to focus on the active aging population as the demographic for my interviews, as I found them to be more expressive of their wants and needs from a product that is supposed to provide a solution to an existing problem, than younger age demographics did.

It was then necessary to clearly define and determine exactly what our product would be a solution for, including how it would appear and function for its intended purpose. While there was room for this to change throughout the duration of its development, this definition provided a clear goal and target to work towards in the early stages. The end result, was deciding on an insert into pot plants, that would monitor soil humidity, light, temperature and soil quality; in order to better support owners in preventing their plants from dying.

Likely resulting in part from my studies in my data analytics sub-major, I was able to practically approach the problem and feasibility of the different ideas for solutions and features of our product, thereby contributing significantly to this phase of development.

The end result for the features and functionalities of this product is mentioned above; however, during the ideation phase, there were many more ideas that were suggested but eventually rejected during this time. This rejection ended up being due to factors such as time and resource requirements and limitations, as well as due to group discussion of the value add that these different features offered. One notable idea added at this time that was implemented, was to make it more interactive through a digital face that would have either a happy face when within pre-defined "ideal ranges" for all measured values, and a sad face when it wasn't. Furthermore, in line with the discovery that there would be benefits to creating a stronger emotional connection between an owner and their plants, this prototype was made with design and functionality inspired by a Tamogatchi.

My primary contribution in this, was to assess the practicality and overall value of each of the suggested features, considering time and resource limitations in making an informed decision, that I suggested to the team for a final decision.

The end result for the prototype was required to be physical. However, to prevent wasted time and resources in the creation and completion of the physical prototype, it was first made, edited and confirmed in a digital format. Upon completion and review of this digital format, the prototype was then transitioned into its final physical form.

My role in developing the physical prototype was more focused on a design perspective, both physically and functionality-wise. I did not take part significantly in the physical building and assembly of the product; nor in the software aspect through the required coding, as both these tasks had members who were more suited towards these tasks.

In the final weeks of this subject, it was necessary to test the physical prototype being developed. This was completed in class, through a demonstration to the tutor and other students for an opportunity to improve the prototype through feedback and questions.

The preparation of what was to be said during this demonstration, as well as the questions to ask our audience in order to gauge different perspectives and responses, so that the opportunity for identifying potential improvements to make was maximised, was my responsibility.

The prototype that was completed at the conclusion of this subject was highly successful, having won first place in both awards at the inaugural UTS Tech Festival in 2022.

Following a nomination from our tutor and deliberation by the subject coordinator, our group was the only undergraduate group in this subject to be selected to present at the inaugural UTS Tech Festival in 2022, the quality of our completed prototype. There, in competition with various undergraduate and postgraduate students and groups in Interaction Design related subjects, our group was the winner of both the Best Prototype Award, voted upon by UTS staff and industry sponsors in attendance; and the People's Choice Award, voted upon by the general public.