As my final degree project in interaction design, I have been investigating the relationship my grandma and I have with our respective smartphones. Even though sometimes we tend to perceive older people as the ones facing difficulties with these devices, when studying our particular case, it became clear to me that she was not the only one struggling in this medium.
After tracking our usage, we discovered that both of us spent much more time than we wanted on them. Through interviews, we both also admitted having some anxieties about feeling vulnerable without them, as if they had become indispensable parts of our bodies. Furthermore, the number of interactive possibilities, notifications, and media trying to catch our attention did not benefit either of us. For my grandma, who hasn’t grown up with these devices and is not as familiar as I am, they intimidated her, while for me, who has grown up surrounded by this technology, they caught my attention and dragged me.
So we had our differences in using, understanding, and struggling with them, but what really caught my attention was the fact that we both would deal with all of that just because of the possibility they give us to feel connected with the ones we love. We see these devices as the ultimate tools to connect with others, and they sometimes do, but we also have to bear in mind that there are interests behind smartphones, people who benefit from our constant interaction. If we become users, we become workers, and our relationships products. Both the isolation and disconnection, as well as the addiction or FOMO that these technologies can generate, end up resulting in the opposite of the mottos they preach and we seek: connecting us.
Reaching this point, the aim of the project became to build a device that could help my grandma and me transmit affection while being apart, getting away from our smartphones. The objective was to generate a space where my grandma and I could interact with each other fully focusing on our interaction, without any distractions that could steal our attention or make us rush. Fusing digital and analog elements, the artifact is familiar to both of us. Even though it uses ICT technologies, it has a warm feeling to it and is transparent about how it operates.
This device takes a form that resembles an old writing desk, which can only be opened by placing your phone in the external drawer. Inside, you can find the space to write a letter, capture it with a webcam, and send it to the other desk at the other user’s house. The external lamp on the other person’s desk would light up to indicate there is a message, and once they unlock it, they can receive it by activating the robotic arm that would write it for them.
https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/WluylsbrDZK4k5tbOELCtNc18FPQj43xGWE6p1j-5Q4EpVzwrqYy4vDwrGRtknpgY9dNS1BcHpQoUSzZhJo3ePPJrrmNVeU1Zrr_o98DnkM7wzmrXdoUszjs0Qw_MxluMC4Sw0O2ylhUWA95jaD13lA
https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/rS4yNkDGQ7az0hLvnHd5NdjIWbVhT1-1XYp_KLFmjdDPTotSTkbIDVHZR0mfxcV7qW39TDtQ6hAX27036ppMUducoKK39wzlghOGbhPMk4hDxGQoNjaXvkpfmoAQfP42kLUbpbcwDEQmNS8ZlGMPiMs
Drawer on the top to store your phone
When you want to open the desk you need to put your smartphone inside. Infrared sensors monitor the state of the desk and the secretaire. A couple of servo motors act as locks, ensuring that the secretaire cannot be opened unless the phone is inside the outer desk.
Lamp on the top
Acts as a notification. When the desk has received a letter, it turns on, lightning the message engraved on the top of the desk “Tienes un mensaje” (You have a message). The calligraphy is mine.
Little servo arm
Activated by the buttons, can print the recieved letter.
Buttons and leds