hello gals…
To all my proj mates in nm3221…
I really had a great time working with u all… thanks for all the memories and giving me a chance to be ur fren 
To izwah and nisrin: so sad that u all are graduating le… but happy for u all too! All the best for your future! I won forget u guys…always so funny and friendly…:) must come bk to visit us hor…;) All th best for the exams!!:)
To mel and cheryl: Glad working with u gals… Tho i don talk much, im happy to have known u both. jiayou for the exams!! see u all next semester! 
god bless ya!
hi girls! it’s the reading week.. and after that, it’s the much dreaded exams. luckily we dont have exam for 3221! yay! hah. i would like to thank you girls for making this module a really enjoyable one too i love the iShop and iBamboo experience, but i think i’d prefer the first. participant observation was undeniable more fun during the first!
although iz and nis are leaving already, i still want to thank you girls! love working with you two. always there to calm me down and set things right when it seemed bleak. i hope for the best for both of you in your next phase of life. be happy in whatever you’ll be doing! don’t forget to come back and visit us. hahah!
to nis esp.: yes, i will sure miss you!! good old 2217 and 3221 days =) and when are you gonna intro one of those angmohs to me larrr.. haha! your bf is so sweet to you, trust me you’ll be blessed with him! all the best to you two lovebirds! heh.
to mel and ange! yesh, i’ll be seeing both of you next sem! heh. thts a good thing but the vicious cycle of work will repeat again.. hah. nvm, we shall play hard during the summer hols and recharge for the next! all the best and happy mugging for the finals in the meantime okie
to all: please remember, essay deadline is tmr. sketchbook’s on tues. haha. after which we’ll be done with this module and left with the finals! 
its not over
hi one and all. fret not, this is not gonna be another post to remind you to do more contextual enquiries or what nots.. its my way of saying thank you for the experience and making one of my last modules a very very nice one.
to angeline : despite your quiet demenour, youre very resourceful ahh… why do you look so sleepy all the time? haha… but quirky all at the same time! thank u so much for helpin me scan and print and borrow scissors from foodtruck unkle. you and your colourful leggings will be missed by me
to mel : babe you and your weird msgs pls emotional outbursts were enlightening to me! sorry lah hah for everything… throw the bad memories, keep the gecko memories… haha! i will miss lunch and of course my quest to lose the pounds will resume now that youre no longer askin me if i want fishball in class or nt!
to izwah : anur, your bf very clever ah. can i have one of the retractable thing, pleasE? for keepsake. please! im glad were both in this mod, cos believe it or not, it was my only contact with you!
to cheryl : from interesting korean lecturers whom we all cannot understand, to one that we wont skip class for, you have been a crazy friend. but i am jealous ok. you can still have the possibility of marrying one of those angmoh we see at pgp but i cannot leh… can we come up with a plan to abduct my bf and hide him in a broom closet, while i find the clark kent lookalike!
i am going to misssss you very much.
to myself: it 522 am nisrin, stop procrastinating on your essay.
remember all, if anyone dares to sell our ideas independently, i swear i will stuff an ibamboo up u noe where! i make sure best friend will indeed be your best friend! and u guys can go fishing together-gether!
mwacks!
and oh, im doing this, and so should you.
mel. just in case the mail fails again…
Contextual enquiries – Guidelines
1. concerns when doing laundry (who does it, when, where, how, why)
-for my household,grandfather, and myself
myself- when there’s too many dirty clothes and no more clean laundry
grand pa- once in a few days
machine wash and hang out to dry on bamboo poles
delicates hang inside
2. criterias when doing laundry (weather, amount of clean/dirty clothes, weekends)
- the weather
- amt of laundry
- see if feeling tired or not
3. habits formed during process (timer, stay in and dont go out, separate clothes, do more than one cycle or depending on weather etc)
-wash & separate clothes, whites and color, jeans and delicates, put lingerie in the small bag then put in the washer
-normally stay at home so that can watch over the clothes, no risk of rain ruining the laundry
4. thoughts on weather conditions (erratic changes, wish theres a dryer but cant afford one)
- dryers are ok but they ruin the clothes thus prefer to airdry but weather lately has been so bad. rain one minute sunny the next
-erratic weather changes influence decision (to wash clothes) greatly
-
5. current thoughts on existing use of bamboo poles when hanging out laundry (safety issues, design problems)
- sometimes with full load of wet laundry poles become very heavy
-previous experience with dropping of poles
-when it rains, it becomes a problem to bring all the poles one by one, by the time, the last pole would be drenched already
6. awareness and feedback of retractable bamboo poles thats already available in the market
- aware. but never around to fixing it. grandfather not really into the idea of purchasing one. he says waste of money. but i think its an investment for safety purposes.
7. Design problems and preferred solutions
- something that can retract by itself
- something smart
- solving problem of sudden weather changes.
- safe, and practical design.
