I Planted A Seed

Final Project - Yuyao He - Eric Parren

Link to video documentation: (I had already finished recording the video and taken apart the project before class on Tuesday, so the video was recorded with phone, the lighting wasn’t ideal either. The quality of the video might not be very good.)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k_yovbd4v9cq7zmOxMsgXqTux_3mr1m0/view?usp=sharing

Concept & Design

The concept of my project is to grow and care for a digital flower. Many people have probably had the idea of growing a plant, but waiting for a seed to sprout is often a long and slow process. The core concept of this idea is: “I planted a seed, and light and shadow revealed its future.” Through interactive design and animation, I aim to visualize the journey of plant growth and make it feel alive through user interaction. The core message is to inspire people to show more care and love toward plants, allowing them to grow and thrive with love. It’s also a call for people to pay attention to every seemingly small seed in nature because each of them also holds infinite possibilities. For the user experience designing, I wanted the experience to feel personal and emotionally engaging, so I made the flower’s growth directly respond to user actions, such as movement, touch, or light, so that people could see the immediate impact of their care. These decisions were intended to make users feel emotionally connected to the digital flower, showing the idea that even small gestures of care can lead to meaningful growth.

This project follows a complete process. First, the user plants a seed to begin the life of their flower. After that, the flower needs care in order to grow. The interactions that follow are more open-ended. Guided by the instructions on the device, users can explore on their own. I designed three main ways to care for the flower: wind, sunlight, and water, each corresponding to a different interaction. To highlight the distinction between a digital flower and a real one, I introduced an interaction that allows users to change the flower's color. This showcases the advantage of nurturing a digital flower—you can customize its appearance based on your preferences. To strengthen the emotional connection between the user and the device, I also added a random value that makes each flower uniquely belong to one specific user. However, when reflecting on this project, I realized that some of the interactions were too fixed, which may have made the experience feel lacking in creativity and change.

During user testing, I was very grateful to receive a lot of positive feedback from the audience. However, I was using potentiometers and the RGB color mode for color selection at the time, and many people found it difficult to trigger the color that the flower "liked." They suggested using sliders and the HSB color mode instead. I took their advice, and these changes were indeed very necessary. Eric told me that my installation needed more intuitive cues so that users could interact with it without needing my explanation. So afterward, I added decorations like a pinwheel and a watering can to the installation, and also included some text, hoping to achieve the intended effect.

Fabrication & Production

Animation

At the beginning, I wanted to use Processing to create the flower, but later I found that it was too complex and not aesthetic appeal. So I decided to go with hand-drawn animation instead. However, I’m not skilled at drawing and had no prior experience with animation. I searched for many tutorials online and followed them step by step to complete a frame-by-frame animation. This was a step where I really struggled, but once it was completed, I felt a strong sense of accomplishment.

Coding

Since I was using animations, my coding is mainly about triggering different videos with different sensors. I used a reed switch to start the program because it integrates well with the action of "planting a seed." I can simply bury the reed switch in the soil and attach a small magnet to the seed to naturally trigger the interaction. If I had used a button instead, the whole experience might have felt less immersive. To simulate the plant growing from touch, I used a touch sensor. For color adjustment, I used sliders and this was a suggestion I took from the user testing process. It made the interaction more intuitive and user-friendly, allowing people to adjust the visuals freely. To simulate watering, I chose a moisture sensor. However, it wasn’t that ideal for me because it needs to be put into soil to detect moisture levels. Since we don't have a I used vapor or humidity sensor, I still applied it. This sensor had certain limitations because after being watered too many times, the soil becomes saturated and its readings slightly change. I think this is what could be improved in the future.

I got a lot of help during the coding process. I first built a basic framework based on the examples of videos and sounds we learned in class. However, at the beginning, my code never seemed to run the way I wanted it to. For example, sometimes the videos wouldn’t appear, or they would play in the wrong order. Another issue with having multiple videos is the potential for conflicts between them. I did multiple tests and gradually added more conditional limits to resolve this problem. I got a lot of support from the LA and the professor. Anya taught me to use videoMode to organize my code to make it more structured and easier to manage. Kitty also helped me a lot with equipments and adjustments, and also gave me suggestions. I learned as I asked questions and gradually built up all of my code step by step.

Digital Fabrication and Assembly

I started by sketching out the visual design of the installation. I chose to use projection because I wanted to create a sense of shadow. The concept is that the shadow of the flower represents the reflection of human interaction with it. It’s a perspective as if visualizing the “thoughts” of the flower. Projection helped express this idea more clearly and also added greater aesthetic value.

The structure was mainly made using laser cutting. I first created a prototype with cardboard based on my sketch, then designed the final version in Cuttle according to the measurements, and finally had it cut. I chose to use a mirror to convey the idea that when you care for the flower, the flower can also feel your love. The mirror acts like the flower’s eye, watching you as you interact with it. I used 3D printing to make some smaller components. Most of the models were downloaded from MakerWorld, and I’ve included all the links below. I’m especially grateful to Dalin for his help throughout the entire digital fabrication process. He was very patient and helped me solve my problems, and also taught me how to use the 3D printer.

Conclusion

My expectation & User reaction

The goal of my project was to allow people to experience the emotional value and sense of fulfillment that comes with nurturing a flower. I believe that, overall, the project achieved the aesthetic effect I expected, and most of the interactions functioned as intended. My definition of interaction is that the project should responds to human actions and encourages further their exploration. When users first encountered my project, many of them were a bit confused of where to begin or what the “correct” action was. This is a part I need further development. However, after the initial “blowing” action, the following interactions became more freeform. Based on users’ reactions, the installation was indeed visually pleasing. I aimed for an interaction design that wasn’t overly restrictive. Ideally, each small adjustment might trigger a delightful little surprise. But one potential drawback of this approach is that users may miss some reactions without guidance from me. Overall, the project achieved the interactive experience I was aiming for, but making the interaction feel more natural still needs further development.

I think the final result didn’t fully live up to my expectations. The biggest issue is that the interactive process was too fixed and lacked change. Since the animations were pre-made, the interaction may have felt the same for every user, rather than offering a unique experience to each individual. If I had more time, I would add more personalized or randomized elements to make the interaction more dynamic and richly layered. Additionally, I believe I could have add more time changes in the flower to make the project feel more realistic. For example, the flower could wither if it hasn’t been interacted with for a long time.

Overall, my project largely achieved the effect I had imagined, but there are still many aspects I’m not completely satisfied with. I believe it is beautiful, but not quite complete. However, throughout the process of creating it, I gained so much. I witnessed it develop from nothing into a fully realized piece. It challenged me to take on many things I wasn’t familiar with. Along the process, I received a lot of support and learned a lot. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who helped me, to this project, and to the IX Lab.