Spoak
A tangible prototype presents a decorative tree where each branch symbolizes a social connection, aiming to foster healthy relationships in today's busy world. By interacting with friends or family, users light up corresponding branches with touch that will gradually dim over time to prompt reconnection.
Project Outline
This project was made in the course Tangible Interaction at Chalmers. It was a group project so I worked with three team members and the timeline was six weeks, from January to March 2024.
Scope
Research question: Is it possible to lessen the cognitive load of managing personal relations by using physical representations?
Problem: People struggle with remembering to contact friends and family regularly. We could benefit from a reminder to reach out to loved ones. Staying connected to friends and family is important for one’s well-being and for fostering healthy relationships.
Goal: This project focuses on ambient design, decorative information display, reminders, and the importance of relationships between humans to foster a rewarding lifestyle.
Design Method
This project followed a conventional design process with multiple iterations. We ideated, sketched, low-fidelity, Arduino, user testing, and high-fidelity prototypes.
Evaluation
The methods used for user feedback were think-aloud sessions and interviews with open-ended questions.
The concept seemed to be appreciated, and participants could see themselves using a refined
version of the artifact in the future. Participants
thought they would use it but might end up using it for a primarily decorative purpose. Several improvements were mentioned and implemented immediately including where to place touchpads.
