Where is:
“Where is:” is an application meant to augment and aid in emotional communication in long-distance relationships, whether romantic or not. Prototypes and the final design were closely co-designed with couples in long-distance relationships. Through discussions about intimacy, relationships, and the different stresses that arise through long distances, methods of interaction and design came forth.
Several designs were sketched and co-designed before the final application, “Where is:”, was decided upon. Through this design, I wanted to explore the possibilities and intricacies of low-bandwidth and intimate communication.
Several designs were sketched and co-designed before the final application, “Where is:”, was decided upon. Through this design, I wanted to explore the possibilities and intricacies of low-bandwidth and intimate communication.
“Where is:” allows people to locate the direction and location of a loved one and then send messages that appear on the other’s screen, which they can then send back. Haptic vibrations accompany the messages. Three screen variations show the status of your and the other person’s direction:
1. The other person is looking at you, which makes the screen slightly lighter.
2. You are near the correct direction. White bars appear at the sides of the screen, and the screen becomes a lighter hue
3. You are looking directly at the other person. White bars encompass the whole screen, and it turns orange.
1. The other person is looking at you, which makes the screen slightly lighter.
2. You are near the correct direction. White bars appear at the sides of the screen, and the screen becomes a lighter hue
3. You are looking directly at the other person. White bars encompass the whole screen, and it turns orange.
You are looking directly at the other person
Sound House
Sound House is a group project developed during the TEI-21 Course at Malmö University.
The Bee
What is "The Bee"?
The Bee is an interactive decoration that reacts to your distance from it and your presence in the room. Its’ purpose is to deepen the connection between users and their plants. Visual and role prototypes were made in the workshop at Malmö University with laser-cut MDF board, glue, and spray paint. Earlier prototypes were made out of cardboard for quick prototyping and user testing, these were handmade and later laser cut. This was a group project where each member shared an equal say in all parts of the design. All images shown here are my contributions to the project.
Research Question
What is the relationship between a person and their plant?
Problem
Seeing their plants grow gives the owners a sense of accomplishment. However, taking care of plants that don't grow much or that have slow-growing periods during the fall and winter can seem pointless.
The concept is a playful interaction decoration that reacts to your presence and makes different nature/bee soundscapes to instil a feeling of life and nature into our living environment when different seasons and outer factors slow down plant growth. This creates a deeper connection between people and their plants by encouraging them to interact more often and even perhaps more spontaneously as they are enticed by the sounds as they walk by.
One of the interactions that we have designed for our bee prototype is a distance sensor that, when you approach
and move closer to the bee, the sounds it makes modulates and changes according to your distance from it.
and move closer to the bee, the sounds it makes modulates and changes according to your distance from it.
When you have approached the bee, you can then touch it. Touching activates a vibration within the bee. We tested different types of vibrations and found that users overall liked the heartbeat vibration the most since they found that it was the one most connected to oneself. It made the interaction close and intimate. The vibration is controlled and modulated by the moisture in the soil (controlled by a moisture sensor). If the soil is dry, the heartbeat gets quicker and more stressed and if the soil is sufficiently watered, the heartbeat is calm. This, too, is meant to make users come closer to their plants and interact with them more intimately, as the heartbeat becomes an abstraction of the plants' well-being.
