Making music from weather data: an interactive display for IBM's SXSW exhibit
11 design interns and 5 days to create an exhibit for SXSW 2017. We created an interactive display for IBM that leveraged the Weather Underground API, which has in-depth hyper-local weather data from Personal Weather Stations (PWS) around the world.
We interacted with SXSW attendees and presented to the former CEO and current Executive Chairman of IBM, Ginni Rometty.
Former CEO of IBM, Ginni Rometty
The Why…
IBM was looking for a unique way to showcase the value of its Weather Underground API. As a group of interns in Austin, TX we decided to merge weather data with the connective tissue of SXSW — music.
The How…
We matched geo-location specific weather metrics with music tracks, allowing attendees to experience a unique song created by the weather of a designated place at a specific point in time. We named our interactive application Tempo, a play on both temperature and music.
Project Role
User Experience Researcher
I led the team through empathy and journey mapping in order to ground ourselves in the experience of a SXSW Interactive attendee. I also led ideation activities for how to merge weather data with music. I chose the key weather metrics and PWS locations through secondary research and past SXSW data.