Otto - Improving daily asthma management

Local Projects worked with the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA to develop the BioDesign Studio which opened on March 18, 2016. The goal of the BioDesign Studio was to design interactive exhibits to demystify one of the least-understood and most controversial topics in modern science: synthetic biology. The client outlined the basic flow of the gallery, splitting exhibits into two groups. The first group familiarized visitors with the fundamentals of biology, and the second group of exhibits builds on these foundations to introduce visitors to more complex concepts from synthetic biology.

‘Enhans’ is a system designed to improve doctor-patient communication within the NeuroImaging and Interventional Radiology (NIIR) Department at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore, India. Being an institute of eminence, NIMHANS receives a large amount of patients from all over the country. Due to their different socio-economic backgrounds and the fact that they speak several different regional languages, it is often difficult for patients to communicate efficiently with the doctors. On a daily basis, both doctors and patients are faced with several challenges that lead to miscommunication and inhibit the patient from being able to take informed decisions about their treatment.

New drug therapies and medical devices save lives. In some cases, patients wait for years to participate in a clinical trial for a new drug or for that drug to come to market. It takes over a year just to complete study startup, the process of getting all the hospitals, private practices, and government health institutions that are part of a clinical trial ready to see patients. Why? Study startup is burdensome and complex–a large number of documents have to be routed and approved, and many regulatory requirements have to be met. Communication happens mostly through time-consuming methods like phone, email, and fax.

The goal of this Project was to explore a different way to use Spotify at home without a computer. As we move towards digital services, we become more dependent on computers and smartphones. Digital music has changed the way we consume music and this project brings back physicality to this type of media. The final concept is a standalone device that comes with 8 tags that can be linked to albums, playlists, artists… Once set up for the first time, the user can link music to the different tokens. This way you can easily grab a tag and start listening to it without having to navigate a screen interface. Place a tag on the device and music will start playing. Remove it, and it will stop. The device has no screen, but the LED display behind the pattern of the speaker will display relevant information when needed: low battery levels, connection problems…

When Nike Basketball came to us to help them deliver on their mission to help young athletes elevate their performance, our first step was to understand how kids try to improve their game. Our ethnographic research revealed a key insight: fledgling players hone their skills by watching their basketball idols, and mimic their signature moves in order to appropriate pros’ moves and personalize them to suit their own unique style. At the inaugural World Basketball Festival at the legendary Rucker Park in Harlem, we created The Film Room, a live event where aspiring players not only learn from the very best, they make the moves on their own, and learn about their performance. The Film Room is part green screen, part half court, 100% education. Kids watch a pro performing a signature move, and with the help of Nike coaches, analyze each step. Next, they try to perform the move themselves on the half-court. As they perform the move, HD cameras capture their movements and a custom-built algorithm breaks down each frame. Within minutes, participants receive a personalized 18 x 24” Nike Basketball poster, starring themselves.

FoldWorld is an innovative AI-powered AR game that embodies the fun of paper folding.

While most university alumni centers are heritage repositories celebrating the past, the Ford Alumni Center equally cultivates the future. As the new front door to the university, this dynamic building welcomes all visitors and immerses them in the pioneering spirit that defines the University of Oregon, providing equal parts inspiration and information. As the launching point for campus tours, thousands of prospective students will get their first impression of the Oregon experience in the Interpretive Center—a 2,000-square-foot space filled with media installations that fuel soaring dreams and invigorate appreciation for the history that defined this innovative institution’s culture. Nine towering “Oregon Cascades” serve stories, information, and artifacts; a large interactive “Alumni Table” recognizes every alum in the school’s history, and the “Entry Wall” reveals the day’s campus events while recognizing those whose contributions made the Ford Center possible.

In the midst of its worst drought in 500 years, designers in Smart Design’s San Francisco studio decided to help by designing a product that effectively influences residential conservation, reduces an individual’s water footprint, and adds meaningful value to people’s daily conservation efforts.

GreatSchools Local is a community school guide that helps specific cities connect with parents to help them get their kids a great education. Today we reach over 1.5 million families in 8 communities

A picture is worth 1000 words. Great visuals can enhance, dramatize and even bend the narrative. From historical photos to modern-day digital images made of millions of pixels, images have always been instrumental in shaping our visual understanding of the world around us. As much as they have been instrumental in shaping reality, easy access to image manipulation has also resulted in widespread misinformation. When we can fake anything, honest representation of reality in images has become a complex problem to crack.