Prompt

The goal of this activity is to provide an opportunity for students to iterate on their prototypes. Iteration is a strategy used by designers to continually improve the look and the functionality of their innovations. 

The iteration process typically goes something like this: create a prototype, receive feedback, improve the prototype, repeat until the product is finished. 

Instructions

Review the presentation above to learn about the iteration process before you start working on your final prototypes. 

Things to consider:

Part 1:  Reflect on the First Prototype

Begin by reflecting on your earlier prototypes. Engage with questions such as:

• What materials and methods would be best for constructing the next prototype, considering the lessons learned from what you've made so far? 
• Reflect on your current prototype and consider its strengths and weaknesses. Seek feedback from end users or classmates. 
• Ask yourself: Are there any weak points in my prototype that are easily broken? How can I make them stronger?
• Evaluate the neatness and aesthetics of your prototype: Is there visible glue and tape? How can I improve the overall appearance?
• Assess the fit and finish of your prototype: Do the pieces fit well together with clean edges? How can I enhance the overall assembly?

Part 2: Consider Integration of Advanced Techniques

Consider incorporating advanced techniques such as electronics, laser cutting, or 3D printing to enhance your installation. Explore how these techniques can be used to improve the functionality and aesthetics of your prototype.

Part 2: Make your Final Prototype

Using carefully selected materials, construct your final iteration of the prototype. Pay attention to cleaner cuts, more precise construction, and the overall presentation of your prototype.

Deliverable

At the end of the of the Iterative Design / Advanced Prototyping period (which can last several classes), you will have your finished prototype. 

Prompt

Now that we've brainstormed and sketched and prototyped and FINALLY landed on a solid idea, it's time to delve into the realm of iterative design.

Iterative design is when you take your initial idea, get feedback, and improve upon that idea and your prototype in a cycle that can happen an infinite number of times (until you hit your deadline, of course!)

For this project, we will be doing two iterations that focus on FORM and FUNCTION. 

You've received feedback on your sketch prototypes, drawn a detailed storyboard, and chosen one direction to go in. For each future iteration of your project, you will incorporate feedback provided into a sketch and a new (or improved) prototype.

Part One: Form

Discuss the following questions with your partner:

How can you improve the FORM of your design?

• Can you add a level of elegance or geometric creativity to your design?
• Does the shape of each component of your design have anything to do with its function or use?
• If your object is interactive, how can you invite users in using only the visual nature of your design?

Instructions 

In this activity, you will learn from your previous sketch models in order to create improved final Delightful Interventions prototypes. These will be "higher fidelity" than your last set of hand models and conscious of material choice, quality of the design, connections/joints, functionality and intent. There should be a clear progression from one set of prototypes to the next as you make design decisions. Make sure you really examine the full range of materials available to you in this studio and make thoughtful choices about which materials you're using and why.

Part 2: Function 

Discuss the following questions with your partner

How can you improve the FUNCTION of your design?

• Does it move in the way you want it to?
• When you test your design with your friends and family, how do they respond? Is it easy to use? Intuitive?
• Does your prototype work the way you want it to? What are some mechanical kinks that you need to work out?
• Are there any precedents* for the type of mechanisms and functionality that you are incorporating into your design?

Instructions

Consider whether there is a key element of your Delightful Intervention that would be made better by being interactive. The goal here is not to add on interactivity for no reason. We want you to consider your concept and whether interactivity is right for your design. If so, you may use mechanisms (and/or electronics, if available) to help make it happen.

Note: It is okay if your project does not feature interactive elements. However, if you're skipping this step, you must invest more energy in the visual design. 

About interactivity...

The key element of interactivity is taking an input and converting it to an output. Luckily, there are a lot of simple ways to add interactivity to projects. Visit the Advanced Prototyping: Mechanisms resource folder to learn the simple techniques for adding interactivity and motion to today's sketch model iterations. 

You may also explore adding electronics-based interactions to your project, but that is optional. Visit the "Electronics Tutorials" resource folder to learn more about using an Arduino to add interactivity to your project.