Author Archives: Manesha Ramesh

Interaction – The doors

The most simple interaction that I encounter everyday are the doors on campus. There are many things to appreciate and many things to condemn. 

If I break down the action that needs to be taken to open or close a door, it can either by pushed or pulled. However, the dilemma of picking one of the two is erased because of the design of the doors on campus. For example, there is a push bar to indicate that the door should be pushed. For the side that needs to be pulled, there is a door handle. As such, I as a user can intuitively interact with a door as needed without any mental effort to figure out which is the right action. 

This design has been in this campus ever since I was a freshman. However, at some point in my sophomore year, they facilitated these doors with a button that would automate the process of opening the doors. This is to cater to disabled who struggle with pushing or pulling. Ever since, my battle with the doors has never seized. They have gotten heavier and require a considerable amount of physical strength to operate. Anyone with back pain can actually worsen their condition with continuous use. While the University attempted to make these doors more accommodating to disabled people, they have made it terribly difficult to use for others. 

“There is no place like home”

Inspired by the ruby slippers in Wizard of Oz, I decided to use my old orange crocs as a switch to light up a green LED. When I click the heels, the foil folded in the back of my crocs  make contact and the the circuit is complete. As such, the current can flow and the LED lights up.

The following is a demonstration: