January 30, 2026
Aro's Reflection
I chose this project because I really like fashion. At first, both of us thought this project did not seem very practical, and we were confused about its purpose. However, as we read the paper more carefully, we realized how interesting and innovative the idea actually was, the way the authors thought about it, and how they combined fashion, physical design, and activity tracking, and chose Patina to achieve this. I am looking forward to learning more about HCI research methods and how design choices can influence the product itself and its benefits to users. I also hope to improve my ability to analyze academic papers and understand how researchers frame problems and justify their work. Some challenges I expect are in my writing, using the right words, effectively conveying my ideas, and also being able to fully understand the design reasoning behind the system and connecting the technical implementation to the broader research goals. Furthermore, reading research papers can sometimes feel overwhelming due to the terminology and structure, so I know I will need to take my time. Overall, I feel excited about this project because I like this research paper topic, and I think it will push me to think differently about technology.
Galina's Reflection
I chose this project mainly because I was curious about the idea of patina (the aging process of objects over time), which was something I hadn't really thought of before. I was interested in seeing how the researchers approached this idea and were able to apply it specifically to wearable technology, treating trackers as more than just functional devices, but also as something that could be fashionable and personalized. The concept of turning personal data into a physical, visible history felt meaningful, and I wanted to understand how design could change the way people emotionally connect with technology.
I’m excited to recreate this project with my partner and see how far we will be able to expand upon the original idea. The recreation aspect feels overwhelming right now. I can’t even fully imagine what materials we’ll need or how we’ll bring everything together within the time constraints of a semester. Still, I think that challenge is also what makes it exciting and will be rewarding.
Another part I think will be challenging is learning how to be able to conduct research in a meaningful way. There isn’t one “correct” way, but I want to be able to present our work in a way that will actually matter to future readers. In all, I am feeling both nervous and excited to get started, and am curious about how far I can get with this project with my partner and how I will change the way I think about wearable technology, design, and research in the future.