[Week 9] Sketch 2 Ideation

For sketch 2 assignment,  we are creating an interactive wearable based on the theme of wearing nature. My team decided to focus on the emotional state of comfort, affection, and trust. We decided to sense comforting and friendly gestures. Some gestures that represented affection and evoked comfort and trust is stroking, hugging, and patting.

Stroking- “a slow stroke may have a more relaxing effect whereas a fast stroke tends to stimulate”(Foundations of Massage, pg.176)

Hugging and patting - "Hugger holding tight or maybe just gently. Hugged person may well be holding tightly. Comforted person rests head on shoulder or breast. Comforting person leans head on head of other person, patting or stroking them. Administering of comfort to distressed other person. May be between friends, partners or parent-child" (http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/hugging.htm).


The objective of the project is to use arduino to sense and recieve signals from the real-world. In our case, we are sensing stroking gestures. We decided on using forces sensors to detect the stroke gestures such as the length of stroke, pressure of stroke, and number of stroke.Then we are to translate these values into a visual feedback. Below are our ideation on the theme of wearing nature.

Idea #1

The first idea involved the theme of mutualism:
Mutualism based on the relationship between the person stroking, the host (aka. the environment), and the shell creature (ex. coral reefs)The host benefits and receives warmth of comfort/intimacy and relaxation from person stroking (This is a metaphor for people who affects the environment and needs to take care of the environment to support and sustain marine biodiversity). The shell creature benefits from the warm environment given off by the host as shells live in warm and calm/non-turbulent waters. The calm and warm environment also supports creatures to live in the coral reef, therefore there will be LED light feedback, giving a pigment to the shell creature. The environment/host will further benefit from the shell creature, as the creature’s life is sustained, the creature either vibrates/ give off warmth to the host/environment.

However, this idea was too complicated and abstract that we decided scrap it. As well, a creature on the back of a person may not embody affection and comfort. Others may see the creature as gross or scary, not a sign of warmth. We need to consider the user experience and how it may affect other's perspective.

Idea #2

Our second idea involves flower as a representation of a person receiving affection from another individual who is close with the person. Giving a flower to another person is a universal symbol of displaying their affection to the other person. A flower is usually associated with affection. We wanted to incorporate a flower as a metaphor for a person opening up and trusting the other individual who is providing them with friendly acts of stroking, patting, and hugging. 

So far, we have two types of flowers that we are considering to implement.

Now as we move on to implementing we need to consider the following:

1. research where to put sensor