Told by competences relevant when working as an interaction designer.
KNOWLEDGE IN THE DESIGN PROCESS
After ten years working as a product specialist in the design team at Norrøna, I have experience of working in a design process in constant change. Further, I have worked in a diverge range of design projects, each different from the other, each one bringing new knowledge to my understanding of the dynamics of a design process.
BEING A
FACILITATOR
Facilitate for creative work, opening up the design room and explore the possibilities within the defined frame, makes the way towards a final solution possible. Involving and communicating with users along the way makes the solution relevant.
Left: Ideate workshop with library users. The goal with the workshop was to explore ways of using Artificial Intelligence in the library (HumSam Library of UiO). Used techniques as mind map, worst possible idea, 6-3-5 method and prototyping.
Right: Desktop Walkthrough at OBOS, when I was working on a potential solution for a sharing/digital library for OBOS cooperatives.This is a technique used in Service Design, to make the stakeholders move through the service on a small scale map, to identify potential touchpoints and visualising the intangible service.
Left: Prototype workshop with participants, exploring the theme "keeping nature clean from garbage". The workshop was held under the banner of Participatory Design, and we facilitated for the participants to design a solution themselves in cooperation with the designers.
Right: Survey and prototype testing of a chatbot as a helper for the visitors at the library.
Left: Expert evaluation to explore the "tone" and appearance of a chatbot used in a library, by exploration through scenarios and A/B testing.
Right: Focus group with kindergarten kids, to evaluate an interactive toy that should help the kids learn empathy.
MANAGE
COMPLEXITY
If the design process wasn't complex, the need for it wouldn't be there. Designing is so much more than creating a fancy solution, it is also about framing a problem, defining the scope, involve users for making the solution relevant and being able to zoom in and out to both focus on the details as well as the impact a potential solution might have on society.
Left: I did insight work to gain understanding of where potential meeting points could be in an OBOS cooperative, here by investigated the empirical context of Kværnerbyen.
Right: Analysing data to figure out the key issues. Shown in the picture is the thematic analysis I did after a ideation workshop at OBOS, to find a set of themes to guide the design work further.
Left: Prototype smaller parts and different aspects, to isolate and test the suggested solution from several angles before making the complete prototype. Here I am testing a sensor to measure resistance, to be used for measuring the breath by the movement of the stomach/chest.
Right: Value proposition, to zoom out and get the bigger perspective of the suggested solution. Shown in the picture is my proposition of what value a digital book sharing service could have for the individual, the community and for the society as a whole.
PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL
PROTOTYPES
After 11 years as a pattern designer, I am used to switch between 2D- and 3D shapes, both in thinking and when making prototypes. I have a passion for solving both technical and mechanical problems, and to find solutions that suits the whole eco-system of a product or service.
Left: Structuring content for the Warehouse webpage, using the modules available in the design frames. Content and structure before design in this prototype, to be able to talk about the content on a strategic level.
Middle: First prototype of an interface for the fulfillment portal, showing a graph in the dashboard. Kept stripped/simple, with the purpose of testing the need of (what kind of) information with the customers.
Left: Prototype of a table design for the fulfillment portal
Left: Interface prototype of an environment report in Mybring, based on cooperate customer needs and the report framework, with some new elements (summary on top and type of data shown).
Right: Interface prototype of a visual report showing customers their emissions when using Bring for delivery.
Left: I have both constructed and assembled prototypes and mock ups for a variety of technical outdoor wear, such as jackets, trousers, shorts, mid layers, wet suits, -gloves and -boots.
Right: Examples of some of the most recent products I was a part of making at Norrøna: the wet suit collection.
Picture source: www.norrona.com (unstad 6/5 Hooded Wetsuit and unstad 8mm Surf Booties)
Left: Lotus Anima, an interactive lotus flower reflecting the breath of the person using it. The rhythm of the breath is caught by the sound of inhalation and exhalation, reflected by the movement and fading of the light in the petals, making the intangible force of breath visible.
Right: Empathea, an interactive cow made for helping children learn empathy by games as "whispering game" and "role play".
Left: The motor of the Lotus Anima before attached to the flower petals.
Right: The making of the petals for the Lotus Anima.
Above: A small scale map of Kværnerbyen used for the Desktop walkthrough at OBOS. Potential meeting places and family types shown on the small screens. Lego figures to act as users to visualize the service of a digital book sharing service, and identify potential touchpoints.
VISUALS
I think drawing is an important and useful part when communicating an idea or solution to others, both by making fast sketches or more thoroughly digital illustrations.
Above: Illustrations for a warehouse customer journey
Above: Illustrating the high level customer journey for customer repairing with Posten, used in internal presentations (text added afterwards).
Above: Examples of illustrations/power point frames used for presenting new concepts.
Left: An infograph illustrating the key issues that should guide the design forward towards a digital book sharing service for OBOS.
Right: Illustration of a family type used in workshop with OBOS.
Above: A contextual visualisation of touchpoints for the digital book sharing service at OBOS.
Left: Illustration of a chatbot in use at a library.
Right: Illustration of a potential user interaction for the library.
Left: Prototype of a sub site for a dance company, before making it in Drupal.
Right: Technical drawing of the interactive cow Empathea.
Above: Fast sketches made for the movie about me working in a design process at Norrøna.
NAVIGATING AN ORGANISATION
During my time in Norrøna I have also learned about the complexity and dynamics of working in an organisation. The work has to be rooted in a vision, which in this case was helping people to get out in the nature and at the same time make products that leave the smallest possible environmentally footprint. Understanding an organisation is also about understanding the chain of decisions and what consequences a specific decision might bring. Last but not least, is the importance of seing the value of working in interdisciplinary teams, and how the sum of creativity becomes greater than the numbers of persons.
Thanks for your attention!
Ida Kalfoss
47419822
kalfoss@me.com
