Calm Forecast

Project Description, My Role, and Outcome

Calm Forecast was a collaborative physical prototyping project that explored how everyday environmental information can be communicated through calm technology. The project began with a simple problem: people often want to know the temperature around them, but checking a phone can become distracting and thermostats are not always nearby. Instead of designing another app or screen based interface, we created a physical object that quietly communicates temperature through color.

The system uses two temperature sensors to track indoor and outdoor conditions. The indoor temperature is represented by a small house form, while the outdoor temperature is represented by a streetlamp form. RGB LEDs change color based on coded temperature ranges, allowing users to understand whether the environment is cold, comfortable, or warm at a glance. A round LCD screen provides exact numerical readings when needed, while a button lets users switch between indoor and outdoor data.

My role included concept development, physical prototyping, interaction design, electronics testing, enclosure design, and system refinement. Working with my teammate, I helped translate the idea of calm technology into a tangible object that balanced utility, clarity, and visual metaphor. The project required working with Arduino IDE, ESP32 boards, ESP NOW communication, temperature sensors, RGB LEDs, and LCD screen integration.

The final outcome was a working prototype that successfully translated real time indoor and outdoor temperature into ambient light. The enclosure strengthened the interaction by using familiar forms, making it easy for users to understand that the house represented indoor temperature and the streetlamp represented outdoor temperature. Through testing and iteration, the project showed that simple information does not always require a complex interface. Sometimes, a soft visual signal is enough.