Project 1 Description
I researched industrial design industry practice and through interviews with industrial designers discovered the following issues with virtual meetings (in order of storyboards):
– Subtle communication e.g. body language, change of tone, non-verbal expressions etc. are lost due to poor camera position and angle
– Difficulty showing physical deliverables such as sketches, prototype, or just in the moment sharing of ideas using pen and paper
– limited interactive opportunities, particularly those that take advantage of an industrial designer’s skillset
– Reduced ability to impress other meeting participants with your work or utilise in-person presentation skills when using standard video-conferencing tools

Project 2 Description
BARX is a video-conferencing device for industrial designers and others to use for virtual meetings and remote communication. It addresses issues mentioned before through its various functions and features. The top module of the product contains a wide-angle, user-facing camera and microphone. The module below contains a laser projector and desktop-facing camera. Both modules can be rotated to suit the needs of the user & the environment. Other features include a built-in speaker and physical volume adjustor. The combination of all these features & technology makes BARX an all-in-one virtual meeting solution that is adaptable to the needs of users.

Project 3 Description
In summary, here is how the user experience for BARX addresses the issues I discovered: wide-angle lens and microphone pick up subtle communication, the desktop camera allows physical objects to be shown clearly, the projector and desktop camera combo provides co-creation opportunity, and the combination of these improve the user’s virtual communication and the likelihood of impressing the other meeting participants.

Due to it's features and functionality that allow the user to decide how the product is used, BARX could also be used for contexts such as gaming, streaming, practical learning, and remote personal communication with friends and family.

Bio
Driven by his own immense curiosity and will to learn, Barclay’s goal is to work as an industrial designer at IDEO, Tokyo. His superpower is the ability to think and act outside the box, which is why he chose to research and design for industrial design practice.

To become a better designer, Barclay regularly educates himself in design thinking and current industry practice through attending IDSA events, listening to and learning from the Creative Confidence podcast by IDEO, and participating in online technical skills tutorials. Upon graduation, Barclay hopes to work in a consultancy to make progress towards his goal.