Final Project Proposal

Project Ideation

1- Tell us about the purpose of your project. Which problem does it solve? Why do you care about this? What were you inspired by? Include images and videos of similar projects

Lixie clock

City View

I often struggle to stay consistent with my journaling, even though it helps me reflect, relax, and improve my mental health. I love writing in the dark, so I wanted to create a lampshade that also acts as a journaling companion: something calming, motivating, and practical.

This project randomly generates a quote or a journal idea each day:

A motivational quote display,
Gentle lighting and natural sounds, and
A set of buttons to guide the experience: generate a quote or journal idea, get a timer, turn on the light, and return to the home page.

I was inspired by:

My own need for a peaceful journaling routine.
The beauty of lamps and ambient light at night.
The power of daily affirmations and prompts to inspire writing.
The idea of blending mental health, electronics, and creativity in one project.
I love city life, so I will work on creating a cityscape view using either acrylic or plywood laser-cut parts. This will let me enjoy my favorite view while journaling, adding both inspiration and a personal touch to my space.

2- Describe the project idea and general features. How would it work?

Purpose:
A multifunctional decorative self-care assistant designed to promote mindfulness, emotional well-being, and daily motivation, while adding an element of surprise and fun.

Core Functionality:

Daily Quote Mode: At the press of a button, the LCDs a motivational quote, limited to one new quote per day.
Lamp Mode: Decorative LEDs turn on when the user presses the light button, allowing the device to function as a lampshade.

Timer Mode: When the timer button is pressed, the LCD functions as a countdown or stopwatch timer.

Nice-to-have Features:

Clock Mode: When the clock button is pressed, the LCD displays the current time (hours and minutes), month, and day number.
Gift Dispenser Door: When the user opens the small front door will find a gift inside the box.

User Interaction:

Buttons for switching between modes (Quote, Lamp, Clock, Timer).
Physical door opening for gift retrieval.

Display & Alerts:

LCD screen for quotes, time, date, and timer.
Soft lighting to create a relaxing ambiance.

Physical Design:

Lampshade-style enclosure for aesthetic appeal.
Compact, decorative form suitable for bedside tables or desks.

Overall Experience:
Combines technology, decor, and interactive elements to support positive daily habits, encourage mindfulness, and provide joyful surprises.

3- Sketch your project: You may use pen and paper or a simple sketching tool like Microsoft Paint or Photoshop

Project Planning

4- Describe the Technical Modules that your project consists of

Construction Parts

The body of the device will be made using plywood for the base and top acrylic for decorative elements (arch, button holders).
The quote slot, gift dispenser, and lampshade dome are all part of the physical structure.

Input

(Sensing, Tactile Input, and/or Graphical Input)

1. Tactile Inputs

Button 1: Turn lampshade light on/off.
Button 2: Start journaling timer.
Button 3: Home Page
Button 4: Show daily quote or journaling topic.

(Input Types: Tactile Input, and/or Graphical Input)

Action

(Physical and/or Graphic)

1. Physical Actions

LEDs / NeoPixels: Lampshade lights up at night or when journaling starts.

2. Graphical Actions

LCD Screen: Displays the quote of the day, journaling topic, timer, and date.
(Optional) DFPlayer Mini MP3 + Speaker: Plays nature sounds or relaxing music for ambiance.

Brain

Arduino UNO (or Nano): Serves as the main controller, managing timing, button inputs, LCD updates, and lighting control.

Power Management

Powered by an external 9V DC adapter or a rechargeable 18650 battery pack for portability.
Fully independent from a PC or laptop during operation.
Equipped with an on/off switch for complete device power control.

5- Create a cardboard prototype of your project, demonstrating the project face as well as internal movements and mechanisms. Include a demo video and photos of the prototype.

6- Categorize your project’s User Features into: Minimum, Complete, and Nice-to-have features. List the required action and input components per feature.

Minimum Features: are the least amount of features that would demonstrate the coverage of all the technical modules and their complete integration
Complete Features: are the set of features that will complete your original project objective and vision
Nice-to-have Features: are the extra set of features that will make the project cooler, yet they need extra time, effort, and/or resources to finish

Minimum User Features

RGB Neopixel Mode when the User Clicks the Light Button

Action: Turn on decorative lighting to function as a lampshade.
Sensing: Detect a light button press via a push-button.
User Input: The user presses the light button to activate or deactivate light mode.

Complete User Features

An LCD that shows a Quote for the Day when the user clicks a button

Action: Display a random stored motivational quote on the LCD, ensuring only one new quote is displayed per day.
Sensing: Detect button press using a push-button input.
User Input: User clicks the physical button to request the daily quote.

LCD Timer Mode

Action: Start, pause, and reset a countdown or stopwatch timer on the LCD.
Sensing: Detect timer button press via push-button or touch sensor.
User Input: User presses the timer button to activate and control the timer mode.

Nice-to-have User Features

LCD Clock Mode

Action: Display current time (hours and minutes), month, and day number on the LCD.
Sensing: Detect clock button press using a push-button or touch sensor.
User Input: User presses the clock button to switch the LCD to clock mode.

Gift Dispenser Door Mechanism

Action: When the user opens the door, a servo motor rotates a 3–4 slot dispenser inside the box, presenting a new random gift each time.
Sensing: Detect door opening using a limit switch, magnetic reed switch, or similar sensor.
User Input: The User physically opens the door to receive a gift.