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Mine The Scrap Software

Mine the Scrap is a data driven process that designs new structures algorithmically generated from existing scrap. Using computer vision and construction automation, the project address’s the pressing need to convert waste into resource.

The project transforms irregular, non-uniform stocks of construction scrap into new forms, finding beauty and intricacy in neglected waste. Instead of pulverizing and chemically aggregating these disparate scraps in energy-intensive processes, Mine the Scrap finds the unique best use of each piece in a new structure through a process of scanning and classification. Combining the logic of the quilt with customized shape and pattern detection, Mine the Scrap scans the material and generates an inventory of different forms.


Exhibition Venues : ARS Electronica: Human Factor - Endless Prototyping

 Client

Certain Measures

 Context

Small office for design science that brings novel projects and strategies to life through a hypothesis-driven approach and training in architecture, mathematics, computer science, and history.

 Team

• Tobias Nolte
• Andrew Witt
• Mike Degen

 Deliverables

• Design visual language for project collateral. 
• Design interface allowing designers to use scrap to build objects
• Shoot video for onboarding and product demonstration

 Role

• Concept, Strategy, & Research
• Lead UX, UI, & Visual Design
•  Lead Video Storyboarding, Video Filming, Animation.

Tools

• Pen & Paper
• Illustrator
• InDesign
• Photoshop
• Sketch
• DSLR
• Premiere Pro
• After Effects
• Rhino 3D

Waste In The Building Industry 

After a series of different brainstorms and discussions, the client wanted to focus on waste and it’s potential in the construction and building industry. The team and I spent time researching the potential and value and found astonishing figures and alarming data. Some of the notable research included that the EPA estimates demolished buildings contribute 1 Billion feet of usable lumber per year. It also states that 58% of that timber would end up in the landfill. It became clear very quickly to us that this was a big problem to tackle with huge potential and impact.

Develop an interface that  targets the design community and reusing waste.

Understand existing technology that we can utilize in the software.

Storyboard and shoot video showing basic onboarding and demonstration of product.

Targeted Users : The Experiemental Designer

Since we were building software to allow designers to build with scrap, we knew that we could not target professionals as thier materials require a high level of requirements and restrictions. Therefore, we targeted designers with a creative and avant garde spirit who would generate experiemental structures from the software.

Flipping Their Design Process

Our users typical mentality and process when is designing is to create an object and then ship materials from all over in order to build it. A main goal was that we wanted to create  inverse this  work flow and instead of making a design and saying “What do I need to construct this?”, you say “These are the materials I have, what can I build with it ?”

Envisioning How Our Users Design Process Would Change 

Inversing the design process required us to further indentify the steps necessary for our users to utilize the software. This user journey breaks down the new steps that they will go through in order to successfully create a structure from our product.

Digging Further Into Each Step Of The Process

Once the process steps were identified, further research, experiementation, and development were required to study elements such as scanning possibilities, structure typologies,and optimization methods. The research was documented and made into a report.

Make The Product Accessible & Allow For Control During Design Process

After concluding our user research, two big insights and concerns dominated our results and synthesis. The first was to make sure that the product was accessible to our user group. Since they were amatuer designers, they typically had low resources, budget, and space. The second was that our users were very cautious about an algorithm or software assisting their design so the product needed to be transparent and afford control to the user at all times during the process.

“Well, I dont really have too much space or a budget and this sounds like it could get expensive.”

- Student

“ I’m just worried that this process will take away from my design and instead provide a random and misinformed output.”

- Designer

How can we provide a solution that is accessible to amatuer designers and allows them to utilize scrap but maintain control and authorship of their designs ?

Information Architecture & Flow

Based on the user journey, the key steps required for the product and our users were scan, design, and build. The navigation and flow were designed based on this to move the user through each step in a linear and ordered process. 

Interface Mockup 2

Interface Feedback From Our Users

The initial interface was tested among our users and designers. The biggest takeaway was that our interface was too controlling, ordered, and linear. Design is iterative and many of the tools our users utilize on a daily basis allow for constant change and flexibility. The navigation and architecture needed to reflect something closer to the tools our users were familiar designing with.