- not too expensive
My part- contextual enquiries
Contextual enquiries – Guidelines
1. concerns when doing laundry (who does it, when, where, how, why)
-who does it?
mothers, maids, housewives
-when?
everyday, or when laundry basket is full
-How?
washing machine, handwash
-Where you hang/dry your clothes?
bamboo poles placed in sockets, internal clothes drying rack, bamboo poles placed on racks
2. criterias when doing laundry (weather, amount of clean/dirty clothes, weekends)
-sunny days, when the weather is good/ not raining
-when certain clothes are needed
-when laundry basket is full
-washing machine is vacant
-enough space to dry clothes
3. habits formed during process (timer, stay in and dont go out, separate clothes, do more than one cycle or depending on weather etc)
- put the clothes out in the sun to dry, but sometimes have to go out, so have to bring the clothes in even when its sunny just to play safe if it rains.
- usually wash clothes in the evening when come back from work, and then hang out the clothes to dry.
-put clothes out to dry when the sun is up. Sometimes when there’s no sun or if its raining, my mum will hang the clothes indoor to let it dry naturally in an air con room or under the fan.
- Usually hand washes more expensive clothes as afraid that washing machine will ruin the quality.
- Usually hand wash clothes that colors dye easily. Afraid that if placed in washing machine, it will dye other clothes too.
- Usually hand wash clothes that are needed to be worn next day so it can dry faster.
-sort clothes when hanging – jeans with jeans (heavy materials), T shirts, undergarments
4. thoughts on weather conditions (erratic changes, wish theres a dryer but cant afford one)
-unpredictable, clothes hard to dry
- put clothes out to dry when its sunny, dry indoors when its raining
-limited space to hang when it rains–people hang inside house at window grills, chairs, internal racks
5. current thoughts on existing use of bamboo poles when hanging out laundry (safety issues, design problems)
-heavy for elderly, females, dangerous for maids and elderly. As a result, they may not choose to hang the poles on sockets outside. Rather dry clothes on poles placed indoors on internal racks.
- sometimes clothes may fall if not clipped on poles properly
6. awareness and feedback of retractable bamboo poles thats already available in the market
- not aware of it, think it may be costly too
7. Design problems and preferred solutions
-sensors that will beep when it rains
- Timers to inform people to bring in the clothes when it has dried
- Automatically bring in clothes when they are dry.
Hey guys, these are some points generated during tutorial yesterday. Do take note of them esp. for the report and ppt presentation. Thanks!
Gather reactions about design visualization
-prototype to be done by Thursday
-knock on neighbor’s doors (strangers)
-gather their reactions
-can also ask those whom we observed before
How accurate would the sensor be?-currently, moisture sensor is envisioned to be attached on the bamboo poles
-how will it be able to detect moisture at the bottom of the clothes
-note: top part will dry the fastest in the sun
-how to attach it
-implement extra clips with strings that drape down to bottom of clothes?
Target Group
-need to narrow it down (from high technology homes)
-maybe can determine by considering who did we get our observations from
-base designs on whose observation
-is there any difference in the needs of different groups
Objectives-eradicate problems posed by erratic weather
-secondary objectives: weight issue of bamboo poles, maids falling off buiding
How to explain in terms of interactive media?
-in what way is iBamboo a calm technology?
-its interaction with the user
-how do people interact with it? Feedback?
-SEND SMS/ LET THEM KNOW WHEN IT IS DONE!
-how to address the issue of control?
-how do you tell it to come in? Overwriting the behavior?
-when does it notify you? Can you turn it off and on?
-will iBamboo change the habits of people? disruptive or useful?
New set of observations-administer on target group (younger people future residents of high tech homes)
-before and after showing them the prototype
-solves problems of observing older generation (currently) but apply to new generations of high tech. homes
my parttttttt
Contextual enquiries – Guidelines
1. concerns when doing laundry (who does it, when, where, how, why)
-who does it?
mothers, maids, individuals (young adults)
-when?
everyday, once a week,when laundry basket is full
-How?
washing machine, handwash
-Where you hang/dry your clothes?
bamboo poles placed in sockets, internal clothes drying rack
2. criterias when doing laundry (weather, amount of clean/dirty clothes, weekends)
-sunny days
-need of clothes
-when basket is dull
-washing machine is vacant
-enough space to dry clothes
-enough time to dry clothes-wait to dry before going out
3. habits formed during process (timer, stay in and dont go out, separate clothes, do more than one cycle or depending on weather etc)
-stay at home till laundry done (dried)
-wash, go out, hang later, but ensure washing machine lid is up to prevent clothes becoming smelly (damp)
-dry out when the sun is up
-separate dark colours from whites
-sort clothes when hanging – jeans with jeans (heavy materials), T shirts, undergarments
4. thoughts on weather conditions (erratic changes, wish theres a dryer but cant afford one)
-unpredictable, clothes not dried
-dryer only spoils clothes, shrinks
-limited space to hang when it rains–ppl hang inside house at window grills, chairs, internal racks
5. current thoughts on existing use of bamboo poles when hanging out laundry (safety issues, design problems)
-heavy for elderly, females
-dangerous for maids and elderly
6. awareness and feedback of retractable bamboo poles thats already available in the market
not aware…must be expensive
7. Design problems and preferred solutions
-sensors that will beep when it rains
-balloon -air bag that covers the pole when it rains
-cold air dryer.wont shrink clothes?like hand driers now
Hi girls, just some of thoughts with regards to today’s lecture.
