Monica Gardiner
Hello, and welcome to an overview of my postgraduate major project whilst I was studying at Loughborough University.
I hope to continue providing users with intuitive experiences!
Hello, and welcome to an overview of my postgraduate major project whilst I was studying at Loughborough University.
I hope to continue providing users with intuitive experiences!
Exploring the use of wearables and it’s impact on social connectedness.
Through this project, I created two prototypes, combining physical media and interactive Figma screens. Both having different pathways at trying to relieve social anxiety and help positively engage users in social situations.
Prototype A’s foundations were built on enhancing human experiences and regulating a user’s social battery when interacting in different situations. This took the form of a wristwatch wearable. It also aimed to help the user through providing a sensory experience with gentle vibrations to the wrist. Through the ‘wizard of oz’ technique, mixed materials were combined to mimic the idea.
Prototype B’s foundations took an empathetic route to providing a solution, relying solely on user needs discovered through primary data collection. This ended up taking the form of an audio based wearable, using music as a coping strategy whilst encouraging positive social engagement. A multi-sensory approach was adapted by providing the user with a fidget toy styled case. This aimed to ground the socially anxious user through tactile design whilst listening to music. Prototype B also used the ‘wizard of oz’ technique for the idea to take shape.