Module 1 Activity Research
Weekly Activities and Insights
Student Name: Sandra Krcmar
Description: Starting with tactile explorations in Arduino, ProtoPie, and TouchDesigner, these weekly activities evolved into deeper consumer trend research and persona insights — transforming technical play into meaningful, insight-driven interactive design concepts.
Project 1
Module 1
ACTIVITY 1 (WEEK 2)
From there, we leveled up by introducing the breadboard—a component I’m still deepening my understanding of. I learned that the breadboard is split into two horizontal halves, separated between rows E and F, with vertical rails on either side typically marked with red (power) and blue (ground) lines. I explored how to distribute power from the Arduino to the breadboard’s rails and then into components using male-to-male jumper wires and resistors. This included learning how to power LEDs through the breadboard, and eventually adding a push-button that could control when the LED turned on.
This revealed a crucial insight: the push-button must straddle the middle channel of the breadboard to function properly, with each leg aligned to a power and ground. I learned that the button also needed its own power path and that resistor placement was essential to regulate current and ensure stability. Once the button was integrated, the power flow became more complex—coming from the Arduino into the breadboard rails, and then into the components through various mappings.
We also expanded to powering two LEDs, each wired with its own resistor, further solidifying my grasp of parallel vs series layouts, current directionality, and the importance of grounding. This marked a shift from using the Arduino simply as a power source to building basic interactive circuits. While the core logic structure in code remained relatively simple (setup() and loop()), the physical layer demanded increasing clarity and intentionality.
I was prompted to create a ‘to-do’ list in further exploring the following (which will be tackled throughout my studies):
1. Breadboard Architecture
• Investigate the internal connection paths (rows vs columns).
• Learn what happens when components straddle vs when they don't.
2. Circuit Mapping & Flow (future study)
• Diagram how current flows from the Arduino → breadboard rails → LED/button → ground.
• Learn how to read and draw basic schematics.
3. Code & Circuit Integration
• Explore how changes in code (e.g. digitalRead, digitalWrite, delays, if statements) directly affect physical components.
DEEPER INSIGHTS:
Breadboard Anatomy
Horizontal Power Rails (Top and Bottom)
• The red line: + (positive voltage)
• The blue line:– (GND / ground).
• These lines run horizontally, left to right, across the board.
• Each hole along that red or blue line is connected electrically across the full length of the rail.
Terminal Strips (The Grid: A–E | F–J)
• Main working zones.
• Columns (numbered 1–60): Each column (ie column 15) has 5 holes on the left (A–E) and 5 on the right (F–J).
• Important to note:
-Rows A–E are connected together in a vertical column.
-Rows F–J are also connected together, but separately from A–E.
-The middle divider between E and F is not connected—this is called the "trench".
Buttons Across the Ravine
• Most push-buttons have four legs: two on each side.
• Each side is internally connected horizontally (across rows), but not across the ravine.
• So placing the button to straddle E and F ensures that:
-One side connects to power
-The other side connects to an input pin or resistor to GND,
-When you press the button, you bridge the two—completing the circuit.
Resistors
• Resistors limit current. Without them, an LED can burn out from too much power.
• One end of the resistor connects to the LED’s longer leg.
• The other end connects to either ground
Activity 1 annotated images
ACTIVITY 2 (WEEK 3)
In week three, we explored ProtoPie, a powerful no-code interaction prototyping tool that allows designers to simulate and test complex interactions in real time—both on screen and through connected devices. We began by importing designs from Figma into ProtoPie and learned how to add interactions directly to objects and layers. Using ProtoPie Connect, we established live connections between our prototypes and mobile devices via USB or Wi-Fi, enabling us to preview and test dynamic flows without writing any code.
One of the most exciting extensions was integrating Arduino hardware with ProtoPie. This unlocked the ability to use physical sensors—extending interaction beyond phone gestures into the real world. We created ProtoPie accounts, completed the ProtoPie 101 crash course (which took around six hours), and joined the shared Enterprise group using a class email.
