Fishy is a mobile app interface that allows the user to start the wash and dry cycles, track cycle progress, receive feedback on their environmental impact of their actions, and learn more about best practices for washing and drying.

Fishy’s design is dependent on a future which doesn’t yet exist; it imagines communal washers and dryers that collectively connect to the internet, communicate with the local electrical grid, sense load weights, sense temperatures, analyze detergent ingredients, and analyze fibers shed during washing and drying.

It was important that the interface for a set of communal washers and dryers, was designed sustainably, as these appliances consume hundreds of kilowatt-hours of electricity (or worse, natural gas) each day and produces gallons of dirty, microplastic-laden water. The interfaces aspires to encourage more responsible choices and prevent users from making unsustainable actions. By educating the user on the carbon footprint, we hope to influence users to choose the sustainable option.

The Space Between : This project implemented gamification, data visualization, and narrative to positively influence sustainable behavior. Based on the user’s actions, the fish and plants may be healthy, or they may be sick and eventually die. Certain sustainable choices are made on behalf of the user, such as the automatic drying cycle which uses minimal energy. Creating sustainable designs is not easy, but we’ve done our best to balance the needs of the individual, the community, and the planet + future generations in the design of our interface.

Designers : Isaac Jang, Ran Konaka

Course : Introduction to Interaction Design

Instructors : Zach Pino