May the 4th be with you: Class Review

We started the day by compiling the results of our survey. The results show that people are equally interested in both the ethical concerns and the science behind wind technology. We are designing our exhibit to appeal to both these concerns. We discussed designing an exhibit that showed 3 types of wind turbines: an older design, a current design, and an emerging design. The user could see how the modern turbines move slower than older turbines, presenting less of a threat to birds. However, we would show how through appropriate gear ratios, the slower moving turbines could generate as much power as the faster moving ones. We could show this by using a transparent plastic casing around the generators attached to the turbine blades.

After discussing our survey and design, we created these user personas:

1.Sally Hemmings: A modern day transplant of the Sally Hemmings from the days of our Founding Fathers. She is a 22-year-old African-American single mother, working as a secretary for a local politician. She has a high school education, and is taking online college courses. She spends most of her time bonding with her 5-year-old son.

2. Tommy the 7-year-old lord of destruction. A slightly overweight cub scout, Tommy is a classic bully, his bullying stemming from his insecurity about his weight. However, at heart, he is a good kid. He just hasn't found his calling. He enjoys nature and being outdoors, and his favorite animal is the bear.

3. Daisy Lavender Starchild: A 32-year-old grad student studying environmental sciences. She is a new age liberal, interested in gardening, playing tambourine, doing yoga, and eating jicama. She has consistently voted democrat, is deeply concerned with environment.

4. Emperor Palpatine: The dark lord of the Sith, an ancient an evil religion founded a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. This man has zero empathy. He believes that all resources exist to further the prosperity of man, and ultimately himself. He is currently working on a space station with the ability to destroy a planet, about the size of a small moon. But to be sure, it's no small moon. It's a space station. There's no debate about that. A heartless man, he voted Republican in the last 3 presidential elections.