Wavelet
Tacit Knowledge - Designing Physical Communication
In this project I explored the phenomenon tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is defined as knowledge which is captured through our body (like hearing, touching, smelling or seeing).
That means this knowledge has not or cannot be made explicit and is driven by experiences. Product design also communicates not with words, but through the shape, colors, textures or materials of the product itself. My aim in this project was to convey tacit
knowledge by taking advantage of product design. I developed a product that conveys a swimming technique to beginners through its shape and usage.
That means this knowledge has not or cannot be made explicit and is driven by experiences. Product design also communicates not with words, but through the shape, colors, textures or materials of the product itself. My aim in this project was to convey tacit
knowledge by taking advantage of product design. I developed a product that conveys a swimming technique to beginners through its shape and usage.
Movements and sports techniques are based on practical experiences and thus on tacit knowledge.
The crawl technique suits best for swim beginners because it resembles the natural flow of movements the most and thus is easy to learn. After analyzing the technique, I organized a swimming class to find out which submovement causes the biggest problems: It was the breathing technique.
My aim was to create a tool, that gives positive feedback.
If you train the breathing technique, the best positive feedback you can get is: as much oxygen as necessary, as little water swallowing as possible.
The professional swimmer achieves it by bringing his head in the right position. Thus a big bow wave at the swimmer‘s forehead arises, which entails a wave valley at the swimmer‘s face. That means that the water level goes down and the swimmer can breathe in easily.
Prototyping and Testing.
The swimmer has to put his forehead on the convex curved surface. Wavelet points into its swimming direction. The swimmer pushes Wavelet through the water and the propulsion as well as the big front surface produce a bow wave. As a result, a wave valley arises, which means that the water level goes down and the swimmer can breathe in easily. For inhaling the swimmer needs to turn his head sidewards, so that his mouth is outside of the water. He exhales underwater.
If you learn the crawl technique, there is a tool for every individual movement except for the breathing technique.
The Pullkick trains the leg kick and the Pull-buoy is for practicing the stroke. Paddles intensify the stroke and simultaneously correct the hand position, while Fins support the leg kick. Wavelet completes the range of swimming tools, as a swimming aid to learn an improve the crawl breathing technique.
Wavelet is a product that interacts with us. Without mentioning the technique explicitly, it navigates us in our movement, and helps us internalizing it so that we are able to perform it later on without the swimming aid.
Thanks for watching!
