Strands: An investigation into the narrative of our connections
Quintet consists of 5 key components; the Speaker + Screen, camera, microphone, pendant and charging base
The Speaker + Base is made from responsibly sourced Hydrowood, salvaged from the rivers of Western Tasmania.
Abstract
The notion of distraction is so pervasive that our current technological epoch can be simply described as The Age of Distraction.
“While supposedly connecting us, social media services distract us from the most important people around us, as they use an attention-based business model; this means that these services have not been designed with our best interests in mind.”
With phenomena such as cancel culture and fake news causing huge cultural hysteria, companies like Facebook have had to consider the social implications of their design decisions.
Moreover, the disconnect between the design of the hardware and software creates user confusion and uncertainty, resulting in phenomena such as when a user is unsure if their microphone has been muted, as well as the common practice of covering webcams.
With the belief that design decisions which consider human interests can cause a positive impact on society, this project looked to see how digital connections could be deepened through conversations. Led by a design research approach, the project aimed to create a proof of concept case study that would have a positive influence on the digital communications industry.
- Vincent Tsang
See this project and more from our 2020 Honours Students here:
http://www.utsproductdesigngraduates.com/2020-honours/vincent-tsang
