CoolerConnect
A revolutionary watercooler for strengthening weak ties in our community
Imagine a world where social interactions flourish beyond special occasions. In fulfillment of my Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design (Honours) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), I reimagine everyday objects as catalysts for spontaneous interactions in daily life. CoolerConnect is a visionary watercooler that leverages the principles of proxemics to unlock new social possibilities.
Details
Tools: Rhino 6, Keyshot 9,
Timeline: 1 academic year (Research: 1 semester, Design and Fabrication: 1 semester)
Project type: Final Year Thesis project
Skills: Design Research, Product Design, Spatial Design, Prototyping, Project Management, Design Communication
Project summary
Brief:
The main brief is to go through the complete process of a design project of your choice, from conception, research, ideation, testing, and finally to production.
This project was split into two parts:
1. Design research
Investigate potential areas of design intervention such that the study will lead to the rational selection of the design thesis project.
2. Design execution
Demonstrate innovation and competency in industrial design.
CoolerConnect
Imagine a world where we no longer need to rely solely on special events for new social interactions. CoolerConnect is a visionary watercooler that employs proxemics to subtly convey the potential for meaningful interactions in everyday life. Thoughtfully repositioning its elements, CoolerConnect guides the user's gaze to naturally engage with others, while adeptly balancing the interplay between security and slight unease with the shape of its table, compelling users to initiate conversations.
CoolerConnect gives users the opportunity for social interaction by positioning users opposite each other and nudging them to interaction through the placement and design of elements
CoolerConnect comes in a different colours and heights to fit into different daily contexts. For example, CoolerConnect can come in bright red or orange when placed in an office that values social innovation, and it can come in a shorter height when placed in primary schools for younger users
Instead of the unsightly external water filters of watercoolers we normally see, the base of CoolerConnect neatly houses the water pump, water filter, and height adjustment mechanism in one slick form
CoolerConnect gives users the opportunity for social interaction by positioning users opposite each other and nudging them to interaction through the placement and design of elements
Process
"Could everyday objects around us be supportive of friendliness?"
I have always been interested in the dynamics of human interaction, particularly the way people interact with each other within spaces. Disconcertingly, I have recently noticed a trend of growing societal detachment and isolation where many of us do not even acknowledge others around us. Driven by this concern, I set out to investigate how I could address this problem.
I began by researching into human interactions, such as how people keep in contact, how and why people choose to interact, and the construct of our social life. I learnt that many of us are willing to interact with others, we just do not know how. As such, I ask if everyday objects around us could help us interact with others by becoming supportive of friendliness in society.
Research into various fields to help me understand what spurs people to interact with others
I put the insights from my research into action by developing sacrificial ideas to probe the potential of everyday objects in promoting friendliness and facilitating warm interactions, such as smiles or conversation. I complemented the preliminary user research with user interviews, gathering valuable insights of ingredients to create an environment conducive to friendliness.
Some of the initial quick user tests I conducted to understand where I can intervene
Purposeful interaction
People are more inclined to interact with others when they see a clear purpose
Low effort and commitment
Even the most outgoing ones prefer a convenient way to interact with others
1 to 1 scenario
It prevents the uncertainty of the bystander effect and doubt of why one person is chosen over others
From the insights gathered, I identified the watercooler as the everyday object that has the most potential of becoming supportive of friendliness.
The watercooler is a low effort and commitment, convenient and often 1 to 1 scenario where both parties understand the purpose of their being there.
The initial user test at the watercooler held the most promise
The watercooler context seemed to hold most potential
"How would a watercooler become supportive of friendliness?"
I dived deep into understanding what a watercooler could be, disassembling the elements of the watercooler and seeing how each of them could be reassembled to different effects. For example, would making the spout of the watercooler exceptionally long foster interaction between users?
I did rapid ideation and rough sketches to generate initial ideas and gain a deeper understanding of what a watercooler that promotes interaction can look like
All my ideas lead me to this question that had to be answered. However, through ideation, testing and interviews, there was no guarantee that such a balance could be struck because every individual is different. Hence, I chose the idea of a framed watercooler because the problematic incentive-penalty dichotomy is secondary to the frame that draws users to interaction.
How might I balance the incentives with the penalties to spur users into interacting with others?
Some of the insights I gained from my user tests
After fixing on the idea of a watercooler with a frame, I tested every of its variable to learn more about how they affect people's propensity to interact with one another. I adjusted its height, tried out both horizontal and vertical frames of different dimensions, different nozzles shapes, different table top shapes, and more.
Some of the possible configurations of the rough prototypes
Ultimately, I asked if the frame was truly necessary and conducted my last user test. apparently, we can almost achieve the exact efffects without the frame. I then decided to go without the frame for the best economy of means
Some of the user tests conducted with flowing flow to simulate real-life usage
After allowing the watercooler to take on its own shape from the user tests, I set out to refine and add in design details into the final version
Some notes on detailing the table top
Many rounds of detailing was done to optimise the design and ensure the accuracy of the final product
Going through the 1:1 cardboard mock up of the final table top to ensure the scale and curves are correct
Fabrication
It all started with preparing the various parts of CoolerConnect. The top part was laser cut transparent acrylic sheets with a 3D printed housing, while the bottom part was layers of CNC wood.
The first step was to patty and sand the 3D printed components while waiting for the glue to dry on the many layers of wood that would form the bottom part
The next step was mounting the electronics onto the acrylic and then attaching the connecting pipe to the top part, ensuring that the wires and the tubes were placed correctly and working properly.
With the electronics wired, the top part with the pipe is attached to the base, giving shape to the base of the prototype.
The faucets were the last to be added before the final tinkering is done to complete the top part of CoolerConnect. Ultimately, the entire prototype is spraypainted white.
The first-person perspective of CoolerConnect while filling a bottle
The final prototype of CoolerConnect is a functional 1:1 scale prototype that allows users to have the full experience of CoolerConnect as they get the opportunity to interact with other users as they fill their bottles
Fabricating this final prototype was a fun challenge because of the spread of diverse skill sets, materials, and fabrication methods used. From learning to solder electronics to dealing with the physics of flow of water, the fabrication process helped me to expand my belief of what I am capable of producing as a prototype.
This project was done as part of the fulfilment of my bachelor's degree in the National University of Singapore, Division of Industrial Design
