Tech Beyond the Myth documentation
Useless Machine
In teams we had the opportunity to design a useless machine. The concept we developed was about feeling lonely and the main question was: Can a machine aid loneliness?
THE LONER BOOTH
People's need for inclusivity and feeling connected (be part of something) is adressed in this machine, where one can interact and get a smile (from the machine and from yourself).
Project Video
Project Presentation
Reflection
Just as quick as the 'Tech Beyond the Myth' started, it ended. The brain-storming, ideation, prototyping, creation, reiteration, debugging, documenting, and presentation felt like a blink of an eye but even though it felt so quick, it also felt very rewarding. Not just to see our own Loner Booth creation, but also to see all of the great machines all around us, I was so impressed that we had thought of and created these machines in a matterof days!
Initially I was a little afraid of how our dynamic as a group would come together since we were very different people with very different backgrounds creating one same machine. It was fantastic to see that we were able to put our ego aside and work together for one common goal, each one of us taking ownership of whatever our area of expertise was and carrying it to the end. I dared to step outside of my comfort zone and take charge of the electronics, and I am very glad I did that because I ended up learning so much and getting rid of the fear that I had of electronics.
I also appreciated the idea of creating a machine that wasn't particularly useful for anything in particular, it allowed us to play around with our creativity without the pressure of having the purpose or usefulness of the machine as the main goal. All I really wish was that the seminar lasted a little longer. Not for this machine specifically, but to maybe progress into making an even better or bigger machine right after finishing this initial one. I was left wanting to develop my electronic skills more, which I reckon is a very useful skill to have as a designer.