Watch Where You’re Going
Connor Simpson
See it On Campus: Level 2
Visitor InfoWatch Where You’re Going (WWYG) is a wayfinding smartwatch for adventuring in urban spaces. Simply give it a destination and it points you where you need to go, letting you leave your phone at home and get lost!
WWYG is intentional technology for people that want to take a break from being connected to the online world and reconnect with the real world.
WWYG prompts users to find joy in the spaces that they have access to. It reminds us that adventure does not require an escape to the wilderness.
Process
Research
Initially, this project was an exploration of what it meant to have an Adventure, with the aim of finding problems that I could solve.
I spent a lot of time trying to understand both my own experience of adventure and those of others.
I started by going on hikes and paying attention to the pain points of the experience (e.g. finding parking in Belcarra, needing a car to go hiking) and what made the experience valuable (e.g. sensory immersion, discovering new places).
I wanted to see if urban adventuring could be as satisfying as a traditional adventure, so I decided to have an adventure in the city. A classmate and I tried to follow a river through the industrial parts of the city, similarly to how hikers will see a creek and say “I wonder where that goes?”
Despite the struggle of being impeded by fences and parking lots, the experience felt like a real adventure!
Problem: Many people want to go on adventures, but aren’t able to due to cost and access to traditional adventure spaces. More accessible spaces have potential for adventure, but are usually overlooked.
Prototyping
I designed a set of lo-fi tools that would guide people on adventures in the spaces that were accessible to them. Spaces like urban parks, residential neighbourhoods, and business parks.
The tools are all designed around the idea of making spaces feel less familiar so that the user is able to engage more deeply with their surroundings.
DIY Clinometer
Guides user uphill or downhill. Helps them build a new relationship with the topology of their neighbourhood.
Analog GeoGuessr
Find where the photo was taken. Like Geocaching but much easier.
Venture App
Gives users daily prompts to observe details of their surroundings. Maps user experiences to better understand a neighbourhood.
SoundCompass
Maps noise pollution in real time, guiding the user towards quiet spaces.
WWYG – first prototype.
Points directly at a destination, forcing the user to figure out how to get there without having their hand held by google maps.
I chose to pursue the WWYG device because it can be used just about anywhere, and it easily fits into everyday experiences like going to a new cafe.
The WWYG concept was validated with a simple cardboard model.
I asked a classmate to wear the model, and adjusted the dial to point towards their destination using a GPS.
Final high-resolution prototypes were SLA 3D printed and painted using model paints. The Matte Black colourway was printed in brass/steel by Shapeways.