For the first Arduino-based activity, we connected an Arduino Uno with a Seeed Studio Sensor Shield, allowing us to hook up a temperature/humidity sensor and a potentiometer. To enable communication between Arduino and ProtoPie, we downloaded several required libraries and ensured our Arduino sketch remained actively running. One critical insight was understanding that serial communication is unidirectional per connection—meaning we had to disconnect the Arduino Serial Monitor in order to let ProtoPie Connect receive data. Since the serial port can only talk to one software at a time, this setup forced us to respect data channel exclusivity.
After linking ProtoPie Connect with our Arduino and setting up the proper cloud project, we successfully transmitted sensor data (like potentiometer values) into a live ProtoPie interaction. This experience was a significant leap—from screen-only UX design into embodied, sensor-driven interaction design.
Activity 2 annotated images
ACTIVITY 3 (WEEK 4)
In week four, we began stepping into the mesmerizing world of TouchDesigner, learning how to connect it with Arduino and exploring the dynamic interplay of light, sensors, and space. The class began by demystifying projectors—a foundational tool in projection mapping. We discussed various types, including standard, short throw, and ultra-short throw, and how throw distance determines where a projector needs to be positioned relative to the surface. We also explored lumens (brightness), laser projectors, and pico projectors, as well as learned that Sheridan has a number of projectors students can potentially sign out.
This opened a gateway into the expansive world of projection mapping, which has been of deep personal interest. We looked at case studies that truly inspired me, including the mind-blowing live visuals in Amon Tobin’s iSAM tour, which fused music, 3D mapped architecture, and immersive sound design. We also explored Moment Factory, a leading multimedia studio in Montreal that creates groundbreaking interactive and projection-based installations across the globe. These examples, along with the upcoming Nuit Blanche festival in Toronto, reminded me how media art can transform public space into a story.
We then shifted into the software realm, downloading and exploring the interface of TouchDesigner, a node-based visual programming tool used in real-time projection, live shows, and generative art. We learned about the network editor, the timeline, and how to place and connect operators. These include:
• TOPs (Texture Operators for image and video),
• CHOPs (Channel Operators for data like audio and sensors),
• SOPs (Surface Operators for geometry),
• COMPs (components to organize),
• MATs (materials),
• DATs (data operators)
• Custom Operators.
We also connected TouchDesigner to Arduino, expanding the software’s ability to receive real-world sensor input and enabling reactive, sensor-driven generative visuals. Sheridan also provides access to higher-tier licenses for students working on advanced projection installations, which is good to know for future projects.
For our activity, we began by creating a Derivative account and downloading the non-commercial version of TouchDesigner to our laptops. Installation was smooth, and we were then guided through the POT Arduino tutorial, which demonstrated how
Using the provided Arduino sketch, we uploaded the code and tested the potentiometer's responsiveness through the Serial Monitor in the Arduino IDE. As expected, the values changed dynamically when turning the knob, indicating successful analog input.
However, we quickly learned a key limitation: Serial communication is exclusive. That means the Arduino can only send data to one listener at a time. In this case, we had to close the Serial Monitor in order to let TouchDesigner access the same stream of data. The Arduino sketch remained running in the background, sending continuous values.
Once TouchDesigner was connected, we began using those analog values to manipulate a basic Sphere shape on screen in real-time—scaling to the potentiometer’s output. This allowed us to test and validate the Arduino → TouchDesigner ecosystem, and demonstrated the fundamentals of how to build generative art from live sensor input.
Activity 3 annotated images
Research Activity
WGSN Consumer Trend Research
Category 1:
Personal tech in 2027 merges playful design, sustainability, and emotional intelligence. It explores wearable textiles and UX-driven accessories that extend technology beyond screens into everyday life, blending AI-powered devices with eco-conscious systems that reduce hidden energy costs and enhance usability. This category champions tech with personality — from adaptive smart kitchens and energy-saving interfaces to expressive, “cute” design languages that invite emotional connection. The focus is on creating humanized, sustainable tools that empower individuality, well-being, and creative self-expression through tangible interaction.
