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The topic of this master’s thesis is design of a medical ultrasound diagnostic machine. The thesis focuses on a new perspective on composition and shaping of the ultrasound machine while respecting technical and ergonomic requirements. The goal of this thesis is addition of an aesthetic value and incorporation of new technologies so the product is able to compete on the current market.

This thesis began as an exploration of how to create an immersive design through an immersive design experience. The project I used to study this inquiry was the design of a new country pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World based on Peru. This project revealed that in architecture, the design process is integral to the outcome; they are interwoven and cannot be separated. Weaving has emerged throughout every level of this investigation, from the intertwining of the overarching ideas to the physical and metaphysical weaving within the project. The method in which I worked became a weaving of the study of artifacts with the use of traditional architectural techniques and the exploration of emerging design technologies. Traditional architectural design processes must be iterated on and adapted to better address more specialized sectors of the industry. For a themed entertainment project specifically, the design process must be catered to understanding and enhancing the user experience. I argue that a more immersive, multimedia design process is necessary to appropriately address these issues. / Master of Architecture / This thesis began as an exploration of how to create an immersive design through an immersive design experience. The project I used to study this inquiry was the design of a new country pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World based on Peru. This project revealed that in architecture, the design process is integral to the outcome; they are interwoven and cannot be separated. Weaving has emerged throughout every level of this investigation, from the intertwining of the overarching ideas to the physical and metaphysical weaving within the project. The method in which I worked became a weaving of the study of artifacts with the use of traditional architectural techniques and the exploration of emerging design technologies. Traditional architectural design processes must be iterated on and adapted to better address more specialized sectors of the industry. For a themed entertainment project specifically, the design process must be catered to understanding and enhancing the user experience. I argue that a more immersive, multimedia design process is necessary to appropriately address these issues.

This thesis project explores how interactive technologies can facilitate a sense of social connectedness with others whilst remotely located. While studying the way humans use rituals for emotional management, I focused my interest on the act of commensality because it is one of the oldest and most important rituals used to foster togetherness among families and groups of friends. Dining with people who do not belong to the same household is of course hard during a global pandemic, just like many of the other forms of social interactions that were forcibly replaced by the use of technological means such as video-chat apps, instant messaging and perhaps an excessive use of social networking websites. These ways of staying connected, however, lack the subtleties of real physical interaction, which I tried to replicate with my prototype system, which consists of two sets of a lamp and a coaster which enable to communicate through light and tactile cues. The use of such devices creates a new kind of ritual based on the simultaneous use of the devices by two people, thus enabling a new and original form of commensality that happens through a shared synchronized experience.