Click to play video

Multitouch Table Interface with 3D Sound System

In a three-dimensional sound space (based on a 360° array of loudspeakers) each sound source can be controlled and exactly positioned by a multitouch interface. Therefore, multiple users can interact with the sound system parallel and with all fingers. For this installation, we built the multitouch hardware set up as well as the UI. We focused on the investigation of gestures to control the interface, e.g. shortcuts how to select all sources at the same time or to select and de-select a limited number.

Gesche Joost was heading this research project in 2006. Team members were Marek Plichta, Katharina Bredies, Fabian Hemmert, and Nick Alexander Mann.

Click to play video

Notation System for Audio-visual Rhetoric

This system visualizes the rhetorical pattern structure of a TV commercial. It helps to analyze film in its audio-visual dimensions and to understand how it can arouse emotions in the recipient. This system was developed by Gesche Joost and Sandra Buchmüller, and taught in a Seminar at KISD (Köln International School of Design) 2004. It was applied to analyze a Sony commercial by Raphael Ratsch, Manuel Götzke and Krystian Majewski.

Sample Notations Sample notations of scenes from silent movies by Sergej Eisenstein you can find here

Your mobile phone falls in love with another technical device. Which one is it?

Woman’s Phone

We wanted to find out whether there are differences in mobile communication behavior between men and women and not reproduce our own stereotypes when designing a device for female target groups. Therefore, we used cultural probes to get insights into the everyday life of a group of female users. Where do you love to make phone calls, or where would you never dare to? How would your phone look like when the mailbox is full, and how do you call it by name? Some results of the study can be seen on the left side: One example from the set of the cultural probes, and three prototypes built by participating female users. Based on these qualitative insights, we came up with communication concepts and first video prototypes that can be found below.

This project is lead by Gesche Joost. Team members are Sandra Buchmüller, Katharina Bredies and Mandy Meissner. The video prototypes were developed by IxDS Berlin, Reto Wettach and team.

	Share & Shame Did you ever regret having sent a delicate SMS? This video shows issues like these and possible solutions.
	Mute Did you ever miss a call because your phone was buried in your handbag? This video shows an accessory as a solution.
	Layer Phone Do you feel overloaded by all the functions of your mobile phone? This video shows an over-the-day change of the phone's functionalities.

Universal Design

How to design a dect phone which considers the needs of people aged 50 and older and that at the same time might attract younger users, too? We started observing and interviewing our target group carefully and learned a lot about our own stereotypes.

Criteria: user-friendly, simple, different ages of users, accessible for everyone
Particular requirements for people aged 50 or older:
Usable for people with hearing aid
Speech / voice volume control
Clear typography
High contrast of display
Comfortable key pad and hard key controls

Based on these principles, we developed a UI concept with a simplified navigation structure and defined the requirements for the hardware. The actual product was developed in collaboration with T-Com and will be launched by DTAG in fall 2008.

Gesche Joost
Deutsche Telekom AG Laboratories
Ernst-Reuter-Platz 7
10587 Berlin
E-Mail