Break Time
This project merges digital and physical experiences. The BREAK TIME application is meant to connect users to wall gardens that have been placed around the city. This allows for busy citizens to go for a walk and have a meditative experience.
Design Challenge:
In the year 2050, urban spaces will become more automated. This will cause greater amounts of air pollution in large metropolitan areas. Humans will spend the majority of their time in front of digital screens which will result in increased physical and mental health issues.
Project Role: User Experience Designer
Activities: Usability Design, research, prototyping
Solution:
1. BREAK TIME can be added to phones or computers as a separate application or chrome extension. This tool reminds users to take a break from their busy schedule while providing journey suggestions towards wall garden destinations. Users can listen to meditations during their walk.
2. WALL GARDENS will be added throughout the city. These will combine artificial flowers with physical plants and flowers. This project allows city officials to incorporate more greenery throughout otherwise polluted cities.
Instead of viewing technology as evil, it can be incorporated with physical experiences to allow citizens to explore the city while enhancing their mental and physical wellbeing.
User Flow
The user flow chart allowed me to define user goals and journey from one task to the next. The low fidelity iteration was used to determine the appropriate placement of buttons and images before focusing on details such as the colour scheme and design.
High Fidelity Prototype
Wall Garden
Each Wall Garden station is equipped with artificial flowers which drizzle a cool mist and a pleasant aroma. The roof offers a filtering system that enables humans to breathe clean air. The meditative wall gardens incorporate real plants and flowers so citizens can enjoy a deeper connection with nature throughout the city.
