GMU talk:Synbio supermarket/Concept

Discussion page of GMU:Synbio supermarket/Concept

Supermarket Conception

Supermarket is the theme and the key element of the project. We are using the appearance of a retail facility that offers consumer products to communicate the implications and possibilities of synthetic biology for every day life. The metaphor has to be developed and adapted to the projects purpose. The "look&feel" has to be developed. What is it like to be and to shop in our supermarket? What is the customer experience? How can the idea of a supermarket be evoked, experience and manifested in the minds of its visitors? A distinct visual language and a Corporate Design has to be developed. The supermarket will be primarily be realized in form of a web platform. It is its key element. The web platform needs to be developed and implemented.

Brainstorming 17.06.2010

first impression great -> grounded reality low happy feeling startpage bestselling prodiucts discriptive text + picture / videos ratings user comments (faked) shopping social event user signup > questionnaire > profile > personalized product recommendation product categories 3D navigation > semantically locating categories by the area they are used in (kitchen, garden, livingspace) > secondlife?

mindmap

last session's shop concept by Yu 22.06.2010

shop concept

Atmosphere

What is it like to be and to shop in our supermarket? What is the customer experience? How can the idea of a supermarket be evoked, experience and manifested in the minds of its visitors?

The Synthetic Biology Supermarket – a sensual experience of virtual (and) reality. Enter the Sythetic Biology Supermarket, smell it, see it, touch it, feel it. Buy and change your life. Feel what synthetic biology could change in our world and be confronted with the question: How do we want to live?

First question to answer: Which retail format should it be? We already debated different possible retail formats: Flagship store, mall, department store, supermarket or boutique. We narrowed it down to three possibilities: Supermarket, department store or mall. Each format offers different pro's and con's. In the next step a decision will be made. However the main direction of the project is clear and will not be hugely affected by this decision.

  • Mila, Christian

Web Platform

The supermarkets appearance complies with established web shop formats, however its communicative goal is fundamentally different: To stimulate the engagement with synthetic biology, Its possibilities and implications, by means of offering exemplary "consumer products" in a retail environment.

Products will be represented by the use of images, videos and textual product descriptions. The intention is to stimulate engagement with synthetic biology by giving information about its methods and possibilities. Here one of the projects intentions, the communication of the concepts of synthetic biology, becomes most apparent.

Established web2.0 formats such as user feedback and comments form a additional communication channel. Products can be described from a users perspective. Made up persons who have already purchased an article and integrated it in their daily life describe their experiences. This brings the possibility of illustrating the implications for everyday life from a personal and more profound perspective. This will generally be conceived as a less biased and therefor more credible opinion then a vendors product description. A comment function enables the sites visitors to leave comments on products and engage in discussions and an exchange of ideas on the respective products and synthetic biology. A user forum offers the opportunity of deepened discussions and exchange of ideas on the idea of a supermarket of synthetic biology, its products and synthetic biology and its relevance and implications. Moderators will supply relevant additional information following the projects idea of helping to create an informed opinion of synthetic biology.

  • Ursula (tech. recruiting), Marcus (text), Bastian

Graphic Design

A distinct visual language and a Corporate Design will be developed. Covering the developement of all elements of a retail facilities communicative neccesities such as logo, webdesign, advertisment, signs, price tags,…

Representation at iGEM

  • Mila (Head)
  • Ideas
    • Shop
    • Vending Machine
    • Shopping Cart
    • Bar Code
    • Shop
    • Video

Team

  • Mila
  • Christian
  • Ursula (tech. recruiting)
  • Marcus (text)
  • Bastian
  • Jiayuan
  • Vanessa
  • Yu Xiaorui

Online shop design

As we are still discussing how the online shop should look like and what happens when you do what - here two things for that.

First: A newer version of my idea with the boxes, here the menu has changed concerning the needed sections we talked about last week and than the "what happens if you click a product" changed, because we are away from the 3D thing now... <videoflash type="vimeo">12952343</videoflash>

Second: Yu Xiaorui presented her design last week - I really like the structure but as I said I would prefere if it would be less clinical and a bit more playful. to show what I mean I made a version with the same structure but with sketches...

<videoflash type="vimeo">12952471</videoflash>

--Mila 18:05, 29 June 2010 (UTC)

The Paper of VR Shopping Mall

File:Adapt-vr-mall.pdf

--Dong 11:09, 22 June 2010 (UTC)

First visualized ideas for the ONLINE SHOP

<videoflash type="vimeo">12718978</videoflash>

This movie explains my main ideas for that...please note: its not a concept for colours. in my imagination its mostly white... one thing I forgot to exlain is the "chat" button - in my self-experiment with 'second life' I experienced that its really strange and a good effect to meet people virtual, it happens the same than in real "how close may I go? Who is that? Will she/he talk to me?" so I think its great to make it possible that users see who else is online and to give them a possiblity to chat with each other. it might be also a nice thing for us to influence/to interact with the users...

and here now some links that are somehow connected with my ideas:

http://www.carlkrull.dk/index.html (sketches and reals pictures, i like this "simple" look of the startpage very much)

http://www.twentytwentyone.com (onlineshop with a mix of sketches and real pictures, i dont like it that way)

--Mila 21:09, 20 June 2010 (UTC)


' The I-know-what-you-want-system'

A mechanism well known by all internetshop users...but in this case taken to extremes...

As known from computers as a personal key to use the fingerprint there should be a small interface next to your computer which analyses your body needs and genetical code. According to this you get special commercials in the supermarket e.g. for vitamines, diet-helpers or anti-transpirants


Online: next to the computer there is this interface.

Offline (real life supermarket): when entereing the shop you get a shopping basket, at the handle bar there is a sensor which analyses these things. With a W-Lan system it sends it to the server which coordinates the data of all the shoppers. On a small display in the shopping basket you get special informations. Aditionally if you pass by the light in the supermarket spots those products that are 'good' for you.


As a special service the system makes shopping to a social event. It locates persons that would fit very good with your genetic material or your current feeling. So you get the advice (online as a pop-up window, offline as a note ob your screen) 'have a look in corridor 4, section B you may find...(and you have the possibility to contact this person, so also in the online version you see who else is shopping at the same time).

When entering the supermarket you also may give yourself a profile, which works as a filter. (e.g. show me only woman between 30-40, not having had sex in the last 48 hours, smoking but in general healthy. Or an extra as a visualization of how a child with this person would look like... ..to be continued...



Even if I dont want … I always come back to the idea of a „second life“-market – it really has some good options – seeing the other, having the possibility to interact, really going through the world and so on. and maybe its easier to use existing systems than to create something completely new... but i am not really happy with this thought)