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Behavioral Science Meets Design

About the Lab
Educational Projects
- Design Learning
  
  iFashion: Fashion design in your pocket
  
  Design Learning
  
  Bucket (2.0)
  
  Design Learning
  
  HowTo
  
  Design Learning
  
  Nourishly
  
  Design Learning
  
  OPTIMIZE PRIME: Reimagining the Workspace
Product Desirability Reviews
- Reviews
  
  Rose Gold Magnetic Dry Erase Monthly Calendar
  
  Reviews
  
  Lou & Grey sweatpants
  
  Reviews
  
  Lola
  
  Reviews
  
  Away Suitcase
  
  Reviews
  
  Earring organizer
Join Community!
- PXDD Course Overview
- Go to Community

Category:

photo

Tridapta

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An Interface for EveryoneUser NeedOver 54 million people in the United States have arthritis, a disease that makes it difficult to use the joints in the hands and wrists to…
What I’ve Got – Thick/Thin EyelinerI use Maybelline’s Thick/Thin eyeliner and I really like the flexibility it gives me to try different makeup styles. The tip of the brush is flat, so it can be used to paint thick or thin lines, which makes this brush more versatile than most standard brushes. I also like the formula they use, which is fairly waterproof, so it doesn’t smear or smudge from daily use. 

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What I’ve Got – Tide To GoI really love my Tide to go pen because it makes it easy to manage small stains on clothes. When wearing a light colored outfit, this item makes it convenient to remove any stains, as it fits easily in a purse. The pen shape makes it easy to use and prevents any extra cleaning solution from spilling out, making it useful and practical. 

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What I’ve Got – Bedside Lamp with an OutletMy bedside table lamp comes with an outlet, and I really love this design. It fits my needs exactly, since I use my phone as an alarm, and lets me charge my phone overnight without having to reach behind furniture to plug it in. This device is a great combination of two different needs, the need for a bedside light and a charger, and combines these two uses in an elegant way. 

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Triboelectric gloves sketch for Challenge 10
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philosophersballoon: Wearable Storytelling: Canvas Backpacks Although a quintessential item for today’s students, the modern backpack originated in 1951 when avid outdoorsman Dick Kelty modified his supplies pack to carry weight…
Challenge 10: Mouse for individuals with arthritisWe are designing a better mouse for individuals with arthritis. In our comparative research, we chose to explore two areas: existing products for people with arthritis, and product that reimagine what a mouse could look like. We found a variety of products that decrease strain on the hands and wrists, though most retain the core mouse concept of buttons and a scroll wheel. The two products that take a different approach, eye tracking and hand tracking, are more experimental devices built for gamers, and are slowly being adapted for other purposes. 

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What I’ve GotI have a handheld corn sheller, which is a small, cheap, simple tool that makes corn shelling many times faster. People all around the world shell corn, a task mainly done by women, and this task can take hours when done purely by hand. This handheld sheller is easy to fabricate, as it requires three non-mechanical tools and can be done by anyone, regardless of prior knowledge of how to use tools. The sheller is made of a strip of metal, which is bent using pliers, and then hammered into shape using a hammer and anvil. This device is an intermediate technology, which means that it is mechanically more efficient than doing a task by hand, but is not as expensive and complicated as a motorized machine. Technologies like this sheller are common in rural areas of developing countries, where geographical and financial constraints make factories and large machines impossible. Creating devices like this one can also help people who may never have had access to the design process understand the joy of designing and creating useful objects. Source:https://d-lab.mit.edu/node/95

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DRONE – it’s so shiny

Newer Posts

Older Posts

Selected News…

Fifteen Professors of the Year, Harvard Crimson, 2016

Top 50 Thinkers: On the Radar 2018
Emerging thinkers with the potential to make lasting contributions, 2018

Laura Dern & DL Director Say Creators Need to ‘Catch Up’ With Audience’s Desire for Diverse Stories, AdWeek, 2018

Rolling toward a user-friendly commute
Harvard faculty-led startup pioneers human-centric urban travel, 2017; Vespa’s New Robot Will Carry Your Groceries, CNN Money, 2017

Five Cutting Edge Ideas and Attractions, Boston.com, 2017; Technology That Helps Us Understand Ourselves, HUBWeek, 2017

Food for Thought: Flavor & Algorithms, MIT Museum, 2017

Harvard Aims to Reinvent Business-Engineering Education, Harvard Magazine, 2017

Globetrotting Digital Nomads: The future of work or too good to be true?, Forbes, 2015; Why is a Harvard professor studying digital nomads, Nomadlist, 2015

The nature of desirability, The Design Issue, Kinfolk Magazine (paywall), 2015-2016

Harvard Class Teaches the Design of Desirability, Boston Magazine, 2015

A new model for innovation in big companies, Harvard Business Review, 2013

Present at the Creation (Putting research-based creativity tips to the test), Boston Magazine, 2013

Contact & Acknowledgements

RESEARCH LAB OFFICE:
Desirability Lab
Harvard University
Pierce Hall, No. 204C
Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: ba[at]desirabilitylab.com

THANKS TO:

Harvard School of Engineering & Applied Sciences

Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching

Harvard Innovation Lab

Harvard Global Health Institute

Berkman Center for Internet and Society

SUTD-MIT International Design Center

April 20, 2020

Best Idea

This is my favorite idea from the challenge. Not only do I think this is high need for students, but... View

Happy Cafe

April 20, 2020

need it

I would love to see this come true. While I agree Harvard did solid job with the student spaces, I t... View

Skyview Commons

April 20, 2020

Good combination

Big fan of the app, and I especially like how it is essentially an upgrade to the various things peo... View

Wanderbus: Adventure, sustainably

April 20, 2020

super cool

I love this idea a lot. There is so much potential for more avant-garde uses of the Smith campus cen... View

Skyview Commons

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