Spring 2021 // Team: Nicki Chan, Annie Hanchett
For the past year, many students have been learning online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Socially anxious students are hesitant to go back to in-person learning, especially as telecommuting software like Zoom gave them privacy, control, and the comfort of their homes. My team explored how to help these students and bring them the benefits of Zoom as they transition back to a physical classroom.
Classync is an interactive personal projector that allows students to collaborate despite social distancing regulations and helps them communicate easily with their instructors.
HOW MIGHT WE help students with social anxiety acclimate to school in-person after a year of online learning?
WE SHOULD DESIGN a product that brings the benefits of Zoom to the physical classroom, allowing students and teachers to communicate on their own terms.
Initial ideation, exploring smart desks, reaction remotes, and interactive pens or projectors
An interactive projector would give teachers control over the available interactions. Though classrooms are increasingly incorporating tablets, the excessive stimuli available on tablet screens can be distracting.
Form explorations for desktop projectors
Color, material, and finish inspiration for the projector
Once our projector form was established, we designed some simple screens for the students and teachers alike. We aimed for UX that would smoothly integrate into the classroom, without additional burdens on teachers and students to adjust to new technology yet again.
Mapping the user's journey between the various devices: desktop projector, big front screen, and teacher's monitor
