Title: "Kynesis, a solution for dance rehearsal remotely", with images of mobile prototypes and a dancer using the solution
Project Overview and Context
Kynesis was a project developed at the beginning of the pandemic of covid-19 in 2020. The purpose was to find solutions for a group directly affected, the artists.
We decided to use Design Thinking during our process because of the importance of empathising with the problem and bringing a tangible solution in a reasonable amount of time.
Project developed in the second half of 2020.
Roles and Responsibilities
I worked on this project with three colleagues from the Master's course in Interactive Media Technology at KTH in Stockholm, Sweden. The project was developed in 3 months. Our group worked in a very organic way where everyone was able to participate in different stages. Regarding sole participation, I was responsible for some of the semi-structured interviews, participating in the decisions, evaluating the solutions, and editing some parts of the video prototype. 
Illustration of the Double Diamond process. The image contains a text with a starting point, passing for the exploration of the problem and the question "who are our user", definition of the problem and the question "what is their primary problem?", development + testing solution with the question "which solution solves their problem?", deliver the solution and the question "did this solution solve their problem?" and a final delivery point.
Discover
User targeting: brainstorming
In order to choose a target group, we used brainstorming to find out their possible problems.
We explained each one of the problems we imagined and we proceeded to vote.
We decided to focus on the group of artists (media producers, actors, musicians, etc.), who have shared many common problems during the pandemic.
Post-its showing the brainstorming session with problems and votes from the team.
News clipping with headline "Here's how artists are responding to the coronavirus"
Artists: understanding the problem space
For a first phase we decided to follow two methods: contextual enquiries and researching in written media.
We discussed the basic structure of the interview, although as they were semi-structured, it was quite flexible. 
Each member of the group would collaborate in one or both parts according to their capabilities.
Define
Affinity Diagram
In order to define the problem statement, we started sorting and categorising all the information we obtained from the Discover phase.
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We chose the Affinity Diagram method, which is a division and organisation of information into categories and relationships.
Affinity Diagram divided in 4 groups: group, problems, income, their solutions
Problem Tree
We also built a problem tree so it would be clearer to see some root causes of artists problems.
Problem tree exploring the topic of "pandemic crisis". Pandemic crisis led to "social distance measurements" which was divided into "communication with other artists", "lack of physical space" and "cancellation of events". "Communication with other artists" led to "need for physical collaboration". "Lack of physical space" led to "digital events" which led to "communication with audience (intimacy)". "Cancellation of events" led to "financial problems"
Problem Statement 1
How can we improve communication between artists and / or between artists and their audience?
Illustration of problem statement exploration. A circle with the techniques applied: "How Might We, Point of View and Bodystorming" linked to another circle with the sentence "Setting the focus on dancers"
In order to refine the problem statement, we made a second iteration using tools such as How Might We, Point of View and Bodystorming.
Final Problem Statement
How can we improve the experience of learning choreography at home?
Develop
We defined a specific problem for dancers: rehearsal.
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Following, we used tools such as Point of view, bodystorming, and also drawing to find different interactions during rehearsals.
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Picture with illustrations made by the group with different possible interactions involving artists
Picture with arms of a instructor and a dancer using sensors in their arms.
Illustration of analysis of different aspects of a rehearsal such as the process of learning choreography, interactions involved and possible technologies.
Since the ideas were involving different types of interactions, our group decided to analyse different aspects of rehearsal such as the process of learning choreography, interactions involved and possible technologies that could be applied for the solutions.

We then came up with three different solutions: a self-evaluation, real-time supervision and real-time energy transmitter.
Self-evaluation
This solution was created to fill the lack of evaluation during a remote rehearsal. The idea behind is to record a choreographer executing the right choreography and, later, the person learning the choreography also recording herself/himself, since the application recorded the model of the two people, it compares and presents to the user when and where the person committed mistakes.
Illustration showing a self-evaluation solution.
Wireframes of self-evaluation solution displaying possible home screen, project details, new scene, self recording and comparison screen.
Real-time Supervision
The focus of this solution was real-time feedback. Both choreographer and person learning the choreography would use bands on their bodies and their movements tracked. They should keep synchronous movements, otherwise, the learner would receive vibratory feedback with the intensity depending on how far the movements were from each other.
Real-time Energy Transmitter
The Energy Transmitter was imagined as a way to transmit the intensity and rhythm of the music. The person learning the choreography would wear a suit like the ones for motion capturing. The suit would have small lights that would blink and shine according to the music and in the parts of the body that should be put more intensity during the dance. 
Illustration showing real-time supervision solution.
Illustration showing real-time energy transmitter solution.
Evaluation
The group had the chance to talk with three semi or professional dancers to explain the solutions and refine them according to their feedback.
We collected the feedback from the users and refined the final solution.
Screenshot from the evaluation session showing the team and dancer.
Delivery
High fidelity prototype showing the screen where a new rehearsal is recorded, two other screens displaying how the comparison displays a mix of red and green colors indicating the movement synchronisation between the person teaching and the one learning the choreography
High fidelity prototype showing a dance video being played using the application and other 2 screens where a person can organise projects and play each recording separately.
Learnings
After we presented the solutions to the dancers, they gave us very useful ideas.
The first was to unify the first and second solutions in order to cover all the scenarios during a rehearsal: warming up and dancing.
According to them, the real-time supervision could be very useful during the warm-up because they need to use some muscles and it would be good to have feedback to correct the movement. In addition, tactile feedback is less intrusive than vibratory feedback, so we changed that.
For dancing, we maintained the first solution. They told me that is normal for them to practice a whole song before getting a critique. One of the participants mentioned that can be very useful even after the pandemic because is not an easy task for a choreographer to verify all the right movements during the dance.
Tools
For the digital prototype, we used Sketch, for the video, DaVinci Resolve. The physical prototype was created using elastic textile. We used Miro to organise our ideas and the project in general. 
Final Prototype
We made a video in order to better present our solution.
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