Storyboard

What I plan to do next is to test out some different materials, shapes and different ways of releasing the sherbet out of the ball, to find out which way works best.  I will search for existing objects that have similar interactive parts to mine, which I can manipulate to do what I want my object to do.  I need to find a ball that is made from a soft maluable plastic that when pressure is applied to and removed from it, it goes back to its original form.  I can then make holes in it to place the sherbet and for it to dispense it. 

Everybody loves sherbet but sticking your finger into a bag and licking your finger isn’t a very exciting way to enjoy it.  I want the users of my object to have a unique way of eating sherbet through not only taste by touch too.  I want them to be able to interact with the texture and maluability of the dispenser and use it almost like a stress ball, and at the same time enjoy the taste of sherbet.  Also having the sherbet squirt out gives my object an element of surprise which will make interacting with my object exciting for the user.

Chosen concept

I decided to develop on Idea 2 to create my interactive object.  I think this is the best idea out of the 5 concepts, as it is the most origional and I also liked the idea of working with the sense taste as it is the most difficult one.  My target audience is going to be young school kids who often spend all their pocket money at dairies buying lollies and sweets.  So I will need to create this object in a way that appeals to them.

There is already other ways of eating sherbet, like in the above photo, through straws.  In my opinion this isn't a very exciting way of enjoying sherbet, as it's gone in a couple of seconds once you tip it into your mouth from the straw.

A lot of people also like to eat sherbet by dipping straws into it but I want to create a new exciting way of eating it.

But the idea I'm interested in I got a lot of influence from this hand held horn.  When you squeeze the ball, thats made of a soft maluable material, air is squeezed out of the funnel.
 I like the way when you have a really thin powder like flour and you blow on it, it "poofs" into the air.  I think if I could link the above horn and the "poof" a thin powder makes, I could make a really exciting interactive object.

Idea 5

The influence for this idea I got from a rubicks cube and a puzzle picture.  My idea is to have six pictures cut up into nine squares each with one square in each missing.  The squares would be held in place but able to move sideways, up and down.  The aim of the object would be to move all the squares around to try and make the six pictures on each side.  When all completed it would make one complete, unexpected picture that goes the whole way around the cube.  The main sense for this object would be sight as the game cannot be completed without it.  But another sense it would also use would be touch.

Idea 4

My influence for this idea was from a bouncy ball and a cats toy that makes sound.  The idea is to have a ball that around the outside is completely covered in springs.  Inside the ball would be some sort of sound device, maybe a bell, rattle etc.  When bounced the ball would most likely spring in a random direction, uncontrollably and as it did so the sound device inside would make a sound.  The main sense the this iteractive object would use would be touch as you are picking it up and bouncing it around.  Other senses it would also use though would be sound and sight.

Idea 3

I got my influence for my third idea from drinking straws.  My idea is to have a curvy shaped drink bottle with a clear drinking straw that sits in the drink at the bottom and is swirled around the entire bottle.  The straw could have different coloured transparent materials wrapped around it so that when drinking, the liquid swirling around the bottle up the straw would be visually interesting.  The two main senses for this interactive object would be taste and sight, as the purpose of it is to watch the interesting visuals the liquid would make (sight) while drinking (taste).

Idea 2

My second idea is to have a soft, squishy ball made from some sort of rubbery material that fits nicely into your hand.  The ball would have a plug in the bottom where you could fill it up with sherbet or some other kind of sweet, edable powder.  In the top of the ball would be a hole.  To interact with this object you would squeeze the ball and out the hole in the top would squirt sherbet which you could eat.  The main sense this object would use would be taste but touch would also be quite an important sense as it makes the interaction alot more interesting, rather than just eating sherbet out of a bag.

Idea 1

I got my influence for this design from rubicks cubes and puzzles.  My idea is to have lots of puzzles pieces that when arranged and slotted together in the correct way form a sphere.  To make it easier and more interesting the outside layer could have a texture that goes from rough on one side of the sphere to smooth on the other.  This could help make arranging the pieces easier or could make it more difficult if you closed your eyes and tried to arrange the pieces purely by touch.  The main sense this iteractive object would use would be touch as the whole idea of the object is to use the feel of the textures to put the sphere together.  Another sense it would also use would be sight though.

3 interactive objects

Objects for each sense