Viyu
Empowering people to take control of their own exposure to air pollution and raise awareness through hyper localised air pollution data.
Academic Project I 2021
Role: User Researcher, UX Designer, Assist Product Designer
Team: Hemal Dias, Olivia Wilkerson, Maria, and Aidan Griffith
Methods: Generative research, Impact Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Rapid Prototyping, Wireframes, Pitch Deck
Tools: Miro, Figma, Rhino3D, Arduino
Viyu is a charitable product-service system to increase air pollution awareness and activism and decrease exposure to harmful air by giving people the capacity to collect and engagingly share their own hyper localised air pollution data. It consists of an open-source, affordable and portable air pollution sensor which constantly monitors the concentration of air pollutants and syncs this data with an app. Its low-cost nature and charitable service system allows as many people as possible to access it, resulting in detailed localised evidence about air pollution. The project was developed for Delhi but has the potential for a global impact.
RCA Grand Challenge Finalist, Sponsored by Logitech
Project Overview
Design Process
Defining the Brief
As a multi-disciplinary team, we started the open brief of ‘Design for Safety’ by creating a common ground for us and discovering how to define our selected theme ‘truth.’ Early in the process, we explored our interests and navigated where issues surrounding ‘truth’ and ‘safety’ overlap. Discovering the prevalent problem with misinformation and improper data reporting surrounding pollution and the impacts on climate and human health, we developed our brief to focus on the impact of air pollution on human health.
Glamourising motorised vehicle ownership, burning crops and excessive firework displays all contribute to the harmful substances in Delhi’s air. Having spoken to individuals and charities in the area, we learnt that many people don’t understand the environmental and health impact of these behaviours. Only 15 out of 36 states in India have a monitoring system for key air pollutants in any given year, leading to extremely inconsistent air pollution data.
Our research identified three core objectives for our intervention -
Provide hyper localised air-pollution data.
This data must be easily understandable.
A campaign must be made to raise awareness of the misinformation surrounding air pollution data.
Contextual Research & Ethnographic Interviews
Competitive Analysis
Low-Fi Prototyping
Functional physical sensor prototype using Arduino and a basic app demonstration showing changes in PM2.5 concentration.
Early concept video demonstrating changes in air pollution along personal commute.
Wire Framing & App Development
Functional physical sensor prototype using Arduino and a basic app demonstration showing changes in PM2.5 concentration.
Early concept video demonstrating changes in air pollution along personal commute.