Master Project
The purpose of this study was to create spontaneous online interactions and a sense of togetherness in a friend group of six friends during the COVID-19 Pandemic, where social interactions have mostly been movedto online environments.
The approach of this study has been research through design, using an exploratory prototype to investigate how to initiate a conversation through an ambient display.
The exploratory prototype, Connection Crystals, created more online interactions in the friend group and created a shift in who initiated the interactions. Furthermore, the online interactions created using the prototype were mainly voice communication, whereas they would usually use text before the deployment.
Background
For this project, we have been working with the change in interactions between people due to social restrictions and started investigating different topics and issues. When we had the groundwork for our project, we focused on spontaneous interactions and the lack of these during the pandemic. Since the interactions could not be physical, the focus was on creating spontaneous online interactions by using an ambient display as an exploratory prototype. To understand the problem area, we built on research about togetherness, connectedness, friendship dynamics and ambient displays that we used as a basis for our approach and evaluation.
Concept
The prototype was designed to be used when the user wants to interact with one or more of the other connected users. By pressing the button on the device, the user activated his or her central crystal with a specific colour. At the same time, the device would send a signal to the database, updating the status of the specific crystal. The other connected devices would then read the updated status and subsequently turn on a crystal of the same colour.
Then if the other users wanted to respond, they would also press
their button, and the same effect would happen in reverse. After
two or more users had noticed the change, they could then get in
contact by using other online platforms to communicate while still
signalling to the remaining users that they are interacting.
Storyboard
Results
The result of the study showed that the friend group had more interactions than before the deployment period. Furthermore, the responsibility of initiating contact was distributed to multiple people, which created a change in the dynamic. The participants stated that they talked more to different friends in the group than they usually did due to the prototype. Several participants found
the prototype to be a good icebreaker and a reason to initiate contact, which they were missing before the deployment.
The prototypes created a sense of togetherness across the friend group by reminding them of each other. When using the prototype, the participants felt more sure about when they could contact their friends and perceived that they did not waste time by waiting for text responses.
The lights did not disturb or irritate but worked as an ambient solution, which all participants placed on their work desks. We found that the prototype made it effortless to initiate interactions, especially for shy and introverted people, as it eliminated some of the concerns.
Credits
Made in collaboration with Clara Sofie Rose, Gustav Breindahl and Anja Ryom Jensen