What makes this category unique? Give an example of a product:
What makes Personal Tech unique is its fusion of emotional design and intelligent functionality. Rather than focusing solely on performance, it humanizes technology — transforming devices into adaptive, expressive companions that respond to mood, rhythm, and style. Through playful textiles, wearable interfaces, and energy-smart systems, personal tech blurs the line between utility and identity, inviting users to touch, feel, and co-create with their devices in ways that are both sustainable and deeply personal. Many products are integrating AI-driven devices in transforming personal technology through natural, conversational intelligence. From fully voice-operated phones to portable assistants that transcribe, translate, and organize in real time, these tools shift tech from interaction to collaboration. By anticipating needs and simplifying daily tasks through hands-free, context-aware design, they create more fluid, efficient, and human-centered digital experiences.
What’s the most important research statistic listed and how has this data affected your choice:
Tech-driven sports and outdoor experiences are evolving from being gear-focused to experience-focused as climate change and well-being reshape adventure. With rising temperatures, poor air quality, and environmental stress affecting physical performance, technology is stepping in as an enhancer — using wearable AI, self-healing materials, and predictive analytics to help people perform safely and sustainably. As 43% of consumers believe extreme weather has worsened and the global sports market grows to $72 billion, innovation is moving toward intelligent coaching and adaptive protection that blend performance, resilience, and health in the face of changing environments.
Category 2:
Home technology is becoming sensorial, spiritual, and self-directed — evolving beyond convenience into conscious design. From AI-powered appliances with personality to smart kitchens that learn and adapt, materials and systems are now creating the future rather than preparing for it. Rooted in sustainability, autonomy, and emotional intelligence, next-generation homes fuse AI with spirituality and atmosphere — lighting that shifts mood, devices that nurture balance, and environments that respond to human presence with empathy and intention.
What makes this category unique? Give an example of a product:
What makes this category unique is its integration of emotion, ecology, and intelligence within the home environment. Unlike traditional smart home tech focused on efficiency or automation, this new wave blends AI, spirituality, and sensory design to create spaces that feel alive. Homes become intuitive ecosystems — responding to mood, energy, and presence through adaptive lighting, mindful materials, and personalized atmosphere — turning domestic spaces into co-creative partners in human well-being and planetary harmony. Lighting is evolving from a functional feature to an emotional interface, shaping atmosphere, mood, and interaction across home and lifestyle technologies. Consumers now expect illumination to express feeling — to glow, respond, and communicate. Brands are integrating lighting into wearables, appliances, and smart home devices through ethereal effects, responsive motion cues, and gamified feedback. This transforms ordinary products into living experiences, deepening emotional connection and redefining the role of light as both design language and sensory storytelling.
What’s the most important research statistic listed and how has this data affected your choice:
Solarpunk Futures imagines a world where technology and ecology coexist in harmony, empowering individuals to reclaim agency from climate inaction and corporate control. Rooted in sustainability, autonomy, and decentralization, this movement embraces naturally intelligent systems — from permacomputing and off-grid energy kits to urban farming and hyper-local food networks. As renewable energy grows by 4.22% and vertical farming reaches $35.3 billion, consumers seek energy independence and self-sufficient living, rejecting profit-driven monopolies in favor of resilient, community-powered ecosystems that merge creativity, ethics, and environmental stewardship.
WGSN Personas Research
Category 1 Persona: The Privacy Keepers
The Privacy Keepers are discerning, self-protective consumers who value autonomy, safety, and authenticity in an age of digital oversaturation. They seek exclusive, trustworthy, and transparent tech experiences that return control to the individual and elevate quality over quantity.
Generational Impact
This cohort spans older Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers, with the strongest influence among Millennials and Gen X—the generations who witnessed the rise, overreach, and reckoning of digital surveillance culture. Their skepticism toward technology and institutions has redefined digital design priorities, driving an industry shift toward privacy-first, ethical innovation that honors transparency and emotional safety.
+ KEY INSIGHTS
Behaviours
• Exhibit tech anxiety and data distrust, seeking transparency in every interaction.
