Making Toys

Prototyping, User Feedback, & Target User Descriptions

Physical Prototype (right): This prototype demonstrates the sequence of tides – going from low to high tide. Using PWMs the LEDs fade on slowly for "low tide," somewhat faster for "mid-tide," and very quickly three times for "high tide."

Illustrated "Final" Prototype (below): Construction includes plexi glass, fabric / paper and LEDs.

Target User Descriptions:
User 1: Terry, a thirty-one year old elementary school teacher, has been teaching second grade for the past seven years. She has eclectic tastes and likes her classroom décor to fit in with her personality. Her favorite subjects to teach are art and science. She came across the Sea Lite in a small boutique while visiting New York City. Because the Sea Lite touches on science – sea life and tidal changes – and has a unique aesthetic, it’s a must have for Terry.

User 2: Timmy, a five-year-old inquisitive youngster, loves to play outdoors and ask questions of his parents. Timmy loves fire-trucks and the ocean. For his birthday, his grandparents decided to splurge on an interesting light for Timmy’s room – the Sea Lite. Timmy loves to turn the knob and imagine he is underwater dancing with the fish, while watch the lights dance about his head.

User 3: Claire is a first year biology major at UC Santa Cruz. Her love of nature has always been a central part of her life. While visiting a small boutique with friends in San Francisco, she came across the Sea Lite. Claire is slightly homesick for her friends and family back home in San Luis Obispo. In an attempt to make her dorm room more “homey” she decided to splurge on the Sea Lite because it reminds her of visiting the beach with her dad.

User Feedback:
-    The shape of the Sea Lite in the drawings add a lot to the overall aesthetic of the light.
-    Users liked the slower, tranquil fading of the LEDs – not the “high tide” blinking of the LEDs – they are somewhat obnoxious.
-    The strings / dangling fabric from the Sea Light don’t add a lot to the over construct of the light. The shape of the Sea Light is far more interesting and the strings could end up being somewhat distracting.
-    The paper was a nice way to defuse the lights – fabric may fade the light too much.
-    It might be a good idea to have one constant LED always on (maybe a white one?)
-    This an interesting idea but it would be much better if the physical Sea Lite was more of a chandelier – not portable, like something found at Spencer’s Gifts
-    The physical Sea Light should be done in glass or plexi glass