FALL 2021
DAILIGHTS
(forgive the buttons - we'll get to that)
WORK TYPE
ROLE electronics, engineering & cad
CONTEXT engn32, brown university
TIME 7 weeks, ~10 hours/week
all work shown is my own unless stated.
dailights is a modular edge-lit tracking calendar.
as college students, we all related to the struggle to maintain habits. despite habit-tracking apps being common, we sought to keep the satisfying tactility of a physical interaction.
inspired by simone giertz's every day calendar, which uses a binary on-off scale, we made a color-based system which supports multiple levels of grading.
as college students, we all related to the struggle to maintain habits. despite habit-tracking apps being common, we sought to keep the satisfying tactility of a physical interaction.
inspired by simone giertz's every day calendar, which uses a binary on-off scale, we made a color-based system which supports multiple levels of grading.
CONCEPT
> monthly calendar
> scale of colors
> edge-lit tiles
> tile rearrangement for different months
> storage of monthly data (reach idea)
> scale of colors
> edge-lit tiles
> tile rearrangement for different months
> storage of monthly data (reach idea)
DESIGNING A GRID
INITIAL RENDERINGS
FULL MATRIX RENDER
THREE-LAYER CELL DESIGN
LASER-CUT ACRYLIC TILES
WIRING & SOLDERING
PINOUT
before buying any parts, we diagrammed how they would connect.
before buying any parts, we diagrammed how they would connect.
ELECTRONICS CHANNELS
ASSEMBLING & TESTING
PLYWOOD CUT WITH CHANNELS & COVER LAYER
at this stage, the last row of LEDs was removed because of electronics malfunctions. triaging electronics problems allowed for more code testing.
at this stage, the last row of LEDs was removed because of electronics malfunctions. triaging electronics problems allowed for more code testing.
ALL LIT (BACK VIEW)
acrylic tiles are added to the grid, as well as a masonite base housing for electronics.
acrylic tiles are added to the grid, as well as a masonite base housing for electronics.
COLOR CUSTOMIZATION
using three buttons for
NEXT (shift tile by one day),
MODE,
and COLOR,
each tile can be set to a range of colors.
using three buttons for
NEXT (shift tile by one day),
MODE,
and COLOR,
each tile can be set to a range of colors.
FINAL
against the deadline, we prioritized functionality over aesthetics, so a bracket for the buttons was never made.
against the deadline, we prioritized functionality over aesthetics, so a bracket for the buttons was never made.
WITH MORE TIME...
given that this is just the working prototype, there are a lot of directions to go. I'd look first at trying the display we never implemented, then refining the housing design to more exacting specifications.
ADDITIONAL INFO
USER RESEARCH
| questions | insights |
|---|---|
| current methods for tracking habits? | planners, calendars, memory |
| portable, desk, or wall size? | desk item - more accessible and omnipresent |
| qualitative or quantitative? | qualitative 1-5 scale |
| degree of customization | minor customizations with many presets |
| electronics | engineering | computer science | |
|---|---|---|---|
| USE: | Arduino Nano Every | 1/4" acrylic | |
| Adafruit NeoPixels | masonite | ||
| EXPLORE: | pinout details | laser raster depth | NeoPixel libraries |
| power specifications | electronic channels | increment using buttons | |
| wire gauge | id'ing tiles using rows & columns |
INITIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH