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  • About Jess Myra, Canadian
    Design Nerd, 27 yrs. old

    Starting in January/February of 2012
    I will take a year break from my Interaction Design MA, to learn and experience as much as I can about the application and processes of interaction design—from those who know it best—before I return to start my graduate thesis project.

    Beliefs: Positive thinking & curiosity

    Likes: The great outdoors; bare feet; salt water; travel; laughing; thinking; sleeping in; red wine & dark chocolate         2011 Graphic Design, Interaction Design
  • Laughology Custom Application & Visual Identity
    4 weeks

    Collaborating Partners:
    IDEO (Munich & London)

    Team: Jess Myra & Sharon Williams

    As any student or faculty from UID will tell you, students put an impressive amount of energy into their project work to push boundaries and reach new project limits. We wanted to address the serious nature and high levels of stress that accompany these achievements.

    To keep within the project requirements of data mining, our goal was to promote fun, laughter, and happiness during the day, while collecting information about participants.

    The solution was an autonomous Laughter Station that utilized social media to encourage laughter. It captured audio and video and included a customized desktop and Laughter application.         2011 Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Software Architecture
  • Link Interface Interface Design
    10 weeks

    Collaborating Partners:
    Fixturlaser AB & Semcon AB

    Professional users of laser shaft alignment tools in heavy industry face many challenges while working. The addition of touch screen technology has streamlined their work flow to maintain efficiency, however the existing solutions are visually complex and do not address the interaction between the user and the physical environment.

    The goal was to strengthen the connection between the user and the physical environment.

    This was achieved by simplifying the visual content, implementing progress indicators, and adding a secondary mobile device to support larger team alignments and provide added accessibility for limiting spaces.

    Credit: Research for this project was done jointly with the entire MA studio of ten people.         2011 Graphic Design, Interaction Design, User Interface Design
  • Jam Space Interface & Visual Identity
    8 weeks

    Jam Space is music simulator game for Nintendo WiiWare and DSi. The natural user group of the Nintendo Wii has a broad demographic that spans between 8-80 years.

    The challenge was to create a visual aesthetic that would be appropriate for the target group (audio enthusiasts) and still incorporate the general Wii player.

    The result is a retro visual theme that is edgy and nostalgic that maintains the playful and approachable quality innate to the Wii.         2011 Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Video Game Design
  • Community Hub Service & Visual Design
    10 weeks

    Team: Jess Myra, Clayton Cook & Miguel Peres

    Collaborating Partners: Vasterbottens Lans Landsting & Praktikertjanst

    After patients receive a neurological diagnosis they go through a rehabilitation process to equip them for their new life. Wait times for rehabilitation vary from 2 weeks, up to 6 months, and the duration is being reduced progressively due to budget challenges.

    At this delicate time, patients are often socially immobilized. They have to regain a new sense of their self and reestablish a social network. Our goal was to utilize shared experiences as a natural framework for interaction, and goal based achievements to help them rediscover personal interests.

    The result is a service called Communities, or hobby groups that revolve around common interests. It is managed by a national organization called the Community Hub. Patients become members when they go to rehabilitation to start building a peer network for when they return home.

    Credit: Character design by Clayton Cook         2011 Information Architecture, Interaction Design, Motion Graphics
  • Design Talks Web & Visual Identity
    6 weeks

    This year, the Umeå Institute of Design (UID) wanted a more sustainable solution to their annual Degree Exhibition & Design Talks event. The request was to shift from the previous theme based design to a strategic one that would strengthen their bond with their industry partners—putting UID in the centre.

    The goal was to establish a lasting framework that could be updated annually. The result is a strong and simple wordmark for UID and solo colour palette that is creative and approachable, while retaining a professional edge.

    Now for every degree exhibition cycle, the year and colour will be updated, leaving more time for event planners to focus on the graduates and the event.

    Collateral Pieces: 3 web banners, direct mail invite, environmental graphics, event catalogue (under production), custom event buttons & USB sticks.

