2021
13 Weeks
Education - Tutor
From automatic, sliding doors to Special Projects’ Magic UX, we experience magical moments on a daily basis; some might be less inspiring while others are powerful and memorable. Magic operates at the delicate intersection of art, science, engineering and design. In fact, magicians are very similar to designers; both professions strive to create unforgettable moments for their audience.
Design magic is rooted in strong research fundamentals, and all exceptional experiences are seeded from a simple hypothesis. There can be many but the design platform's journey begins with this notion: "The principles of magic can be meaningfully applied to the design of everyday interactions.” The following content is provided by 5 groups of talented students from the National University of Singapore, Division of Industrial Design, which I had the privilege of teaching.
Rebo - applying the magical principle of 'Vanishing'
Designed by Serene Tan, Choo Yuan Jie, Xiao Jieying
Rebo is a foot attachment that enables safe, off-trail exploration while people hike by dispensing eco-friendly, fertiliser solution as temporal markers for navigation.
SQUEEZ - applying the magical principle of 'Transformation'
Designed by Ria Arinah, Emeline Ong, Tan Kah Kiat
SQUEEZ is a phone application that allows young adults to better manage their finance through a visual representation of their expenditure - money is transformed into tangible mediums that nudge healthy spending habits. 
Kinesis - applying the magical principle of 'Telekinesis'
Designed by Leong Jo Yie, David Ng, Ivan Tan
Kinesis is a wall-mounted, donation device that makes donation interactive and meaningful with payment apps; the act of giving is tangibly connected and transparent.  
Oatsu - applying the magical principle of 'Penetration'
Designed by Chew Shi Yun, Loo Zi Ling, Yong Zhen Zhou
Oatsu is a bedside companion that magics people away into a bubble of restful slumber, where the flow of time works differently. People's perception of time and reality is penetrated such that one can always wake up timely and refreshed.
dash! - applying the magical principle of 'Extra-sensory Perception'
Designed by Merkayla Wong, Joel Teo, Mervyn Chen
dash! is a safety light system that allows building occupants to navigate intuitively in unfamiliar spaces by following a trail of lights that reveal itself ahead of people during an emergency. People's ability to navigate is spatially amplified to increase the chances of successful evacuation. 
Special Thanks
National University of Singapore, Division of Industrial Design
Adrian Westaway, Special Projects
Paul Adams, Creative Technologist Lead, Accenture Interactive
Darren Lau, Head of CX, Deloitte Digital Singapore
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