My Roles
Product design, Industrial Design, Design Strategy, User Testing, Illustrator
Context
Team collaboration with SFCS and Warm Hearth Village to create a product centered around older adults and their needs in their environment. Mosaic was awarded an Honorable Mention for Student Design Excellence and showcased at the 2022 Inspired Home Show Global Innovation Awards. Showcasing summary of project work and personal contributions.
About
Timeline
8 weeks / 2021
Tools Used
Mosaic is the new form of puzzle! Designed for older adults age 65+, its infinitely solvable 17-piece puzzle can be enjoyed by anyone of any age and ability due to its gripping form factor and intuitive user experience. Because each puzzle piece is its own digital element that can reflect any picture on-screen, the possibilities of play are endless.
Index
Scroll to see a summary of Mosaic's design journey.
ABOUT
the problem.
How might we develop a product to help with the mental enrichment of those aging in place?
the question.
the criteria.
What must the product be?
the quest.
exploring ideas.
the narrow.
We chose the smart puzzle out of 50+ concepts altogether with a decision matrix.
Decision matrix.
the market.
Before development, we conducted extensive research and found an opportunity in the market to provide older adults with an infinite, customizable puzzle system rooted in a shared social environment.
the interest.
We then gauged interest by surveying the residents of Warm Hearth Village. Using this data, we were able to validate our design decisions and gain valuable insight into the life of our user group, and they were interested.
the people.
We wanted to ask more about residents’ daily hobbies or interests at Warm Hearth Village. We interviewed Roger, Barbara, Judy, and Arthur and were able to gain valuable insight into our user group and some of their daily struggles such as arthritis, tremors, difficulties with their mental health, and overall performance.
the personas.
Based on our criteria, interviews, and previous research, we created user personas. This is Theresa who’s 70 and lives by herself, along with Kathy, Theresa’s daughter, and Earl. Our personas shaped who the product was for, acting as a guide to why we were designing our product.
the development.
What form factor should the screen puzzle be to be easy to play with, but challenging for the brain?
the inspiration.
We took inspiration from warmer color pallets, hexagonal forms in nature, and familiar products to older adults. These product inspiration pieces were helpful to begin designing and ideating our product.
.
CAD prototyping.
Before setting our sites on making,
we iterated digitally.
3D prototyping.
Settling on the square and hexagon, we adjusted the thickness and weight of the piece and tried piecing the puzzle ourselves.
the case.
Once we decided on the shape for the pieces, we needed to design and prototype a case to complement and hold them. We designed a case that would hold the pieces as well as charge them. The case would also be responsible for receiving puzzles sent to the pieces. The form of the case is a simple extruded hexagon complementing the shape of the pieces and creating a snug fit for the pieces to rest.
the joy.
the testing.
From arthritic simulations, to challenge testing, to in-person testing with our user group, we chose the best gripping shape: the hexagon.
the brand.
After designing the product, we needed a brand to accompany it. We began to design and ideate on brand names and logos. We aimed to name our brand something that was short and could be easily identified while conveying what our product does. This branding process started with names such as “memo”, “memorio”, and “tessle”. After long deliberation and brainstorming we decided upon the name “Mosaic”. We chose this name because of its relation to art and geometric patterns. Once we named the product, we began working on the logo. We wanted to incorporate the hexagonal shape into the logo.
color palette
Final Logo
the components.
Mosaic ended with three components: the pieces, website, app, and case.
the technology.
One of the first components our team worked on was the pieces. The pieces are around 3” by 3” and use a magnetic connection to snap together while solving the puzzle, speakers also provide feedback to the user, and finally, a rounded screen removes barriers between pictures to create a seamless image.
Mosaic utilizes existing technology to create a reliable and familiar experience with the user. Some of the various technologies within Mosaic include:
RFID Technology
It allows the pieces to communicate with each other to define how the image is laid out and track puzzle completion.
Wireless Charging
The pieces are charged using Qi wireless inductive charging that is used in today’s smartphones.
OLED Screen
This type of screen allows us to have long-lasting and high-quality pictures showing high detail.
Lithium Ion Battery
Our batteries give the pieces a battery life of over 10 hours.
the case
The standard case fits 17 screen puzzle pieces and charges them in their slots using Qi wireless inductive charging that is used in today’s smartphones. Inside the case sits led charging indicators to signal and end of a charge cycle.
the app ux/ui.
The app was our first step in creating a digital component that connects the physical pieces to the player. The app has a simple flow and makes use of large icons, warm colors, and an overall simple and elegant interface. Older adults will have an easy time locating the home page no matter where they are on the app.
the desktop ux/ui.
Based on many of our interviews we knew that some of our user group may not have a smartphone, so we also designed a desktop interface where a puzzle owner or contact can do all the same features included in the app. The desktop interface also allows the puzzle owners to login and play some of their puzzles online. The Mosaic device itself can also be bought on the website in different size and color variations. This variety includes smaller cases with less pieces.
the final product.
After months of research and development, here is the final product. Mosaic is the screen based puzzle system that connects friends and family through customizable and endless puzzle options. Using digital puzzle screen pieces and an app interface Mosaic allows friends and family to send memories and messages to each other while staying mentally active and socially connected.
customization
packaging
Theresa’s daughter, Kathy, finds a picture of her daughter to send to Theresa using the Mosaic app.
She then begins to take the pieces out of the case. They automatically turn on as she takes them out.
Theresa completes the puzzle!
Theresa is excited to receive the message from her granddaughter because the pandemic has prevented her from traveling.
Theresa sees the blinking light on the charging case which notifies her that there is a puzzle waiting for her to solve.
As she starts to solve the puzzle, the piece screens will shake if put in the wrong position and “ding” when placed in the correct position.
A green light glows around the edges of the puzzle and the picture comes to life and starts to play a video message of her granddaughter.
She sends a text to her daughter thanking her for the message and video and that she cannot wait to see them soon!
the user journey.
my contributions.
Throughout working on Mosaic, I mainly worked with creating graphics, storytelling, research, rendering, figma prototyping and conceptualizing Mosaic to its full potential. Working on Mosaic strengthened my skills in programs I knew well as well as programs I wanted to know more about. I became more confident as I created pages for project presentations, illustrated storyboards, and organized the layouts of the full process book using InDesign, illustrator, and Sketchbook Pro. I learned how to render well in Keyshot with Mary, producing many renders, and constructing virtual environments tailored to Mosaic. I also worked in Figma, producing our website interface with Sam and prototyping user flows and conceptualizing user wants and needs. Through research and conversations with residents from Warm Hearth, I was able to find the focus of mental enrichment, creating a groundwork of understanding fueling our targeted personas and main objectives. I also worked in developing the concepts for our packaging and our expanded ideas for the end product. In addition to graphics, rendering, illustrating, and conceptualizing, I gained experience working in Cura, exploring the logistics of 3D printing to create our prototypes and product samples. Overall, my experience in the development of Mosaic helped me to strengthen my skills in several areas of design while providing me with a great environment to see my skills in action.
the programs i most used.
I was also designer of Mosaic's 117 page process book.
Feel free to view.
special thanks to:
Mentors
Roger Avery, Loring Bixler, Neil Campbell
Insights from
SFCS and Warm Hearth Village
Advisors
Ben Kirkland, Elham Morshedzadeh, Ph.D.
You.
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