NATHAN POTTIER

Helsinki | Paris

Data | Design | Environmental Science | Communication | Empowerment
Key to my values and work ethic, I believe that our environmental crisis is made too complex and inacessible.

Clear, evidential and engaging approaches through design and technological advances are a solution to bring forward narratives to act.
 
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INDEX -> P006 -> Aura

Jan - June 2021

Bachelors Graduation Project

Community initiative

TU/e 
[NL]

2021

[This project was developped during the covid lockdown periods. During its final development phase there was therefore no access to facilities or  maker spaces; prototyping and documentation was limited and reflects in the absence of a final product.] 


Air pollution is a growing issue in large parts of the world, as illustrated by the fact that air, essential as it is, often needs to pass through filters and masks before reaching our lungs. Yet, people seem unaware of this issue and how to tackle it. This graduation project aims to explore, and establish awareness of surrounding air quality through tangible information representation systems.








"Aura" is developed in the context of sustainable technologies and Internet of Things (IoT). The project explored awareness of indoor air quality and user interaction with existing monitoring systems. Initial prototypes like "Airy Tale" used mist and light to visualize pollution in the home. These devices highlighted sources of pollutants such as cleaning products, tobacco, and heating appliances.





Through iterative design and user testing, the project evolved into Aura, a two-part system combining:

1. A hardware device using sensors to detect pollutants (e.g., PM2.5, CO₂),
2. A community-linked app offering real-time and comparative air quality data.

Aura uniquely integrates individual and communal modes: it not only informs users about their immediate environment but also compares data across a neighborhood to foster collective awareness and action. The concept was validated through mock town hall meetings and interactive deployments, demonstrating its potential as a social design tool.

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Physicality explorations 

Initial explorations investigated through interviews and behaviour research how homeowners interact with air quality monitoring systems and the potential for actionability of homeowners based upon the data provided to them.


Findings from this exploration were then applied and upscaled to outdoor air pollution. In further iterations, users' understanding of outdoor air pollution and potential remedies were also explored. 
The final design combines and builds upon the findings from its predecessors, providing information to the user twofold: on an individual household level, as well as on a neighbourhood level including calls to action as a community.

2025 PORTFOLIO