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Hannah Weber

Booze Clues: The Integration of Technology into the College Social Scene to Promote Responsible Drinking

Alcohol is prevalent in the social lives of many college students; however, my research suggests the current education efforts to promote responsible drinking are failing. Binge drinking remains synonymous to college, people continue to practice irresponsible drinking behaviors, and students remain uninformed about alcohol and its effects. Booze Clues is an integration of a wearable device and mobile application. The integration of this technology into people’s social lives can educate users on the consequences of their alcohol consumption in real-time. Booze Clues will not only present the user’s current blood alcohol concentration reading as detected by a wearable device; it will also be an educational tool to inform people about blood alcohol concentration and alcohol’s impact on the body and mind. 

Marissa Kelley

Designing Social Media to Better Respect the Boundaries of Third Culture Users

This thesis examines the ways in which the current design of our social media platforms disrespects the social boundaries of its third-culture users. Third culture users (TCUs) are people who are raised in a culture other than their parents’ (Useem). I explored the social boundaries that TCUs created on and offline through semi-structured interviews, a design exploration, and a follow-up focus group. I conclude by suggesting three design solutions including (1) adding small group features, (2) allowing users more control of their notifications, and (3) mimicking the values of TCU’s offline communities. 

Kexin Zhai

“Want To Be Master of Your Time?” A Field Study of Physical Interactive Interfaces Influencing Reflection on Time Management

This thesis investigates how physical interfaces affect the practice of reflection to effectively support time management for information workers. Information workers are individuals who work with information instead of physical objects. I explored the relationship between the representation of time and self-reflection. I applied software log data, survey instruments, and interviews, to compare the behavior using existing time management tools with the behavior using tangible time management tools. My results are suggestive of a hypothesis that tangible interfaces with the use of temporal design aspects (e.g., past and future representations) have a positive influence on supporting time management behavior.

Sofia Rubio-topete

Understanding Parametric Modeling as a Novice: A First-Person Perspective

This thesis investigates how to foster a foundational understanding of parametric design systems, which function as the underlying framework of design software and various digital fabrication technologies. This research is based on the foundations of autobiographical design.  I investigated the capabilities of Mcor Iris 360 3D printer and laser cutting as rapid prototyping technologies.  In doing so, I explored the opportunities and challenges faced as a beginner while learning parametric design, and fabrication technologies. The findings from the exploration were then used to develop a workshop framework aimed to facilitate an engaging and interactive learning experience for novices in design, like myself.