User scenario
USER #1 @
Lincoln Center
>> Name
Reiko Motoki
>> Portrait
Japanese, female, 28 years old, 163cm (5'4"), 52kg (115lbs), short brown
hair, brown eyes
>> Job
A graduate student of music school, majoring in music education
>> Lifestyle
Monday through Friday, she goes to school at 8:30 in the morning to play the piano and usually stays at school to study until 21:00. Every Saturday, she volunteers teaching piano to children. Sunday, she has to do chores such as laundry, cleaning, and grocery shopping. She practices the piano on weekends, as well.
>> What she likes (food, sports, hobby, fashion brands, etc.)
She likes eating all kinds of ethnic foods, especially Indian and Mexican. She swims and enjoys yoga once or twice a week. Basically she does not care about fashion. If she really needs to buy clothes, she goes straight to H&M. She usually wears black, gray, and white; simple T-shirts and jeans.
>> Needs (goal) associated with your project context
Her dream is to become a music teacher at an elementary school. Although she loves to play the piano, she thinks that there may be another way to teach children how beautiful and enjoyable music is. So, our project aims to give her inspiration for a new way of playing sounds for children.
>> User scenario
One Saturday evening, after the volunteer work of teaching piano to children,
Reiko is walking to Lincoln Center to see the Opera. She came across
a strange but beautiful object in front of her. It was installed in the
open space, just north of the Metropolitan Opera House. Its shape is
reminiscent of a big seashell, and has several strings from the top to
bottom. Unconsciously, she stands if front of the object, as she knows
that most art installations are not supposed to be touched. Suddenly,
from behind her, several children dash to the object. She is surprised
and almost warns them not to touch it. Then she sees that the object
plays sound when the strings are plucked. The children teach their parents
(who followed them from behind) how to play by using their whole body,
bounding from cord to cord, spinning their arms to trigger multiple strings
at once. Now, the object looks more like a sound-jungle-gym than art
installation. The children, then their parents, notice Reiko and invite
her to play with them. Hesitating at first, Reiko joins in, enjoying
the interaction quickly. It is fun for her because she is not used to
using her whole body to create music. It is fun for her because there
are no rules. Also, it is fun for her because she is playing and laughing
with children and parents whom she has never met. After playing with
them for more than 30 minutes, the parents mumbled with short breath, "I've
never seen our kids playing music so happily. I thought our boys quit
the violin because they didn't like music." Reiko suddenly remembers
Mizuki, one of her students who doesn't like to practice the piano. She
decides to bring him here next Saturday. He would surely enjoy this instinctive
and unconventional sound generator, and maybe be able to find that music
can be enjoyable?
USER #2 @
Lincoln Center
>> Name
Mizuki Yamada
>> Portrait
Japanese, boy, 6 years old, 100cm (3'4"), 20kg (44lbs), short brown
hair, brown eyes
>> Job
First grade student
>> Lifestyle
Goes to school Monday through Friday, from 8:30 to 15:00. After
school, he usually plays with neighborhood friends. Always forgets to
do his homework until late at night. Takes piano lessons on Saturday
afternoon.
>> What he likes (food, sports, hobby, fashion brands, etc.)
He likes playing baseball and Nintendo. He has more than twenty games and is good at playing all of them. Although taking a piano class, he doesn't enjoy playing it.
>> Needs (goal) associated with your project context
He is forced to learn piano by his mother and hates it. He prefers playing with his friends, which is more fun for him. So,
our project wants to give him the sense that music (sound) can be fun
and enjoyable.
>> User scenario
After a piano class, his teacher tells him about an installation in Lincoln
Center. She says it was like a sound-jungle-gym. Although he doesn't
like any kinds of music, he decides to go there because he lives near
the building and moreover, it sounds interesting. Upon seeing the object,
he immediately understands why his teacher called it a jungle gym.