    Credit: Support from Demian Horst & Kristin Fottner         2011 Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Web Design
  • Smart Home UI Interface & Visual Identity
    10 weeks

    Collaborating Partners:
    MINATEC Ideas Laboratory, Bouygues Immobilier & Bouygues Telecom

    What if smart home technology was easy to understand, easy to use, affordable, and could be customized for our individual needs?

    This is a wireless smart sensor kit you can customize over time. It helps you multitask and become co-designer of your own home's behaviour. Continue to enjoy life and worry less about if you left the lights on.

    Because of the large target base for this project—everyone—my challenge was to create a touch control interface for the kit that required no instruction manual or previous home automation experience. The result is the core interface (to set up and connect the sensors) built around a house "plan view" mental model that is discoverable, flexible, and easy to understand.

    The home owner is guided to make sensor connections with intuitive scenario language like when, then, and if. For example, WHEN it is dark outside, THEN turn on the light, IF someone is home.

    Contributors: Jean Perardel, Olivier Menard, & Xavier Gauvin

    Publicly exhibited October 5-8th at Experimenta, France         2011 Interaction Design, Software Architecture, User Interface Design
  • Human Circuit Tangible Interface
    1 week

    Collaborating Partner:
    Tellart

    Team: Jess Myra & Ine Marie Vassøy

    The Human Circuit is an experience that connects one or more people together to complete an electric current.

    The natural resistance in our bodies is translated on screen to reveal a sequence of coloured circles that are mapped to the range of resistance occurring naturally in our bodies.

    Here we use visual feedback to signify to the participants what galvanic range they are achieving and also aural feedback.

    When the circuit is complete background music is consistently playing and when the circuit is broken the music will stop. After five seconds if the circuit is not reconnected, the experience will end.

    It was created using an Arduino Mega 2560 board and Processing connected to an Asus touch tablet.

    The tangible interface conductivity is possible via conductive thread (as is used for the Arduino Lilypad).

    The concept was driven by:
    tangible interfaces & social interactions         2011 Game Design, Interaction Design, User Interface Design
  • Extra Motion graphics; book design; fine arts.

    1.
    This Flash motion graphic represent "real time" and is the final segment of a four-part design project revolving around the notion of time and reflection.

    The idea was to express the essence of the individual—in one media—then pass that on to the next student for the following stage in the process, slowly building the project over time.

    It was realized through various media including:

    a. Written portrait (past)
    b. Documentary photograph (frozen time)
    c. Poster design (perspective on time)
    d. Motion graphic (real time)

    The animation was done in Flash and it expresses Miguel's upbeat personality, how he lives in the moment, and sees with clarity. The eye represents his insightfulness and the bicycle tire is a symbol of freedom.

    2.
    We had some fun playing in the interaction workshop with some sensors and an Arduino Decimilia board.

    One small sketch in Processing, one giant leap for Jess. =)

    3.
    Book cover design for non-fiction novel "Let the Angels Keep You Safe". AuthorHouse Publishing, 2011

    Evoking a historical journey through time and across lands, this cover is different from the cliche ‘tragedies’ that are most stories from this era. It is clear through the juxtaposition of the title, map, and photograph, that this story holds triumphs altogether different than the expected.

    Alternate book cover concept.

    By including a mash-up of original photography, this concept is suggestive of the many dynamic events that unfold in the plot of the story. Here the visual focus on the photo the main character is supported with the intimate element of handwriting—further connecting her experiences to the novel.

    4.
    Reproduction of Jean-Baptiste Oudry's "A Striped Hyena Fighting Two Dogs" (1739), 2007. Charcoal & white chalk on blue-gray Canson paper. 30cm x 45cm.

    5.
    Untitled, 2006. Erased charcoal and white conte on white Mayfair. 90cm x 59 cm.         2011 Graphic Design, Fine Arts
  • Connect hello@jessmyra.com
    +1 (226) 280 8508         2011 Graphic Design, Interaction Design
All works © Jess Myra 2011.