From prototype to product
The TRNKT lamps are made, as mentioned, for a specific location and context. This means that the total production run for implementation is only 24 pieces. Because of this, rapid prototyping is the best solution for production of the lamps. Using laser-cutting, and vacuum forming and 3d printing all parts can be made quickly and for a reasonable price. Most of the electronic components are pre made components such as stepper motors and micro-controller boards and can be connected easily with pre crimped header cables. Some soldering will be required during assembly, but this has been kept to a minimum.
However, if a larger production run is needed it might be wise to consider integrating components and looking for alternative mass-production fabrication methods. This way we could exploit economies of scale and keep production costs low while producing large amounts of parts.
App development
The application, as is, is only a front-end of an application. To be made fully functional, this part of the delivered design needs to be developed quite a bit further. As I am not a skilled programmer, and could only work with simple tools to make the design experiential within the given timeframe this was a logical step. The app I made is a minimum viable product needed to explain workings. A considerable amount of time will need to be put into realization of a working application in conjunction with a real back- end app developer.
Network & Security
The installation currently runs on a WPA2 protected 3G network which is accessed through the installation’s own wireless router so that the installation is not dependent on an external network. The problem with this setup is that, and experience has shown this, using these badly protected networks at a technical university can pose a security threat. Hacking is a serious possibility that might expose user data and encourage data theft. It would be wise to investigate protecting the network in such a way that these security threats can be avoided.
Placement and mounting
The TRNKT lamps will need to be suspended either from the available steel structure in the main hall or a new suspension point will need to be made. The design as presented has not specifically taken into account how lamps will be hung. The client should consider
using either a truss like system or an extrusion profile based frame. Suspension from wall mounted steel cables would offer a more intrusive alternative. Lamps could alternatively be distributed among studios instead, but this would be at cost of not having a collective overview.
Administrating the activity
It would be wise to appoint an administrator to monitor the system. This person can help resolve issues and keep the application up to date. He/she will also be responsible for adjusting content based on user input and making photo-streams/collages of user input possible. Additionally this person will be responsible for informing staff about possibilities of the system and should promote participation actively.
Test community
Because I have not observed the dynamics of multiple group participation it would be advisable to run a test in a community setting before rolling out the product. While i do not foresee any major problems, testing before complete implementation would still be wise.
Making the product energy efficient.
Of-course a last recommendation would be to investigate whether it is possible to make the product itself energy efficient. Drawback of many "sustainable" products available on the market today is that they fail to take themselves into account in a proper life-cycle analysis. It might very well be that my installation runs the risk of consuming more energy than it saves.
Using energy efficient LEDs and incorporating small solar panels and batteries to power the installation could be viable. Additionally, using a locking mechanism to keep the Stepper motors in an idle position would save a lot of energy also. These are just a few solutions that could contribute to a greener installation.
Conclusion
We can save energy in a triad of different ways, by making machinery efficient, by finding alternative sources of our energy, but most importantly by using less of it. While sourcing and efficiency are time and technology dependent, Energy saving behavior or sustainable behavior is something that can stimulated or motivated right now. In doing this project i discovered how human behavior with respect to sustainability can be explained and how it can be influenced through tactically designed solutions.
In short, energy saving is not something that has to necessarily come from deep inside, it does not need to have a base in altruism. However, to achieve it, we do need to find the right motivator to make it happen. Sustainability should not be forced onto people, and its not something you trick people into, these solutions are short-term and don’t condition behavior. Instead, by facilitating the act and making it more attractive by supplying the user with external sources of intrinsic motivation it can become part of one’s behavior in the long term.
TRNKT, builds on this idea, and layers motivational factor upon motivational factor to nudge people into performing the right behavior. Taking place over a longer period of time, it will become part of routine and later habit.
TRNKT stimulates a collective concern that is currently missing at IDE, an energy culture and an awareness. It is of utmost importance that the TU Delft not only worry about reducing impact of actions, but they should make sustainability a part of daily life and rituals. TRNKT becomes a physical part of the IDE environment but is also closely connected with education and activities in the building. A complete integration of sustainability so to say.
Without an energy culture, sustainability will remain an extracurricular activity done for karma points. TRNKT follows the D-exto philosophy that sustainability should be fun and pragmatic, and it achieves this to a large extent. While the product isn’t entirely complete or implementable as of yet There should be serious consideration of whether it or a similar system should be implemented.
Personal reflection
Energy use and sustainability are some of the most complex issues in modern society. Technology is evolving at such a fast pace that humans simply cant seem to harness it in a responsible way, leading to instances of extreme energy waste and complete ignorance on how to improve the situation. I too was one of the ignorant people before starting this project. For me, sustainability was purely about sacrifice and not gain when I picked up this assignment. But a lot has changed along the way.
Somehow I could not grasp the concept of sustainability before I put time and effort into understanding it. I can now see how I was lost in the flurry of messages broadcast by the media, some supporting sustainable development and others completely dismissing it. I did not know what was true, and what to believe. But submerging myself in the topic has allowed me to form an opinion… all this points out exactly what is the problem in society these days.
There is a large need for the creation of awareness on the topic of sustainability. This awareness does not stop at knowing a definition, but understanding the mechanics behind what is currently happening to our planet. People need to understand that if we don’t make sustainability a part of our lives, our conversations and our daily actions… we will be overrun by our own technology.
This project has taught me to design for a societal problem, using human centered design as a tool. It has forced me to look into the theoretical side of behavioral psychology and apply this back into a design process, something I had never done before to this extent. Looking into the processes that make up motivation, altruism, education, attachment and persuasion has made me understand the human mind a little bit better, but also how we can influence it as designers.
The project has enabled me to become more comfortable in the field of design for interaction. HCD was a term I shyed away from, and most of my interest was really still focused on the functional side of product design. My masters education was simply a collection of floating subjects up to this point, and this thesis has pulled everything together. I now see how incredibly valuable it can be to design a product from a user perspective and this will most definitely remain anchored in my design approach from here on in.
Defining scope, achieving clarity of mind, but also simply having a positive attitude helps tremendously in getting a project of this magnitude done. Finding value in everything you do, no matter how small, is a skill that pays off.