Connectiva

Initial Product Design on a CAD app

Inspiration

Our world today is seemingly more connected than ever, thanks to the rise of globalization, advanced communication networks, and the digital world. But the real question is, are we really connected? Do we really understand each other?

Social media and other platforms suggest otherwise. Angry comments, biased disputes, and stereotyping have experienced an exponential rise alongside the growth of today’s social media platforms. We criticize each other for who we really are, only to be influenced by beautified images that have changed the sense of reality itself. We have begun to see illusions of sorts, only single aspects of the real world, and not the complete picture.

This made me question- Is it possible to see the world for what it really is? That’s where Connectiva comes in; it provides people with the reality of our lives, cultures and background allowing them to connect and understand true nature. The reality. This builds empathy between us, develops an understanding, and strengthens our relationships and connections more than they ever have been before.

What it does

Connectiva is a mixed-reality platform that allows people from all over the world to see new places, cultures, and environments from the eyes of someone else, helping them develop a multifaceted view. Connectiva shows the reality- the good and the bad, which allows customers to see the beauty of the place but also the hardships. This helps them to truly understand others, build conceptualization and develop empathy; the ability to be able to put yourself into another person’s shoes.

How we built it

Starting with many different ideas of sorts, I began to develop some initial designs and conceptualize them to solve the issue. However, to ensure that my design would be effective to a diverse audience, I took feedback from my peers and teachers to understand their perspectives on being able to connect with others and modern-day challenges that we face while doing so. This ensured that my design could solve the issue for a variety of different people, making it effective. Then, I enhanced my designs and prioritized customer comfortability and convenience, so that Connectiva can meet the standards of a diverse group.

Challenges we ran into

Initially, my submission for this project would have been a website/app; however, after evaluating its effectiveness, I decided that I should focus on the visual factors for this submission. However, the design required was much more time-consuming, and was a challenge in itself to find the time to plan it all out.To add, being a solo participant created the issue of having a single-perspective view; however, I ensured that I used input and feedback from others to stabilize that.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The accomplishment during this project was the ability to understand and identify problems that we may face in our modern world and how that affects our societies. Being able to communicate with others was also a key highlight, as it demonstrated the ability for us to connect and empathize with each other and strengthened my submission and idea. Together, using these, it was finding a suitable solution that was truly admirable, and the main accomplishment was tying together our issues and thoughts to form a new solution for the world, and allowing us to connect better than we ever have before.

What we learned

To reflect, this project gave me a deeper understanding and insight into the issues in the modern world and the impact of the digital world on our relationships and livelihoods. Furthermore, I began to understand what it means to really connect and understand others, and what it means to be connected emotionally. This project not only taught me emotional factors but also brought my attention to the exponential advancement of technology in our world today and the importance of it in our daily lives; this ranges from the development of AI to the market for AR and VR technologies (e.g., Meta, Nintendo).

What's next for Connectiva

Technology has proven to continually grow and expand to much more than we could have imagined, and so can Connectiva. Connectiva has potential for various purposes, such as supporting large agencies, social services, and NGOs in truly understanding the issues and situations of their aid recipients, enabling them to provide effective resources and services. Collaborations with the UN and UNESCO could virtually bring Connectiva everywhere, giving better insights into the worlds of others and strengthening the international community. Going even further into the future, Connectiva can go above and beyond- literally. With space exploration and growing robotic engineering, Connectiva technology can be used to give insights into the other planets and celestial bodies. This can bring a massive change within the scientific community, bringing new data and input into their research, contributing to the larger picture of technology.

For some extra insight, check out the video below for a full initial design development on a CAD program!