Words recreated into 3D scenes, homes more connected than ever
NEW YORK – How do you create 3D scenes by simply describing them in words? How about conjuring some magical UX for IoT? Or having your home products connect with any device? These and more were tackled at the Hardwired NY meetup last June 8 at WeWork in Chelsea.
http://www.meetup.com/Hardwired-NYC/events/231216344/
Bob Coyne, founder and CTO of WordsEye, showed the packed audience how to create 3D scenes simply by describing them in words. Users can reportedly make artwork, express visual opinion or simply play with it. They make good conversation pieces for social networks.
Those concerned about their privacy? Users have the option to keep their input text private even when sharing a scene itself. Any scene that is posted to the gallery or made public via a permalink can be copied by other users if the original scene’s text is disclosed.
When a scene is copied from another scene and then posted to the gallery, the new scene will display a small thumbnail in the bottom right hand corner, showing where it was derived from. This way, it claims, users can riff on each other’s scenes while still crediting the original artist. Only make use of personal and non-commercial use of their scenes.
How can you take it further? You can comment on existing scenes by opening and modifying them, if not responding with a new scene. If you want to play around with it more, you can change effects with illustrations, even add thought balloons, among others.
Coyne also shared what he and his team have learned.
• New features/content fuel engagement
• Users riff on each other’s scenes (visual banter)
• Shared scenes attract new uers
• Users like a token system
• Giving a title is an important part of creativity
• User requests: storyboarding/comic’ new 3D content choices; user 3D uploads; VR output; animated output
Chris Allen, founder and CEO of iDevices, has a growing line of HomeKit-enable products sold at Lowe’s stores. The company builds products that are compatible across platforms with focus on Siri, Google and Amazon.
iDevices’ products include the Socket, Wall Switch, Dimmer Switch and Wall Outlet. These build upon iDevices’ first three Homekit-enabled products: the iDevices Switch, an indoor connected plug; Outdoor Switch, a rain-tight, dual outlet connected plug and Thermostat.
Through the use of Apple HomeKit technology, iDevices is able to provide different ways for its users to control their home’s lights, outlets, thermostats, and more from their Apple’s iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and with Siri voice commands.
The iDevices Connected app provides users with ultimate convenience, comfort and security allowing them to control their home using their iOS 8.1+ mobile phone or tablet from anywhere.
Allen shared a few points about the direction of the market for 2016:
HomeKit: It’s early days for Apple HomeKit but there are lots of promising signs
Expenditure: Growth in smart home product and service spend continues to grow, estimated to reach 128 million households by 2018
Intent: 43 percent of consumers are most likely to purchase connected home products when renovating or upgrading their home
Next speaker was Josh Clark, founder of Big Medium, a company that specializes in designing multi-device experiences that blend function and inspiration. The challenge for him is how to create great individual experiences and create experiences across all of these devices.
Martin Broen, VP of Global Product Design at Pepsi, talked about how his design team uses prototyping to lead development of ideas. He cited the importance of not waiting too long to finish products, not skipping steps and not spending too much to test them.
