Module 1 Formstorming

Weekly Activity Template

Oliver Chen

Project 1

Module 1

Working with these materials made me realize that a circuit is not just something that works or does not work. Each material has its own behavior, and through making and failing again and again, I started to feel those differences in a very physical way.

Copper tape was the most stable and predictable. Once it was placed down, the connection stayed solid and the LED turned on right away. It was bright and reliable, and it almost felt invisible because it did not demand much attention. It just worked.

Graphite from pencil was much more sensitive. My first attempt was drawing a butterfly outline as the circuit. It looked beautiful, but it did not conduct at all. The lines were too complex and broken. To check whether the problem was my pencil or my idea, I drew a simple round bracket shape. That worked, which showed me that the material itself was fine. After that, I tried again with a light bulb shape because it is smooth and rounded, and this time it worked. Even then, the LED was very dim. The current felt weak and slow, and small changes in the drawing made a big difference. It made resistance feel very real.

The conductive paint behaved in a similar way. The thickness of the paint mattered a lot. Thin areas caused breaks in the circuit, and even when it worked the LED was not very bright. There was often a small delay before the light appeared. It felt unstable and sensitive, but also expressive because I could see where the connection was strong and where it was fragile.

The conductive fabric was soft and flexible, but that also made it unpredictable. When the fabric bent or folded, the connection sometimes changed. The light could flicker or fade depending on how the material was held. It was not easy to control, but it responded clearly to touch and movement.

Aluminum foil conducted very well and made the LED bright, but it was hard to keep in place. Because it was so thin and light, it moved easily even when taped down. The circuit could stop working just from a small shift. It felt powerful but also fragile in a different way than the softer materials.

Working with conductive fabric was one of the most interesting experiences. I used felt, and to make it work I had to stitch conductive thread through it. The fabric kept shifting while I sewed, and the thread twisted and tangled. The final piece did not look neat or beautiful, but the process was strangely satisfying. I could feel the path of the circuit growing under my hands. Every stitch became part of the electrical connection. If one stitch was loose, the whole circuit failed. When everything lined up, the LED turned on. It felt like a small network where every part depended on the others.

While I was stitching, I suddenly thought about the MIT video we watched in class, where sewing and interaction design were brought together. The idea that needle and thread could carry information felt very close to what I was doing. I also remembered how we talked about 0 and 1 in computing, and how something so abstract is built on physical states like on and off. In the first class I was too shy to raise my hand, but I kept thinking about the Jacquard loom. It is often described as one of the earliest programmable machines, and it was deeply connected to the history of textile work, which was mostly done by women. Long before computers, women were already working with patterns, repetition, and systems through weaving and sewing. Those threads were not just making fabric. They were encoding information.

Thinking about that while I stitched my own circuit made the whole process feel bigger. It connected this small LED on my desk to a long history of labor, care, and invisible work. In a way, interaction design today still carries that legacy. We build systems that look clean and digital, but underneath they are made from countless small human actions, just like stitches.

Seeing all these circuits together also made me think about how our world works now. We live inside systems that look simple on the surface, but underneath they are made of many fragile connections. Just like these materials, everything is interconnected, and small changes in one place can affect the whole. These circuits were messy, tangled, and sometimes unreliable, but that felt honest.

Activity 1

This image shows a simple circuit. I first drew a rough pencil sketch on paper and then placed copper tape on top. I noticed that leaving small gaps was necessary for the circuit to work. After placing the battery, the LED turned on.

This is a series circuit. I followed the same process by drawing the circuit first and then placing copper tape. It worked very well.

This is a parallel circuit. I used the same process as before and it also worked well. I noticed that if I wanted both LEDs to light up at the same time, they needed to be the same color. Different colors have different voltage requirements, which I noticed when I was looking to buy more LEDs on Amazon.

In this image, I used conductive paint in class to draw two lines as a circuit.

I taped the LED onto the conductive paint and placed the battery on the left side.

When I folded the paper, I could see that the circuit worked, but the light was not very bright compared to copper tape.

I used a 2B pencil to draw the outline of a butterfly with graphite and marked the positive and negative sides.

I taped the LED onto the points where the lines connected.

I placed the battery on the connection, but the LED did not light up. I then started to control variables to find out why it was not working.

My first guess was that the butterfly shape was too complex with too many curves, so I simplified it into a smooth arc shape.

I taped the LED onto the connection point.

I tested it with a coin battery. The LED turned on but it was very dim, showing that graphite is not very conductive.

Based on the previous test, I changed the drawing into the shape of a light bulb.

I taped the LED onto the connection point that I had left in the drawing.

I added a second battery. With two batteries, the LED became brighter. This showed that when graphite does not conduct well, adding more batteries can help.

I used felt fabric and conductive thread to sew a small pocket for the battery.

