ENTRY 1 / BRAILLE BOXES
The boundary this entry focuses on is physical capabilities, specifically visual impairment. For the visually impaired, finding belongings in the workspace can be difficult if they are left freely in an open area. In addition, leaving belongings in unorganised groups can cause confusion if the person cannot see exactly what they are looking for.
My idea, Braille Boxes, aims to help the visually impaired to organise their workspace effectively. These boxes have an adjustable braille label section attached which can be changed to write what will go inside the box by clicking in the necessary letters in Braille on the tactile dots. These boxes can be used by someone with clear vision as well, which is beneficial for a scenario where multiple people on different sides of this boundary are working together, for example, an office.
ENTRY 2 / QUICK NOTE
This entry focused on the boundary of communication. An issue that can arise is when one person has difficulty communicating with another person through speech. For example, two people who cannot speak in the same language, or a person who is physically incapable of speaking trying to communicate with someone who does not understand sign language.
In these scenarios, it would be beneficial to quickly write down what you mean in words or even drawings. However, not everyone will have a notebook and a pen with them. In addition, these notes would not have a purpose after the moment has passed, which could lead to a waste of paper.
Quick Note is a compact erasable note taking tool which does not require paper or pen. Inspired by magnetic drawing boards, it uses the same magnetic method to make markings on the note area and erase them easily once no longer needed. This method creates no waste as the note area can be erased and reused repeatedly. This concept aims to help people quickly communicate in the moment, through writing or drawing, without creating unnecessary waste.
ENTRY 3 / CROSS BOARDS
In this entry, the boundary I chose to resolve was location, and I aimed to create a tool that could help people in different locations connect , or a tool which one person could use as they change location.
Some people may work on the same task in a number of different locations such as in an office or at home. They may also work in collaboration with others who are in different locations. For these people, situations may arise where standard forms of communication such as emails are not suitable to convey the nature of more abstract work across the boundary of communication.
During these scenarios, it would be greatly beneficial to have a form of fluid communication across locations, which can be used easily for more abstract ideas. My concept, Cross Boards is a set of PC accessories which is used exactly like a drawing board, however they are connected such that whatever is written or drawn on one board appears on the other board at an instant. Ideally, two boards would be used in two different locations, allowing people to more easily communicate abstract ideas across locations without any creative value being lost in the process. An illustration of use is shown below.
