For many, being able to clearly articulate one's thoughts/feelings in an effort to analyze them is extremely challenging. In the age of constant connection, it's harder than ever to manage emotions when content and self comparison are always accessible. Those fortunate enough can turn to therapy or mental health professionals for guidance, and some find help through an increasing number web based resources - but what about those who either don't have access or don't have success with these resources? For my senior capstone project I explored the question;
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How might we aid in fostering emotional intelligence and
self-growth among those who are struggling to do so?
RESEARCH
PHASE I:
Interviews Surveys Blogs & Testimonials
Problem Identification:
Emotional intelligence is directly correlated with emotional and physical
well-being, and has been proven to be an acquired skill rather than an inherited trait.
Emotional intelligence and actionability has declined significantly across nearly all demographics within the past decade.
Those with cognitive disabilities and/or mental illnesses can struggle to analyze their emotions in a productive manner. These needs often get left behind in traditional care & treatment settings.
Market:
Many are turning to mobile applications as a substitute for often unaffordable therapy programs - applications such as Calm, Headspace, and Sanvello have quickly claimed market space. While beneficial to some, most mobile wellness apps have significant retention issues and can be counterproductive due to the fact that cell phones are a source of stress and anxiety for many.
Driven by growing social trends and rising healthcare costs, the self-care / wellness product industry has grown to be valued over 450 billion dollars, spanning multiple CPG categories.
Insights:
Among people who have lesser emotional intelligence (using NCBI EI metric), associating emotions with arbitrary signifiers (e.g color, sound, inanimate objects) has been shown to help people articulate their thoughts and emotions when compared to objective descriptions.
Journaling is a proven method for self reflection and emotional enhancement for many - others though, struggle to articulate their words through writing and have a tough time implementing it into their daily routine.
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Target Space:
Conventional Solutions:
Therapy, journaling, meditation, medication, reading, exercise, etc.
Design Opportunity
Novel Solutions:
Blue-Sky Ideation Sketching Modeling
Mobile wellness applications, salt lamps, SAD lamps, music therapy devices, oil diffusers
Concept Development
PHASE II:
Design Criteria:
Product must have a physical interaction component - any possible digital component ought to be able to be used independently of users cell phone.
Product must be unobtrusive and not draw excessive attention as an emotional support device.
Product is to be highly usable - must be accessible to all different mental and physical capabilities.
After compiling my design criteria, I began to ideate on a physical interface that was unobtrusive, utilized simple physical interaction, and fit within the current trends of the consumer electronics and wellness products space.
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These sketches demonstrate some of the form exploration surrounding the concept of this product having a secondary function that allows it to exist within the users space without being an unnecessary reminder to the user or any guests of its primary function. This concept was influenced by mobile wellness applications - many users become frustrated with notifications encouraging use, as it can interfere with their enjoyment of everyday activities. In this case, the secondary function is a bedside light that can be toggled through simple interaction.
Through prototyping, user testing, and refinement I was able to identify the most viable product solution and fully prototype it.
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After continuing to explore form under these constraints through sketching, I landed on a couple of concepts that I wanted to prototype:
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FINALIZATION
PHASE III:
bloom is the emotional health and wellness device designed to be usable for all. bloom aids users in enhancing their emotional wellbeing and healthy habits by facilitating self reflection, goal setting, and disrupting unhealthy practices - all in an unobtrusive and easy to use manner.
when not in use, bloom serves as bedside light, changing color throughout the day to correspond with the user's circadian rhythms.
to engage the journal, user tips bloom.
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the user then speaks their journal entry to bloom, referencing the emotion they just indicated. afterwards, bloom asks the user if they accomplished their goal for the day and what they would like to accomplish tomorrow.
user taps the color that corresponds to the emotion that they are feeling.
user indicates the intensity of the emotion they are feeling through tapping the corresponding intensity of the color.
users then can create another entry or end the session by returning bloom to its dormant state.
the bloom application offers users facilitated analyzation of their emotional wellbeing, access to past journal entries and goals, as well as suggestions of healthy next steps when they are either doing very poorly or very well.
splash page:
splash page shown to users upon initial configuration.
journal home page:
the journal page allows users to see their general emotional trends and access previous entries.
the insights page allows users to see how their emotions changed throughout the week and which were most prominent. clicking on an emotion brings users to the analysis page.
insights page:
analysis page:
the analysis page offers facilitated interpretation of users emotions. users can see a general analysis of a given emotion, what it means for it to be present, and suggestions on how to either continue with or eradicate the emotion in their day to day life. users are shown the specific entries where they indicated said emotion or feeling.
goals page:
the goals page allows users to view their goal adherence as well as to analyze their emotional trends associated with goal adherence or
lack-thereof.
