Project Description
fibu is an interface design project that ensures parents realiable observation and communication with their child.
Using the parent- and baby units as well as additional equipment, they can see all the essentials with one look: Battery status, connectionstrength, videofeed and temperature.
In the next step, parents can turn on lullaby songs and night light using the intuitive steering wheel and easy to use buttons. The baby unit is stationary at the baby’s crib. It has a nightlight, speakers and a microphone and a camera built in. There are two different ways to mount it, using the mobilé mount or gorilla mount.
Process
Outline
This project was developed in the context of my fourth semester, developed in a period of 4 months.
I worked together with my fellow students Hana Amer and Demian Väth. My role was researching existing babyphones, conducting questionnaires, creating a context of use description as well as an MVP made out of clay. By the end I was heavily invested in the creation of the 3D Model and 3D Animation.
How can we improve a baby monitor interface for a more reliable and intuitive parent-child monitoring and communication system, increasing parental sense of security?
Challenge
One of the challenges in using baby monitors is ensuring that parents are always informed about the status of their child, especially when they are in a different room. It was important that both units function reliably and provide clear audio and video transmission to ensure that parents are alerted in a timely manner when the baby is crying or restless.
Another challenging aspect was creating a pleasing and coherent design language. We leaned on an aspect of space, the baby unit resembles a spaceship and the baby unit a planet. We also had to figure out how the two units are stowed together when not in use.
Solution
When using the parent unit, parents can see the connection strength, battery status, temperature and videofeed instantly. The navigation of other functions like night light, lullabies and pager function is as easy as possible, resulting in the upright shape. The two wings on each side and navigation wheel in the centre ensure optimal handling with one hand.
The infrared camera and microphone on the baby unit ensure optimal observation for parents, while the speakers and nightlight give the baby the best sleep possible. Storage and mounting were ensured with additional equipment, take a look at them in the gallery below.
Gallery
My learnings
I have learned that creating both digital systems and handheld devices can be a fun and exciting design challenge.
Through my experience, I have discovered that I particularly enjoy designing haptic user interfaces and focusing on ergonomics, haptic feedback and user interaction with the device throughout the entire design process.
In addition, I've learned the importance of finding market niches and developing a product vision that aligns with user needs and preferences.
Lastly, I've developed advanced skills in Blender, which allowed me to create a more complex and detailed design for both digital and physical products. My learnings have helped me becoming a more well-rounded and versatile designer.
Next project
adapt
adapt is an application that helps climate adaptation managers prepare their community for climate change by identifying hazards and planning appropriate actions.
