Mōwa
Mōwa is physical-digital product system, crafted in 12 weeks to support students from Politecnico di Milano study in crowded spaces. It is controlled by a mobile app, that enables the user to customize sound and light of their focus space.
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This course focused on futurism, requiring us to anticipate issues that could impact master's students over the next 15 years. Trends suggested that student space will shrink and education will become increasingly collaborative, which could potentially lead to more crowded and noisy university environments.
02 TASKS
- Identifying trends and challenges;
- Defining a concept;
- Prototyping the products;
- Testing the products.
- Conducted research;
- Designing the concept;
- Designing the digital prototype;
- Designing the service;
- Mocking the experience;
- Testing the product's desirability.
55 out 75 participants used the word "calm" to define the app, indicating alignment with the concept's purpose and the brand's values.
This project won bronze in the World Brand Design Society Student Award 2022.
Identifying Trends & Challenges
Desk Research on Trends
Interviews on Challenges
We interviewed four masters students from different backgrounds.
Elisa Souza
Cinematography Student, 27 y.o.
"Filming sets are always crowded and full of people. If I'm required to make a change that greatly impacts my filming plan, I need to look at all possible variables. (...) I need more time, more privacy. Whenever I need to restructure something, which affects a lot of things, I need to ask my colleagues to give me some space to think."
Sergio Navarro
Design Student, 27 y.o.
"If I’m working by myself I love to use the headphones to listen to music. If I have to plan the session, music helps me a lot. Also, a clean space helps me so much, that would mean that I will have a cleaner flow to work."
Renato Nobre
Computer Science Student, 24 y.o.
"If I need a lot of concentration to do a more specific task I turn to electronic music. If I have to write code or make calculations it helps me ignore what's around and focus.
(...) Something that annoys me when I'm studying alone in university is that if I need to get up to quickly go buy food or go to the bathroom when I come back my place is gone. I avoid taking breaks to not loose my space."
Joan Contreras
Design Student, 27 y.o.
"If I'm sharing my working space with colleagues, but not working on the same thing, I isolate myself with my headphones. Sometimes I wear headphones even if I am not listening to music, just to send the message that I don't want to be interrupted."
Defining a Concept
A device that gives control to students over how environmental stimuli affect them. Allowing them to claim a studyspace, control it, and filter the amount of background noise they want to hear.
Prototyping
Physical and digital prototyping walked together to understand how the user would interact with the app to access and control the device.
Physical Prototyping
Digital Prototyping
Totally customizable
Through the app, end-users can:
- book a Mōwa in their educational or working institution;
- get directions to find the space;
- adapt height, light, and sound according to their needs;
- understand the noise pollution they are exposed to.
Interact with the app's prototypeRefined products
More than a product a business solution.
Smart service
Through the app, we can track:
- what areas are most demanded;
- underused devices;
- how noise pollution affects each room.
Providing constant adaptation to companies and universities achieve the most effective layout.
Service blueprint
Business to consumer
Offering map
Mōwa experience
App's Desirability Testing
Following recommendations from NN Group, we selected 18 words from the 118 word kit created by microsoft to test our prototype desirability. We did an online unmoderated test, with 75 respondents. The results indicate the app was able to reflect the brand's values.
See the project in detail
Understand our design process and the technical decisions behind it.
Team
Chiara Marsiglia
Ceylin Safyürek
Daniela Montenegro
Giovanna Mundstock
Andrea Camurani
Matteo Sciortino
❤️ Special Thanks to:
All students who participated in interviews and testing.
My team, for their unwavering commitment to this project.
My professors, for their valuable guidance.
Project developed in the course of Innovation Studio from Politecnico di Milano.