I thought I would post some key points from the presentations on friday and establish my new direction for the next week or so.
Initially with the “what are you doing, Dave?” brief I wanted to look at the relationship specifically between Generation-Y and Technology. We casually socialise and communicate through text messages, instant messenger, email and video chat applications such as skype, webcam, ichat and more.
This got me thinking about how personal or impersonal this socialising may be and how human contact is lacking.
This then brought me to the physical human contact and intimacy in interaction such as hugging, touch, holding hands, kissing etc. So I experimented with simulating the feeling of holding hands.
This originally was going to be a device that you could plug in and utilise while video chatting as if you were holding someones hand across a distance if you couldnt be with them physically.
But then I wanted to move away from the physical constraints of the computer entirely and go “unplugged”
I wanted something that could be utilised anywhere and was easily accessible through everyday means. So again, human touch came into play and i was thinking about what it is like for someone to grab your attentions through touch, for example when someone reaches out and touches or holds your arm. I wanted this device to be something that could be triggered or initiated through texting.
Instead of vibrating or signaling an audio sound I wanted this to give you a squeeze or a hold. So I made this band prototype that when you receive a text message the band that you wear around your arm is simultaneously inflated by CO2 cartridges resulting in a light squeeze. The message or squeeze could be anonymous and purely for the thoughtful gesture that someone is thinking of you.
Thanks to Matt West for his subtle acting skills.