Project Runway: Illuminating Hat

 Illuminating Hat allows you to walk around late at night freely without worrying about turning lights on or off! Inspired by those late night expeditions for water, food, or just the restroom, walking around the house trying to navigate in the darkness because you don't want to turn on any lights. Illuminating Hat auto-adjusts to the light levels when you're walking and even shakes off the drowsiness from staying up too late!


The Illuminating Hat uses an Arduino, RGB LED, photosenser, single-press button and a vibrating motor. The setup can be seen below.

Once powered, users can change the primary color given off by the hat to their preference of red, green, and blue. Walking around the house, the light intensity adjusts to the light levels of the room thanks to the photosensor. Walk out of your bright room into the dark hall? The light becomes bright! Walk back into your room from said dark hall? The light dims! Additionally, the vibrating motor vibrates with ever increasing intensity and purpose the darker it is! Shaking away the drowsiness brought on by the oncoming darkness and night by alerting you with the vibrations. Entering a safely lit area will dull the vibrations since you shouldn't be that drowsy in well-lit areas. Never fear the dangerous night trek fridge raid again! With this hat by your bedside, toss it on and safely grab that frozen pizza you know you wanted.

Experience Taxonomy for Project Runway

The project planned for Project Runway is in essence, an interactive headlamp. A hat is surrounded by LEDs covering a broad range of vibrant colors that change based on the light of the environment. Users are able to change the output type of the LEDs, switching between the standard modes of most headlights: Constant Light, Rapid Blinking, SOS Blinking, and Off. Additionally, the hat will keep the user attentive in dark environments, by causing a slight vibration near the head. While not in use, the hat will have "screensaver" mode to attract individuals.

Before, During, After

Expectations Approaching the hat, you don't expect much control over the hat, since only a singular button is visible from the outside. Additionally, very little functionality is expected because most of the components are not visually apparent. Once using the hat, the user is surprised by the interactive nature the hat has with the light of the environment. After using the hat, the user is left with the impression to not judge devices by just their appearances.
Associations Viewing the hat, the immediate association that comes to mind is a headlamp or construction hat with a a built in lamp. Contrary to the aforementioned devices, this one forms a halo of light around the user's head. Wearing the hat forms a halo around the user, potentially making them associate themselves with an angel with an ever-changing light above them. 
Colors Visually seeing the arrange of colors being displayed by the hat creates a stunning view. Users are enticed to try out the hat because of the stunning display granted to them. However, the vibrant range pf colors could prove distracting to users of the hat. Upon using the hat, the vibrant colors don't rapidly change as they do upon approach, soothing the experience for the varying light levels.
Feels Seeing barely any components on the outside, users should think that they're just going to wear a comfy hat. When putting the hat on, the wiring is seen on the inside, potentially causing a displeasure when wearing the hat. However, upon use, the inside components don't prove intrusive of the user, maintaining the comfortable experience of wearing a hat.
Control As explained above, expectations of control are dulled based on the appearance of the hat. However, the interactive experience with the environment and the user input of different LED types on the hat create a new sensation of control over the device.

Overall

Beauty I'm not an artist, but the range of vibrant colors given off by the LEDs, forming a halo ring around the user's head create a truly beautiful experience that anyone could enjoy.
Creation The construction behind the LEDs and wires not only provide a comforting experience when wearing the hat, but also are organized to look nice around the brim of the hat.
Duty The utility behind the hat auto-adjusting to the light of the current scenario and adjusting the color appropriately allows the user to interact with the hat by switching the mode the LEDs are in.
Security Making the user more aware of their surroundings through lighting the environment and increasing attentiveness allows the user to have better security against anything they either cannot see in the dark or cannot see because they fall tired.