I placed the LED on two sides based on polarity. The battery was also separated into positive and negative, and I sewed conductive thread from the battery to the LED according to their charges.

This worked very well. I think it may be because I used very thick conductive thread.

I continued using felt and conductive thread, and this time I added conductive fabric in the bottom right corner.

I created a switch in the bottom right corner. Under the felt is conductive fabric, and two pieces of conductive fabric touch each other. The pink area on top is the battery.

The LED lit up very well. The combination of conductive fabric and conductive thread worked successfully.

I drew a shooting star with an LED in the center.

This is the back structure. I used aluminum foil from the kitchen.

This worked very well. Compared to copper, aluminum foil conducts electricity very well, but it is less stable.

Activity 2

A perfume I use before sleeping placed on my bedside next to my nighttime tea

Close-up view of the perfume bottle and spray nozzle

My hand holding the perfume bottle with my finger resting on the spray nozzle before pressing

My finger pressing down on the spray nozzle as the perfume is released as a fine mist

This circuit diagram shows a momentary circuit that’s triggered by a press, used to confirm the quick but important moment of spraying perfume.

The circuit is built into the outer structure of the perfume bottle. Near the spray button area, there are two pieces of conductive material with a thin insulating layer in between, so they don’t touch when there’s no pressure. The battery and LED are hidden under the bottle or behind the label, connected by a simple conductive path.

When I press down on the spray button with my finger, the pressure pushes the top conductive layer down until it touches the bottom layer, briefly closing the circuit. At that moment, current flows from the battery to the LED, and the light turns on as instant visual feedback that “the button was pressed.” When I release my finger, the pressure is gone, the layers separate, the circuit opens again, and the LED turns off right away.

A classroom desk setup while taking notes during class

Close-up of the Apple Pencil slot on an iPad case

Holding the Apple Pencil above the slot before inserting it

The Apple Pencil fully inserted into the slot and standing upright

This circuit diagram shows a contact-based circuit that’s triggered when something is fully in place. It’s used to confirm whether the Apple Pencil is correctly inserted into the pencil slot in an iPad case.

The conductive contacts are built into the inside of the slot—like along the inner wall and near the bottom. The battery and LED are hidden in the side of the case or inside a layered section, and they’re connected through a simple conductive path.

When the Pencil is not fully inserted, the contacts stay separated, so the circuit stays open. Even if the Pencil is already inside the slot, as long as it hasn’t reached the bottom, the circuit still won’t close. Once the Apple Pencil is pushed all the way in and stands securely, the Pencil’s end (or the pressure it creates) makes the contacts touch. That creates a stable connection, closes the circuit, and the LED turns on.

This feedback isn’t reacting to the “inserting” motion itself—it’s confirming “it’s in the correct position.” If the Pencil is pulled out or starts wobbling, the contacts separate again, the circuit opens, and the LED turns off.

Wide view of a bathroom sink area with a wooden cabinet underneath

Close-up of the wooden cabinet under the bathroom sink

The wooden cabinet door in an open position

Pushing the cabinet door normally, where it does not fully close due to the age of the wood

Pushing the cabinet door firmly until it is completely closed

This circuit diagram shows a circuit that’s triggered only when a cabinet door is fully closed. It helps tell the difference between “it looks closed” and “it’s actually shut all the way.”

The conductive contacts are placed on the edge of the door and on the matching spot inside the cabinet frame. The battery and LED are hidden behind the door or inside the cabinet, connected by a simple conductive path.

When the door is pushed in but not fully flush—because the cabinet is old and there’s extra resistance or a small gap—the contacts still don’t touch, so the circuit stays open. When I push the door firmly until it closes completely and sits tight against the frame, the contacts get pressed together, the circuit closes, and the LED turns on to show the door is truly shut.

If the door pops open a little or doesn’t get pushed all the way in, the contacts separate right away, the circuit opens, and the LED turns off.

A large container of red dates placed on my snack shelf

Close-up of the red date container lid showing the interlocking seal design

The red date container with the lid open just before pressing it down

Pressing the lid down firmly until the red date container is fully sealed

This circuit diagram shows a circuit that only triggers when the lid is fully sealed. It’s used to confirm the red date container is actually closed tight, so it won’t get damp.

Based on how the lid snaps into the container, the conductive contacts are placed on the rim of the container opening and on the matching spot inside the lid. The two sets of contacts only touch when the lid is pressed down completely and locks into place. The battery and LED are hidden under the container or behind the label, and they’re connected to the contacts through a simple conductive path.

If the lid is just placed on top but not pressed firmly, there’s still a small gap between the contacts, so the circuit won’t close and the LED won’t light up. Only when I press the lid all the way down so it fits tightly against the rim do the contacts touch, the circuit closes, and the LED turns on, clearly showing the container is sealed.

