This individual project was part of a masters course Project Exploring Interactions. The goal of the project was to research a context of your choice and design a product for said context with focus on interaction research.

Keywords Interaction Design
 Interactive Technology
 Prototyping
 User testing 

CONCEPT

For six months I have researched sleeplessness in students as a result of the COVID-19 lock-down. Through activities such as context mapping, interviews and user testing, I have established the root of sleeplessness in my participants which was having restless thoughts. 

Based on that I have formulated a design goal: to help students empty their minds before falling asleep through self-expression. 

When you go to bed and feel restless it's often difficult to wind down and get your mind to rest. Your racing thoughts keep you up for hours and stand in the way of healthy sleep.

Talking to someone or writing everything down can help but is often inaccessible when lying in bed or uncomfortable to do when restless. Void solves this problem, it's your listening ear at the moment when you need it the most. Just pick your Void up from the nightstand to activate it and talk to it for as long as you need, it will make you feel heard and relieved while the process of combing through your thoughts will result in clarity and peace of mind.

Void is responsive to your needs, it turns on immediately when you tilt it and turns itself off once you fall asleep. The fluent reaction to your speech lets you know that Void is listening while the spiraling inwards light creates a feeling of depth. it's mesmerizing to look at and the constant visual stimuli make it easy to focus on the product. 

The main principle behind the working of Void is verbalization and acknowledgment of the restlessness. After expressing themselves user will feel relieved and more in control, enabling them to reach a state of rest.


Choices of material, shape, colours and light behaviour were all carefully researched and tested in order to ensure the effectiveness and feasibility of the product. 

Every little aspect of the Void contributes to a calming and trustworthy interaction.


PROTOTYPING & TESTING

CONTEXT MAPPING

Throughout the project I have used various design research methods in order to gain deep insights into the context of sleeplessness and student lifestyle. 



INDIVIDUAL PROJECT_____DURATION 6 MONTHS_____MSc DESIGN FOR INTERACTION