Project Overview
In the context of home living during an epidemic, efficiency-driven screen reminders can challenge digital well-being, prompting a need to rethink the relationship between lifestyle and technology. This project encourages users to repurpose and transform everyday objects, fostering interaction with the physical world through hands-on building. By creating tangible information reminders, people are guided to observe their home life more closely, design creative cues, and reflect on their connection with digital technology.
Design Background
How can we move beyond the ubiquitous electronic screens that dominate our information and reminders, and instead perceive the flow of information through interaction with the physical world? IoT products create opportunities for such interactions by operating in tangible spaces, restoring and enhancing the exchange of information often missing in isolated and disconnected environments
Understanding Users
To better understand people’s habits and challenges in using digital health and digital products in daily life, I conducted online user interviews to identify potential opportunity areas
- Vison:
- To be free from constant dependence on my phone screen.
- To reduce unnecessary real-time alerts, focusing only on what truly matters.
- To find ways of connecting with friends beyond the screen, especially when working and studying remotely.
- Problem Analysis: In the context of working and studying at home, single-channel message reminders and excessive reliance on screens can harm digital well-being. This project investigates how to reduce unnecessary alerts, create more meaningful physical interactions, and explore new ways of delivering information that foster positive connections and reduce information anxiety.
Design Goal
To create a physical interactive product that fosters remote emotional connections, reduces screen time without compromising digital efficiency, and offers a healthy, engaging way to interact with information. The design aims to provide simpler operation, greater customisation, and meaningful physical engagement, encouraging people in home environments to put down their screens, focus on real-life interactions, and enhance their digital well-being during periods of isolation
Design Concept
In the context of home living during an epidemic, efficiency-first screen reminders challenge digital well-being, prompting a need to rethink the relationship between lifestyle and technology. This project encourages users to repurpose and transform everyday objects, fostering real-world interaction through hands-on making. By creating tangible information reminders, participants observe their home life more closely, design creative cues, and reflect on their connection with digital technology
This project reimagines how information can be delivered in the home by shifting from screen-based alerts to tangible, hands-on interactions. Through repurposing everyday objects, users not only receive meaningful reminders but also engage in creative making that strengthens their connection to the physical world. By reducing reliance on constant screen notifications, the design promotes healthier digital habits, fosters emotional connections, and enhances overall well-being—especially in the context of home living during an epidemic