An electric air freshener plugged into a bathroom wall outlet

Close-up of the air freshener dial used to adjust scent intensity

This circuit diagram shows a system that combines a power-on indicator with continuous adjustment feedback, to make an electric diffuser easier to understand while you’re using it.

When the diffuser is plugged into an outlet and gets power, the circuit turns on first. Current flows to the LED and lights it up, giving a basic sign that the device is powered and running. At the same time, the rotating control on top is connected to a variable resistor. Turning the knob changes the resistance, which changes how much current flows through the LED.

As I turn the knob to a stronger scent level, the resistance shifts and the LED gets brighter. When I turn it toward a weaker scent level, the LED becomes dimmer. In this way, the scent strength—which normally relies on smell and guesswork—gets turned into a smooth, visible change in light. That makes the adjustment feel more intuitive, and it’s easier to understand and confirm the current setting.

Activity 2 Reflection

In Activity 2, I started to really realize that affordance is not just “does this thing look usable.” It is more about whether, during use, a person can clearly feel if an action is truly completed. Through this exercise, I noticed that a lot of everyday objects have this in between unclear state. They look “almost done,” but as the user, I am not fully sure.

In the perfume example, the shape and position of the spray head clearly suggest a pressing action. But the real key is not just pressing down. It is whether the spray actually happens in that exact moment. The circuit I designed only lights up briefly while the press happens, so that quick and easy to miss moment becomes something you can confirm. It made me realize affordance is not only about “how to do it,” but also about “when it actually happened.”

The Apple Pencil example made this even clearer. The slot already gives a strong hint of what to do, but because it is shallow, I often do not feel sure if the Pencil is really in properly. The problem is not that affordance is missing. It is that the done state is not clear enough. With a circuit that only triggers when the Pencil is fully pushed in, I can separate “it is in the hole” from “it is fully in place.” That helped me understand the relationship between affordance and feedback a lot better.

The bathroom wooden cabinet is similar. The handle and structure clearly tell you “push to close,” but because the cabinet is old, gently pushing does not mean it is truly shut. I noticed I often push it a few extra times just to feel confident. This example showed me that affordance can become less reliable when materials age or the environment changes. The circuit is not replacing the action. It is confirming the real moment when the action is actually completed.

The red date container lid is a case I really like. The snap on design already hints that you need to press it down fully, but without clear feedback, I still doubt if it is sealed. With an LED that only turns on when the lid is pressed tight, the completion state becomes very obvious. I started to understand that affordance does not always need a change in form. Sometimes it just needs the right feedback to support what the object is already suggesting.

Finally, the electric diffuser example introduced a more continuous kind of affordance. The turning knob already suggests a change from low to high, but smell is hard to notice and compare right away. By making the LED brightness change with the knob, I turned a process that normally depends on scent and experience into a continuous visual feedback you can actually see. It made me realize affordance is not only about on and off. It can also be about levels and gradual change.

Project 1

Final Project 1 Design

Wearable Interactive Affordance Based Circuit

This is the final design of my Mood and Energy Badge Shirt. I turned the badge into a large wearable piece and attached it to a black T shirt using two Velcro strips on the back, so it can be removed, repositioned, and reused without damaging the fabric.

The front is designed to read quickly from a distance. The top row shows three mood faces, and the lower section shows a social battery bar that shifts from green to red, so the idea of energy feels familiar and immediate.

I chose soft felt and bright, simple shapes because I wanted the message to feel friendly instead of clinical. The circuit and copper tape stay hidden under the cover layers, which keeps the surface clean and helps the badge feel like a real accessory, not a messy prototype.

This final version is about control and clarity. It lets me communicate how I feel without having to explain it out loud, and it creates a gentle boundary in social situations where my internal state is not visible to other people.

I attached the finished felt badge to a black T shirt with two Velcro strips so it stays secure, sits flat on the body, and can be removed anytime without damaging the shirt.

Non-Wearable Interactive Affordance Based Circuit

This is the final design of my Perfume Feedback Sleeve. I wrapped the bottle in a soft felt sleeve so the interaction feels warm and everyday, not like exposed electronics.

The citrus fruit shapes are the visual cue. They match the fresh orange scent and make the object feel playful and approachable before anything even turns on. I kept the surface clean and simple so the sleeve reads like a real accessory instead of a prototype.

At the same time, the sleeve protects and hides the circuit work inside, which makes the experience calmer for the user. When the perfume routine is uncertain, a clear light response gives quick confirmation that an action happened.

That small feedback reduces guessing and turns an invisible moment into something I can notice, reflect on, and adjust.

The final sleeve wraps the perfume bottle in a soft citrus themed felt layer that makes the routine feel playful while keeping the interaction clear and easy to notice