CODASE (Code + Vase)
When Art Meets Technology
Project Overview:
The CODASE is a 3D printing application that allows users to create the form of their vases while playing around with different parameters and algorithms. People purchase many functional and non-functional objects during a year without being able to change their forms or create them by themselves. The CODASE app provides this opportunity for the user to be creative and make their desired forms.
Main Goal: provide a pleasant feeling of creation for the user who mostly uses made objects
Target audience: people of different ages
CODASE app has three following levels of difficulty to choose from at the start:
Easy Make more suitable for kids under 10 years-old
Advanced for young adults over 10 years old
Complicated for those who are interested in coding and 3D modeling software
Research Tools: Comparative & Competitive Analysis, User Research, Persona Creation, Task Analysis, User Journey Map, User Flow, Wire-framing, Paper Prototype, Clickable Prototype
My Role in Team: User Research, UX and UI Design, and User Testing
Complicated Level of CODASE app: Geometric Pattern on a Parametric Vase
This video shows how those users who are more interested in the coding section can experience working and playing around with parameters directly in an algorithm.
Business Challenge and User Problems:
Users do not follow the instruction and as a result, frequently call the support team
Student users look for discounts on the app
Kids without reading skills have problems regarded to following the steps
Solution:
Make an interesting video instruction at the beginning of each level showing how it works
Make an offer to schools to buy this app for their students
Define a student discount in the special events of the year
Redesign the CODASE app not to allow users under 8 years old to choose the Advanced and Complicated levels
Surveys and Ideation Session:
After gathering a complete literature review of previous similar projects, all team members had a meeting to talk about project requirements, the most important aspects of the app, research and discovery phase. We had an ideation session and try to create an opportunity for each other to walk through what we learned. Thus, we define what is the best solution for users and share ideas about the most important features of a 3D printing geometry and a 3D printed vase at the end.
User Survey:
We drafted 10 survey questions for users. We ran the survey with 30 individuals who were mostly young adult students. After analyzing the following results:
53% of participants tend to have their physical objects after they make their virtual vases
46.5% of participants like to try CODASE app, play around with the parameters, and make their virtual vases even if they know that they might not be able to print the actual vase
45% of participants are interested to learn more about coding and the algorithm by itself
This picture shows parameters on the right side that users can move and play around with to make their favorite vases.
These are just four samples of hundreds of an algorithm.
Five algorithms have been loaded into the app so far.
Our Advantage:
The layers of the vase could easily be 3D printed to bring these vase forms to reality.
According to participants' opinions, this app could be helpful and useful for the deaf community that gives deaf people more opportunities to have more individual activities and have more confidence to do that.
One of the best practices related to art and new technology.
Improve users' creativity and problem-solving skill.
What's Next?
I am planning to add more algorithms to the app. Then, other forms of everyday objects can be produced by the user.
Also, according to users' opinions, in particular, those who are more interested in coding it might be more useful and entertaining to have more components to work on it.
Lessons For Me:
During this project, I've learned to keep going wise and aware and put a lot of attention into each part of the project. Also, don't rush to get the answer. Sometimes you need to do ideation, make prototypes and test them several times; but, you don't reach the best answer that you want from it. I need to increase the number of participants for the survey to get a better result from their user survey.