The following activities will be integrated throughout the unit, primarily supporting the development of skills across all four design criteria:

● Activity 1.1: Brainstorming session: "What does 'smart' mean in a home?" List existing smart devices and their functionalities.

● Activity 1.2: Case study analysis: Students research and present on a successful (and perhaps a failed) smart home product, analyzing its features, user interface, and market reception. Discussion on what makes a smart product "smart" and "useful."

● Activity 1.3: Exploring sensor applications: Interactive session identifying various types of sensors (e.g., motion, temperature, light, proximity, humidity, gas) and brainstorming how they could be used to solve home-based problems.

● Activity 1.4: Discussion: "The Connected Home – Benefits and Risks." Explore concepts like device ecosystems, data flow, and potential vulnerabilities.

● Activity 2.1: Interactive workshop: "Affordances in Everyday Objects." Students identify and discuss affordances in common classroom items, then apply this understanding to physical product design for home devices.

● Activity 2.2: "Feedback Loop" exercise: Analyze examples of good and bad feedback in digital interfaces (e.g., loading screens, error messages, button clicks). Design simple feedback mechanisms for a hypothetical home device.

● Activity 2.3: Usability principles scavenger hunt: Students analyze popular apps or websites to identify examples of consistency (or inconsistency) in navigation, layout, and iconography, relating it to user frustration or delight.

● Activity 2.4: Mini-project: Redesign a simple physical or digital interaction (e.g., a light switch, a remote control button) to improve its affordances and feedback.

● Activity 3.1: Introduction to wireframing and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Adobe XD): Hands-on tutorial on basic drawing tools, creating shapes, text, and linking screens to create simple clickable prototypes.

● Activity 3.2: "Information Hierarchy" exercise: Given a set of information for a smart device screen (e.g., temperature, humidity, time, status), students design different layouts to prioritize information effectively.

● Activity 3.3: Iconography and visual language workshop: Explore the use of icons, colors, and typography to create clear and intuitive digital interfaces for small screens.

● Activity 3.4: Iterative UI design challenge: Students design a basic control screen for a chosen smart home function (e.g., thermostat, lighting), then iterate on their design based on peer feedback, improving clarity and usability.

● Activity 4.1: Introduction to 3D printing software (e.g., Tinkercad, Fusion 360 basics): Learn basic CAD modeling for simple shapes and components relevant to product enclosures.

● Activity 4.2: 3D printing principles: Understanding infill, supports, layer height, and common printing challenges. Students prepare a small part for conceptual 3D printing.

● Activity 4.3: Laser cutting basics: Explore vector vs. raster, material compatibility, and design considerations for laser-cut components (e.g., interlocking joints, engraving).

● Activity 4.4: Hands-on prototyping session: Students create simple physical mock-ups using cardboard, foam, or clay to quickly test form factors and ergonomics before digital fabrication.

● Activity 5.1: Conceptual overview of microcontrollers (e.g., Arduino/Raspberry Pi): Understand their role as the "brain" of a smart device, processing inputs and controlling outputs. (No actual coding required, focus on conceptual understanding).

● Activity 5.2: "Input-Output" demonstration: Show how a simple switch can turn on an LED. Discuss how a sensor acts as an input and a display/actuator as an output in a smart product.

● Activity 5.3: Block diagramming: Students create conceptual block diagrams for their chosen interactive device, showing the flow of data between sensors, the "brain," and output components.

● Activity 5.4: Material interaction: Discuss how sensors conceptually interact with the physical materials and environment around the device (e.g., a proximity sensor detecting a hand approaching the device).

● Activity 6.1: Designing a simple usability test: Students learn to define tasks, create test scenarios, and develop observation checklists for evaluating their prototypes.

● Activity 6.2: Peer usability testing session: Students conduct mini-usability tests on each other's physical models and UI prototypes, observing interactions and collecting qualitative feedback.

● Activity 6.3: Data analysis workshop: Learn to synthesize qualitative feedback (e.g., sticky note affinity mapping for themes) and simple quantitative data (e.g., task completion rates) from usability tests.

● Activity 6.4: "Think Aloud" protocol practice: Students practice articulating their thoughts while interacting with a prototype, helping designers understand their mental model.

● Activity 7.1: Discussion: "The Privacy Paradox" – explore scenarios where convenience conflicts with privacy in smart homes.

● Activity 7.2: Case Study: Analyze a real-world example of a smart product data breach or ethical controversy, discussing its implications for users and the company.

● Activity 7.3: "Ethical Design Checklist" creation: As a class, develop a list of ethical considerations that designers should address when creating smart products (e.g., data anonymization, user consent, clear terms of service).

● Activity 7.4: Role-playing debate: Students take on roles (e.g., CEO, user advocate, privacy lawyer) to debate a hypothetical ethical dilemma related to a smart home device.