This Esquire magazine has an AR barcode that lets you manipulate 3D objects on screen by holding the magazine in front of a webcam. This is no cutting edge technology – the geeky bunch had already seen it and played with it months ago: PaperVision project, James Alliban’s AR Business Cards on Vimeo (his blog)…etc. The question is, is it necessary? Does adding AR truly adds value to your product and makes things easier to use? It is like Twitter all over again: the geeks discovered and been using the service two years ago, until the marketing geniuses take the [...]
Monthly Archives: December 2009
Augmented Reality Gimmick on Magazine
This Esquire magazine has an AR barcode that lets you manipulate 3D objects on screen by holding the magazine in front of a webcam. This is no cutting edge technology – the geeky bunch had already seen it and played with it months ago: PaperVision project, James Alliban’s AR Business Cards on Vimeo (his blog)…etc. The question is, is it necessary? Does adding AR truly adds value to your product and makes things easier to use? It is like Twitter all over again: the geeks discovered and been using the service two years ago, until the marketing geniuses take the [...]
Umbrella Vending Machines
I would like to talk about an item that is not too commonly seen in our daily routine, but can be a life saver when you are caught in an unexpected rain with no umbrella in hands – The Umbrella Vending Machine. The above pictures show two different umbrella vending machines located in two different cities: Hong Kong, and Vancouver Canada. First, can you guess which machine was found in which city? The Settings: The blue vending machine was sighted at a busy shopping mall in Hong Kong. In fact, I have seen the same machine in multiple malls, meaning [...]
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, filmed by William H. Whyte at 1988, is a documentary video of how human linger in public spaces. It is a good studying material on human behaviour in urban environmental settings. Although mostly relevant to architecture and psychology, I find the underlying observation principle that this video demonstrates is applicable to almost everything that touches human. How do we react to a road sign? How do we open a door? How do we buy a metro ticket from the automatic ticket machine with it’s touch-sensitive screen? When trying to design a solution for [...]
Phone Book – Tangible iPhone Storybook
![[1] Phone Book - paperback book + iPhone/iPod Touch](http://www.calvin-c.com/media/2009/12/phonebook_3-150x150.jpg "[1] Phone Book")
(image source — Mobile Art Labs mobileart.jp) [1] Phone Book is a storytelling book package, created by Mobile Art Labs, which includes an iPhone app and a paper book with a slot that you can slide an iPhone into. The combo makes an interactive storybook that parent and kid can hold together and play with. The reasons I think this is a brilliant idea: (1) it hides all the complicated technology (iPhone, multi-touch screen, proximity sensor), and present only a simple, tangible storybook that parent and kid can hold together and interact with. (2) It can also minimize distraction to the kid: [...]
My name is Calvin Chun-yu Chan, also known as カルビー or Jeepu. I'm a web app developer by trade, with curious and enthusiastic eyes on design, usability, culture and creativity.
Stop Sign Redesign