• Value simplicity, control, and protection in their tech ecosystems.
• Prioritize digital tools that feel safe, intentional, and human-centered.
Buying
• 62% of global consumers cite trust as key to brand engagement.
• 90% want to know if an image is AI-generated.
• Favor brands that use ethical AI and transparent communication.
Priorities
• Core values: authenticity, protection, individuality, exclusivity, quality, and adaptability.
• Gravitate toward “Wise Tech” and “Protective & Open” brand philosophies.
• Expect sustainability and circularity to be embedded, not optional.
Actions
• Demand tools that restore a sense of control, offering safe, hyper-personalized settings.
• Appreciate design that embraces an elite mindset — premium materials, attention to detail, and refined simplicity.
• Expect circularity by default — products and systems designed for longevity, low waste, and accessibility.
• Support brands that empower users, minimize data collection, and elevate ethical design practices.
Category 2 Persona: The Conventionalists
The Conventionalists seek balance, belonging, and authenticity over speed or spectacle. Having grown weary of hustle culture and digital overload, they intentionally slow down—embracing community, mindfulness, and analogue experiences that ground them in real life.
Generational Impact
This persona spans Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X, making it one of the most cross-generational movements of the decade. Born from the polycrisis era—pandemics, climate anxiety, and social fragmentation—Conventionalists redefine success through intentional living. Their influence drives a design renaissance favouring repairability, longevity, and mindful simplicity, shifting technology from obsession to orchestration.
+ KEY INSIGHTS
Behaviours
• Resist hustle culture; prioritize slower, purpose-driven rhythms.
• Engage in digital detoxes and re-establish tech-life balance.
• Favour offline or community-based connections that feel tangible and restorative.
Buying
• Support socially responsible and repairable products with authentic stories.
• Value heirloom design and analogue features that evoke nostalgia.
• Reward brands that act with purpose and craftsmanship rather than constant novelty.
Priorities
• Core values: mindfulness, familiarity, creativity, belonging, spontaneity, and resourcefulness.
• Seek harmony between digital convenience and human connection.
• Embrace Lofi simplicity, valuing imperfection as beauty.
Actions
• Focus more on “physital,” less phygital: favour tactile, in-person experiences lightly enhanced by tech.
• Embrace the Lofi state of mind: design tools that celebrate raw process and creative experimentation.
• Rebalance convenience with meaning: prioritize quality, intention, and digital minimalism.
• Build preventive solutions: embed features that promote healthy use habits and mental wellness.
• Revive classics: reimagine analogue devices as modern heirlooms with sustainable lifecycles.
HMI Research
Category 1: Personal Tech
+ PROBLEM SPACE 1: Emotional Disconnect with Devices
As technology grows more advanced, users experience digital fatigue and crave emotional connection with their devices. Most personal tech feels cold, transactional, or overstimulating.
How might we design wearable or personal technologies that foster emotional resonance, helping users feel seen, soothed, and supported by their devices.
Assessment:
• Existing problem or insight: Yes — based on user fatigue, loneliness, and a rising demand for emotionally intelligent design.
• Tracks a desired outcome: Yes — aims for stronger emotional engagement and mental well-being.
• Written positively: Yes — focuses on creating connection rather than fixing detachment.
• Broad enough: Yes — open to sensory UX, materials, haptic feedback, AI empathy, or aesthetic design.
• Suggests a solution: No — it leaves space for exploration without locking into one specific product.
+ PROBLEM SPACE 2: Hidden Energy Waste and Sustainability Blind Spots
Users are unaware of how much power their personal devices consume, leading to hidden waste and unsustainable daily habits.
How might I create feedback systems that make energy use visible, engaging, and rewarding, inspiring mindful, energy-efficient behavior.
Assessment:
• Existing problem or insight: Yes — grounded in ecological awareness and behavioral sustainability research.
• Tracks a desired outcome: Yes — encourages conscious tech usage and energy reduction.
• Written positively: Yes — emphasizes empowerment and playfulness, not guilt or restriction.
• Broad enough: Yes — could be expressed through apps, wearables, visual cues, or gamification.
