PreSense
Multi-sensorial in-person experience
Multi-sensorial communication devices
tag: Teamwork, design research, product design, futuristic, innovation
PreSense is a near-future product that emulates a multi-sensorial in-person experience to improve the connection between grandparents and grandchildren, giving them the ability to meaningfully spend time together even they are physically apart.
time: 2020
The Course
In 2020, the whole world was experiencing a huge challenge: the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone was facing challenges during this time, our life changed, so did the world. People trying to eliminate social interactions, work, study, living, almost everything moved to the digital, virtual space. We know that with the process of disease control and advancement in medical care, the virus would be under control and we could go back to a more interactive world. However, will it be the same with the life before COVID? With technology development, many things have already changed the way we interact. What would it be like in the future?
The Objectives
The focus will be designing for the “new normal” as we cope with the societal changes brought about by COVID-19. Each team will select a domain of emerging technology and explore it through the lens of an experimental “post-human centered” design process that enables us to work with empathy not just for the "user," but for every participant in the system we seek to change.
— MY ROLE
Design Researcher, Product designer
— COLLABORATORS
Aamena Ansari
Eddie Kure
— COURSE DETAILS
Product Innovation
Post-human Centered Design
John Payne
Verizon Wireless, Head of Service Design
Our Project
The Future Setting
In the future, with the population explosion, climate change, and contentious pandemic. there is not enough space for humans living on the earth. In 2050, astronautical technology has significant breakthroughs, allowing people to live on Mars as the second habitat.
The younger generations are encouraged to move to Mars to develop a human colony, which makes grandparents and grandkids live in separated outer-space.
-
Different generations live on a far distant planet.
-
Grandparents and the kids are missing in-person interaction
How might we design a multi-censorial communication tool to help enhance the experience of intergenerational connection when they are physically apart?
Why we need the intergenerational connection?
From a Berkeley research: What happens when old and young connect
Impact on elders
-
3 times as likely to be happy
-
The age of 70s became the time of joy and not despair
“Masters of Generativity tripled the chances that the decade of the 70s would be for these men and women a time of joy and not of despair.”
– Harvard psychiatrist George Vaillant
“Every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about him or her.”
– Cornell professor and child psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner
Impact on youth
-
46% decrease in drug use
-
50% decrease in school truancy
-
33% decrease in violent behavior
Case Study
“Eating together is the key to building a community.”
– Susan
“The culture builds off of each person’s unique spark.”
– Carla
“Scheduling hangouts? Something is wrong here!”
– Asta
Oak Park CoHousing Group
Oak Park CoHousing Group Interview
Life happens in shared spaces
Joy is found between ritual and spontaneity
Important to learn from different walks of life
Our Solution
The Storyboard
Product
You can feel a sense of togetherness as if you lived together with your family, even though you are on different planets.
Pre-Sense enables you to
smell the atmosphere,
hear sounds,
see who is in which room,
talk spontaneously,
and feel the warmth and heartbeat of your family.
Product features
Multi-sensorial experience
Hover over the left side icon to see more details
Pre-Sense enables you to
smell the atmosphere,
hear sounds,
see who is in which room,
talk spontaneously,
and feel the warmth and heartbeat of your family.
Benefits
Create new memories through a sense of presence with your loved ones.
Further considerations
Cultural shifts
How might Pre-Sense fill the gap between cultural, social, economic differences between Adam and Grandma’s life experiences?
Aging and needs
How might Pre-Sense support Adam for the nuances of Grandma’s changing needs with age? And offer ease to Grandma?