Placeholders
PlaceHolders addresses the alienation that we all feel in cities in an accessible, subtle way: providing a gentle nudge when a user passes something that they may love based on their unique interest profile.
Graduation project, MA and MSc Innovation Design Engineering, 2019
Polyurethane, Silicone, Arduino, Brass
10cm x 5cm
2019
10cm x 5cm
2019
PlaceHolders is a ‘smart’ string of beads. However, rather than connecting you to your breath or prayers, it connects you to your city. You tell PlaceHolders, via a simple web interface, what city you live in and your interests. PlaceHolders then aggregates this information and curates ‘places of interest’ that will make you feel a sense of belonging in the city you inhabit.
As you pass ‘places of interest’ while travelling through your city, a bead vibrates. If you squeeze the bead, an audio description of the place of interest will play via your phone.
A range of experts from cognitive navigation, neuroscience, spatial analysis and data visualization was interviewed. A series of design experiments was also conducted. This led to the development of an initial analogue prototype which was tested with visually impaired and sighted users.
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A range of experts from cognitive navigation, neuroscience, spatial analysis and data visualization was interviewed. A series of design experiments was also conducted. This led to the development of an initial analogue prototype which was tested with visually impaired and sighted users.
An over-moulding process is used in order to conceal the electronics and accommodate the thread.