• Suggests a solution: No — invites exploration across various feedback systems.
Category 2: Home Tech
+ PROBLEM SPACE 1: Passive Home Environments and Emotional Flatness
Smart homes optimize function but often ignore mood, atmosphere, and emotional engagement, leaving spaces efficient yet lifeless.
How might we design emotionally intelligent environments that respond to human presence with adaptive light, sound, and materiality to nurture well-being.
Assessment:
• Existing problem or insight: Yes — reflects the gap between functional “smart” devices and emotional user needs.
• Tracks a desired outcome: Yes — seeks greater harmony, inspiration, and sensory connection in domestic life.
• Written positively: Yes — builds toward emotional intelligence and user delight.
• Broad enough: Yes — applicable to lighting, furniture, ambient computing, or architecture.
• Suggests a solution: No — stays open to multiple creative interpretations.
+ PROBLEM SPACE 2: Loss of Agency and Energy Dependence in Homes
As centralized systems fail to meet climate and ethical needs, consumers seek autonomy and resilience in how they power and sustain their homes.
How might I enable energy independence and self-sufficiency through accessible, decentralized technologies that empower people to generate and share their own power.
Assessment:
• Existing problem or insight: Yes — rooted in solarpunk ideals and public frustration with monopoly energy control.
• Tracks a desired outcome: Yes — aims for self-sufficiency, empowerment, and sustainability.
• Written positively: Yes — emphasizes possibility and creativity over fear or lack.
• Broad enough: Yes — includes renewable energy systems, DIY kits, IoT solutions, or community microgrids.
• Suggests a solution: No — it sets a design direction without prescribing a fixed approach.
Project Path
Category 1 — Personal Tech
Pathway: Design
I’m approaching this through the design path, focusing on functional, emotional, and user-centered experiences. My goal is to prototype how personal technology can emotionally connect with and respond to users through tangible, interactive means.
Working Preference: Individual
I’ll work independently to deepen my creative autonomy, refine my technical process, and reconnect with my own instincts as a designer after years of team leadership.
+ PROJECT DIRECTION 1: Emotion-Sensing Wearable
Core Concept: Visualize emotional or environmental data (temperature, light, sound) through color, light, or movement.
Components potentially required:
• RGB LED strip or LED module → express mood via color gradients.
• DHT11 temperature + humidity sensor → track environmental comfort.
• Photoresistor → sense ambient light and adjust glow intensity.
• Potentiometer or joystick → simulate mood or “emotion level” input for testing.
Prototype Behavior: When the environment feels “stale” (high temperature / low humidity), the RGB LED fades to a calming blue; when balanced, it glows warm amber. ProtoPie simulates a mobile app interface that mirrors these states and allows manual overrides (“Calm,” “Focus,” “Recharge”).
Why it works: Shows emotional resonance, sustainability awareness, and tangible interaction.
+ PROJECT DIRECTION 2: Energy Mindfulness Bracelet / Desktop Indicator
Core Concept: Represent invisible energy consumption or focus levels with light and motion.
Components potentially required:
• Potentiometer → stand-in for “energy use” variable (you turn it up = higher consumption).
• Servo motor → subtle movement (like a heartbeat or pulse) responding to changes.
• RGB LED → color feedback (green = efficient | red = wasteful).
• Wi-Fi or Bluetooth module → optional expansion for remote feedback or app link.
Prototype Behavior: As “energy” rises (simulated via potentiometer), the servo rhythm quickens and light turns red. ProtoPie dashboard visualizes energy curves in real time.
Why it works: It’s simple, poetic, and directly illustrates sustainability and mindful interaction.
Category 2 — Home Tech
Pathway: Design
I’m pursuing a design approach that focuses on functional beauty, emotional atmosphere, and sustainability in domestic spaces — bringing my professional UX/UI expertise into tangible, sensory form.
Working Preference: Individual
I’ll work individually to translate my environmental empathy and aesthetic intuition into prototypes that reimagine how home systems can be responsive, self-sufficient, and emotionally intelligent.
