Core77 2013 Design Awards

Lapka — Personal Environment Monitor

1. The Nutshell: In plain language, tell us what your project is, what it does, and what it’s comprised of.

Lapka is a tiny, beautifully designed personal environment monitor that connects to your phone to measure, collect and analyze the hidden qualities of your surroundings. Lapka’s precise sensors respond to the invisible world of particles, ions, molecules and waves. You get results that are specific to where you are. On the street, at the office, inside a child’s bedroom, or on an airplane: the Lapka app compares its readings to average guidelines for each individual environment. You can collect snapshots of your comfort throughout the day to create a diary or share with the world around you.

2. The Brief: Summarize the problem you set out to solve. What was the context for the project, and what was the challenge posed to you?

The ability to see precise measurements and beautiful visualizations of what lies beyond our perception is inspiring and addictive – whether you’re simply curious about the unseen details of your environment, or actively searching for ways to improve your quality of life. Lapka lets you discover and play with the smallest details that shape your world.

3. The Intent: What point of view did you bring to the project, and were there additional criteria that you added to the brief?

We start Lapka with the idea to make the most beautiful and engaging medicine ever. From very beginning we decide to focus on the whole experience rather than on technology or device purposes alone. People don't feel ready to track the intimate moments of their daily lives, nor they feel comfortable about that idea in general. We understand that problem and focused on beautiful solution. These are the key points behind our process: — setting the mood and prepare customer to follow the story — thinking about user behaviours and emotions — applying layered narrative — drama and mystery (to engage and intrigue potential customer)

4. The Process: Describe the rigor that informed your project. (Research, ethnography, subject matter experts, materials exploration, technology, iteration, testing, etc., as applicable.) What stakeholder interests did you consider? (Audience, business, organization, labor, manufacturing, distribution, etc., as applicable)

Health tracking is an uncomfortable, frightening, and confusing experience. Lapka's Personal Environment Monitor is a very intimate product for the most intimate aspects of your life. We decide to get our inspiration from non-related industries, which are much more successful in terms of understanding customer's emotional attachment to the object. Music, art, fashion and contemporary design were our tools which we used to shape not just product's look, but the whole experience, which starts from Lapka's tweet (where you actually learn about the product) to unboxing and then to the moment and reason you decide to share your own reading.

5. The Value: How does your project earn its keep in the world? What is its value? What is its impact? (Social, educational, economic, paradigm-shifting, sustainable, environmental, cultural, gladdening, etc.)

Lapka is here to make health tracking simple, stylish and engaging. People are using these scientific devices by their own will. Their decision is not based on doctor's prescription or imposed anxiety. Did you ever imagine that one would dream about a Geiger counter? Lapka managed to do so.