balineum
joint university project / 2 semester
BALINEUM transforms bathroom interactions through a unified dial system integrating adaptive water control, NFC-powered user profiles, and gesture-based music management. Developed with ux research and iterative prototyping, this solution addresses multi-user conflicts in households through regulatory-compliant hardware engineering and tangible interface design.
Research-Driven Development
UX research across family homes and shared apartments uncovered three core challenges: inconsistent temperature recall between users, awkward music control mechanics, and temporal disorientation during showers. Technical validation disproved capacitive touch reliability in humidity, driving adoption of hybrid physical interactions inspired by the Nest Thermostat's rotational paradigm. Six hardware iterations refined the 94 mm anodized aluminum dial, implementing IP68-rated seals and radial groove patterning validated through 3D-printed foam prototypes.
Core Interaction Architecture
The dual-axis interface combines rotational precision (2-45 °C temperature, 5-25 l/min flow control) with quad-directional tilt navigation. Circumferential RGB LEDs (#40798C cold → red warmth gradients) provide mode feedback through steam-resistant displays, complemented by haptic pulse confirmation for mode changes. Magnetic docking enables tool-free reconfiguration, while inductive charging maintains IP68 compliance.
Adaptive User Profiles
NFC-paired wearables such as ŌURA or Apple Watch activate:
- YOU Profile: Custom water-music combinations (e.g., 25 °C massage jets + the favorite Travis Scott playlist)
- Scene Presets: Preconfigured experiences like “Arctic Ice” (2 °C jets + Nordic ambient tracks)
- Guest Mode: Safety-locked defaults with 40 °C thermal caps
Key Insights
Our exploratory design process yielded several conceptual findings through hands-on methods. Paper prototyping sessions utilizing Wizard of Oz techniques revealed user preferences for tactile feedback during mode transitions, suggesting haptic pulse cues as a potential design solution. Final refinements introduced rotational momentum principles for intuitive menu navigation and ambient light patterns to address temporal awareness, all framed as speculative design recommendations rather than functional implementations. These insights remained strictly conceptual, focusing on interaction design exploration without engineering execution.