+ PROJECT DIRECTION 1: Emotionally Intelligent Lighting System
Core Concept: Lighting responds to presence, motion, or mood, shaping atmosphere.
Components potentially required:
• PIR motion sensor → detects presence or movement.
• RGB LED strip / LED module → ambient mood lighting.
• Photoresistor → adjust brightness based on ambient light.
• Potentiometer → manual mood dial.
Prototype Behavior: When someone enters the room, PIR triggers LEDs to glow softly; if motion stops, light slowly dims. ProtoPie interface could display a “Mood Mode” selector or simulate mobile control of color and brightness.
Why it works: It captures the emotional-environmental focus of Home Tech — responsive, atmospheric, human-centered.
+ PROJECT DIRECTION 2: Micro-Sustainability Hub / Plant Monitor
Core Concept: Teach users about resource autonomy and eco-feedback loops through a simple, self-contained system.
Components potentially required:
• Soil moisture sensor + DHT11 → monitor environmental health.
• Water pump + relay → automatically water when dry.
• OLED display → show live data (temperature, humidity, moisture).
• Wi-Fi module → optional ProtoPie/IoT link for a remote dashboard.
Prototype Behavior: When soil is dry, OLED displays an alert and pump activates briefly; ProtoPie visualizes a digital companion app that shows environmental readings and self-sufficiency status.
Why it works: It merges solarpunk, sustainability, and design storytelling — small-scale autonomy expressed through beautiful interaction.
Pathway: Design
I’m pursuing a design approach that focuses on functional beauty, emotional atmosphere, and sustainability in domestic spaces — bringing my professional UX/UI expertise into tangible, sensory form.
Working Preference: Individual
I’ll work individually to translate my environmental empathy and aesthetic intuition into prototypes that reimagine how home systems can be responsive, self-sufficient, and emotionally intelligent.
+ PROJECT DIRECTION 1: Emotionally Intelligent Lighting System
Core Concept: Lighting responds to presence, motion, or mood, shaping atmosphere.
Components potentially required:
• PIR motion sensor → detects presence or movement.
• RGB LED strip / LED module → ambient mood lighting.
• Photoresistor → adjust brightness based on ambient light.
• Potentiometer → manual mood dial.
Prototype Behavior: When someone enters the room, PIR triggers LEDs to glow softly; if motion stops, light slowly dims. ProtoPie interface could display a “Mood Mode” selector or simulate mobile control of color and brightness.
Why it works: It captures the emotional-environmental focus of Home Tech — responsive, atmospheric, human-centered.
+ PROJECT DIRECTION 2: Micro-Sustainability Hub / Plant Monitor
Core Concept: Teach users about resource autonomy and eco-feedback loops through a simple, self-contained system.
Components potentially required:
• Soil moisture sensor + DHT11 → monitor environmental health.
• Water pump + relay → automatically water when dry.
• OLED display → show live data (temperature, humidity, moisture).
• Wi-Fi module → optional ProtoPie/IoT link for a remote dashboard.
Prototype Behavior: When soil is dry, OLED displays an alert and pump activates briefly; ProtoPie visualizes a digital companion app that shows environmental readings and self-sufficiency status.
Why it works: It merges solarpunk, sustainability, and design storytelling — small-scale autonomy expressed through beautiful interaction.
Project 1 Concept
Project 1 Concept
I’m entering a phase of open exploration between Personal Tech and Home Tech, where I don’t want to force an early decision or narrow too soon. Instead, I want to test each concept at its limits — to see how far ideas can go, and whether they might intersect, merge, or evolve into something new.
Using Arduino, ProtoPie, and TouchDesigner, I’ll experiment with how emotional data, environmental feedback, and responsive design can connect across scales — from wearable expressions of self to ambient systems within a space. My goal is to learn through making: to discover what happens when emotion and environment begin to speak the same design language.
At this stage, I’m less concerned with a single outcome and more interested in uncovering relationships — between light and mood, data and care, self and system. This project is an exploration of responsive serenity — a process of creating technology that listens, adapts, and feels human.
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