Final Reflection

I struggled a bit with this project initially.  I struggled to see a genuine need for yet one more communication device.  In an age where mobile phones are ubiquitous, and social networking and video conferencing are widely understood and accepted, why would we need something else?
This train of thought, and the early LifeTech experience, guided my initial concept design towards an assistive device; something that would encourage and facilitate communication for those that, for whatever reason, found the process difficult.
When we shifted into the group project I carried this with me.  Although we analysed each others concepts, and agreed that Dharawan's offered the best potential in terms of the three project dimensions, the concept revolved around a hobby and it took me some time to develop a scenario for this.  I kept coming back to "So what?".  I felt that for the product to have meaning it should somehow be solving a problem.  It wasn't until I began to understand the importance of hobbies and the interactions between those that shared a similar passion that saw the potential in the concept.
Painters love to share their work and comment on the work of others; they find encouragement, motivation and inspiration from each other. I feel that our product can bring an extra element to the process of painting - it allows painters to share the actual process itself.  It takes the elements that create the art, their gestures and movements, and uses them to communicate to others, to share this experience and engage in whole new way. With attention given to the environment of the painter and the key elements within this, our product marries the traditional art and modern technology without interrupting the natural process of painting.
I believe that in this modern world, bringing tangible elements into our digital environment is of great importance. Seeing someone else on a Skype call for example, being able to 'show them around' your home, extends the experience of a phone call in ways that for years, we only dreamed possible.  It may not solve a problem, but it adds an incredible amount of value and meaning to the moment, an interaction I believe we have been successful in bringing to the world of a painter.
Many thanks to Lauren & Dharawan; they are such a pleasure to work with and I admire, and appreciate their passion and dedication.