Focus of the design shifts from concerns of physical interaction (passive button pushing) to the potential psychological experiences inherent in the product
I think that’s why it’s important for us to include the pre-set timer thingy for the user to have some control over the technology. It can’t be too automated I would say. Else, there won’t be any concrete ‘personal’ experience with the interface for the user. This is especially important because doing laundry has already become a habitual thing for some people, so they may not readily accept iBamboo. (Replaces their daily routine of doing laundry, they may find it redundant?) If there’s some level of control, they might still be receptive towards it.
The suspension of disbelief is crucial. If the artefacts are too strange they are dismissed, they have to be grounded in how people really do behave. Cannot be too clear or they blend into what we already know.
A slight strangeness is the key.
Too weird and they are instantly dismissed, not strange enough and they’re absorbed into everyday reality.
I think there must be a level of difficulty involved. The feeling or enjoyment through imagined participation in the experience – a vicarious thrill is essential. The two extreme ends of the spectrum should be avoided. If it’s too easy, the thrill will only last for awhile. If it’s too tricky to use, people will easily give up and possible revert back to the old practice of using normal bamboos. Ya, so it’s critical to find a balance.
So, prototype needs to be done soon and from there, we’ll collect user’s evaluations and suggestions on it?
See you girls on Thursday’s meeting, 4pm please!
mel’s bamboo deliverables : )
Contextual enquiries – Guidelines
1. concerns when doing laundry (who does it, when, where, how, why)
Homemakers, anyone at all. Target group is large and varying.
2. criterias when doing laundry (weather, amount of clean/dirty clothes, weekends)
weather must be sunny.when theres a lot of clothes. Also, when the laundry content is of importance, meaning, if its underwear or daily shirts andpants, laundry will be done almost immediately, however, if its bedsheets or sweaters etc, there would be waiting til the laundry basket is full.
3. habits formed during process (timer, stay in and dont go out, separate clothes, do more than one cycle or depending on weather etc)
normally no separation of clothes, unless it is distinct pieces like bedsheet and jeans and pants, where all of the same sorts will be on the same pole. No timer. Going out is inevitable. Problem here noticed: when out, clothes are left untaken care of, and they will be susceptible to erratic weather conditions, nobody can prevent such incidents. Problem becomes worse when it affects important clothing like army uniforms and underwears or working suits. Normally maintains one or two cycle depending on laundry load. Wont save for sunny weater because of the erratic nature of the weather.
4. thoughts on weather conditions (erratic changes, wish theres a dryer but cant afford one)
erratic weather, especially in the context of singapore. Dryers are not common, and some interviewees state that sometimes dryers may spoil the material of the clothes, so they actually prefer the normal drying method.
5. current thoughts on existing use of bamboo poles when hanging out laundry (safety issues, design problems)
Problem: some people have had bad experiences with the normal hanging out to dry method they use stands and dry the clothes indoors, which blocks only some of the rain, if any, but prolongs the dring process, this shows inefficiency. Safety issues, where as described by all of you, maid safety problems which often lead to death. Most of the designs of the pole holder does not come with a support stand at the end of the pole length as part of the structure, so theres no support for the weight of clothes at the other end of the pole, opposite from where the homemaker is holding. This may result in the imbalance in the spreading of the weight of the pole and laundry and thus result in such incidents.
6. awareness and feedback of retractable bamboo poles thats already available in the market
awareness, solves the problem of weight of the poles upon hanging, but does ot solve the problemof errati weather, which is a factor many homemakers get frustrated about. They can spend time and effort hanging the clothes out to dry, and the moment they leave the house, the rain comes. This unpredictability is form of frustration for them, upon my enquiry, and this can only be solved by adding sensors and automated retractability, inculcated in our design.
7. Design problems and preferred solutions
automated system, which allows retractability upon sensoring moisture, so clothes can avoid rain all the time. Automation would disallow the need to bring the laundry in and out which may lead to accidents. A timer, which will alert the homemaker when the clothes are dry (no moisture detected on the pole)
Digital ethnography probes
1. capture images of the situation in your own homes
2. video
3. pictures of bamboo pools sticking out
4. (and if you’re lucky/unlucky) fallen poles/ laundry
5. anything else relevant and interesting
Fieldnotes
1. participate observe happenings (jon’s house, as he was doing the laundry, the expressions from his face and my observations. Shown in the photographs.)