Tentatively, he touches the outermost string, which resounds with a
low, faint note. Next, he plucks the string a little harder. It sounds
louder and stronger. He jumps inside of the object and touches all
of the strings in sequence. The tones are bright and sound good to
him. He instinctively notices that each string has a different note
associated with it and it is possible to compose his own music by plucking
them. The closer the strings are to each other, the higher the notes
are. He also notices that the stronger he plucks the louder it sounds.
At first he uses only his hands and arms, but realizes he could not
reach all of the strings at once. Then he starts to use his legs to
reach them. By using his arms and legs at the same time, he invents
ways to play multiple notes at the same time. Sometimes, he kicks the
string by his toe hard and touches the string by his finger softly.
While trying to compose his music, he finds himself dancing and playing
at the same time. This is the first time he realizes music can be fun
and enjoyable.
USER #3 @
JFK airport, terminal 4
>> Name
James Brown
>> Portrait
American, male, 47 years old, 185cm (6'1"), 105kg (231 lbs), sparse blond
hair, gray eyes, wears round, black-framed glasses
>> Job
CEO of a famous furniture chain
>> Lifestyle
Lives in a four-bedroom high-rise apartment, which is very near the New York Stock Exchange. He has a wife named Jessica (44 year-old stay-at-home mother), and one child named Steven (9 year-old fourth grader). He works all day, from 7am to 11pm. He works at his Midtown office (just North of Grand Central Station), and sometimes at his home. He travels a lot because of his job. He just opened a branch in LA. He appreciates his wife's support in his work. He is thinking about retiring and living a slower life with his family.
>> What he likes (food, sports, hobby, fashion brands, etc.)
He used to be a tall, thin, and handsome man when he was young. While
he is still tall, he has become overweight. James thinks this
is because of business lunches and dinners with his clients. He
does golf because one of his big clients liked to play golf. He
cares about what he wears because he knows it affects people's impression
of him. He hires a fashion coordinator from Barney's New York,
and trusts her sense.
>> Needs (goal) associated with your project context
While excited about retirement, he is a little concerned about life after work. He doesn't have any hobby other than his job. He used to love music and actually used to play guitar in a rock band when he was in high school. So, our project aims to bring him back to the passion of music and give him good exercise while playing it.
>> User scenario
While going to LA on a business trip, James walks through Terminal 4 at JFK
airport. He left his home early to avoid Manhattan traffic. To kill time
at the airport, he was thinking about having breakfast at his favorite
restaurant or checking email in the membership lounge. Walking absentmindedly,
his briefcase brushed against an installation situated near two moving
walkways. It was a series of cords that stretched from the floor to the
ceiling, situated in a spiral-like pattern. It made a sound when he bumped
it, which brought him out of his reflective state. Tentatively, he touched
the cord again. It made the same sound. Looking around and seeing he was
relatively alone, he plucked the cord like a bass guitar. It generated
the same tone, but louder, echoing in the empty airport terminal. He casually
walked the length of the installation, triggering distinct notes with each
cord he struck. He reflected on his younger years and his time in a rock
band. He tried 'playing' two strings at once. Comfortable with plucking
strings and recognizing the tonal hierarchy of the installation, he began
plucking cords as chords, playing with harmony and melody. Starting slowly,
he reverted to his youth, imagining the installation as a large guitar.
Starting with the low notes, he repeated string combinations, moving inward
to the higher and closer notes and cords. He took off his jacket, and lost
himself in the composition he was creating. He needed to move quickly to
take advantage of the harmonics that grew out of playing multiple sections
of the installation. Out of breath, he became keenly aware of how far from
his youth he actually was. Upon stopping, he realized a small crowd had
gathered to watch his impromptu performance. Everyone applauded his effort
and as he picked up his belongings, several people rushed to see if they
could duplicate his performance. Walking away, James was filled with a
sense of accomplishment, adrenaline rushing through his body and a rekindling
of his passion for music in his heart.
Design
Movie