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Tactile Companionship 


Inclusive micro-communication tool designed to alleviate anxiety surrounding family separation.


// Lexus Design Award Short List 2021



Objective:

To help relieve isolation and separation-induced anxiety and depression felt by older adults by eliminating barriers to intergenerational communication.

Challenge:

To provide a convenient low-tech solution for intergenerational communication that addresses the unique user pain points for multiple generations.



Project Statement


Changes in today’s family structure,  family network, and urban migration increase the physical and emotional distance between generations, causing behavioral health problems among older adults. One in four older adults experiences a behavioral health problem such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse - Only exacerbated by external events that are beyond their control. These are caused by and, in turn, affect physical deterioration, global-sensory impairment, and, most importantly, quality of life as one age. As older adults age, their overall ability to communicate deteriorates. Meanwhile, their need for familial communication drastically increases.





Process



















Research


To have a holistic view, we needed to consider the following:

  1. Why they’re behavioral health was deteriorating

  2. How they communicated with their family.

  3. What they were using to communicate.







First, we wanted to understand why isolation affected behavioral problems in older adults. Preliminary research shed light on various interconnected issues that older adults face, such as changing demographic structure, global sensory impairment, and physical deterioration.






Population is aging across the world.





Global sensory impairment increases with age, leading to the shame of engaging with friends and difficulty using modern technology. (CDC)





“Depression can cause great suffering and leads to impaired functioning in daily life. Older people with depressive symptoms have poorer functioning compared to those with chronic medical conditions such as lung disease, hypertension or diabetes.”




Family Separation



Family separation results in older adults experiencing increased isolation from family networks. The separation can manifest in Physical and emotional distance between different generations, causing behavioral health problems among older adults. The behavioral issues compound the effects of physical deterioration, mobility issues, and loss of companionship. So, why is it happening?

  1. Lifestyle: Younger adults are leaving studying, working, and living further from their hometowns.

  2. Technology: Today’s technology market is geared toward the younger population, leaving behind older people who might not be as technologically literate.



2020 Research shows that 47% of older adults worldwide do not live with extended family or adult children. (PEW)




How do we combat loneliness and isolation?

To understand how older adults could combat behavioral problems and how their families played a role, we conducted qualitative research through interviews to better access our end-user.

As a target demographic, we decided to understand how long-distance families function as prime examples of groups of intergenerational families that rely on technology to communicate. We conducted in-depth ethnographic 90-minute interviews to understand the nuances of each family type  and had two significant insights:


  1. Older adults and their families experience different stressors around communication.

  2. Older adults and their families have different drivers for communication.






Understanding the 2 End-Users: Pain Points and Gaps






Survey and interview results show that pain points cluster around time and technology, aka convenience and inclusiveness.






🧓🏼


End-User #1: Older Adults


Older adults that lived alone and apart from their family had 3 main communication pain points.

  1. Not able to figure out technology ( current technology for mainstream user)
  2. Family not reaching out enough ( this finding confirms existing research that demonstrates older adults’ need for micro-communication, and the benefits of quantity over quality).


👩🏻


End-User #2: Family Members
Family that lived away from older adult living solo POV:

  1. Not finding time to communicate, build up of expectation to have a “quality chat”
  2. Stressed over inability to communicate and instruct about technology problems.






What could we do to bridge the gap?




We wanted to know what products are currently on the market, and what they were not addressing.

There were three main types of existing products:

  1. Emergency devices  (eg. Life Alert)
  2. Companionship substitutes  (eg. Robot Dogs)
  3. Communication devices





Competitive positioning illustrates the unique value proposition of preSENSE. 

Competitor Analysis


Focusing on the benefitis and unique value-add, we are able to competitively position ourselves and differentiate the produce from the competition. After end-user interviews and research,  we analyzed our competitors and found a significant market gap.

  1. Fail to address the importance of family networks on mental health in older adults. There were no products that allowed for micro-communication, and even little that allowed family members to have tactile communication with one another over long distances.

  2. Most wearable devices that ease family anxiety, function as emergency devices, allowing family members to know IF something happened to the older adult. We saw an opportunity in a communication device that can address chronic anxiety and stress related to family separation

  3. Current communication devices are catered towards the mainstream user, and is not factoring older adults who have issues with complex technology.







Design Process



After determining the market gaps and pain points for our users. We determined three main design goals:

  1. Tactile: The device must resemble familial companionship.


  2. Inclusive: The device must be simple enough for older adult to use.


  3. Convenient: The device must be small enough for both users to carry around on a daily basis and encourages frictionless micro-communication.






preSENSE helps families be present for one another by facilitating frictionless, effortless bi-directional family support - giving peace of mind to both younger and the older.




Familial and Inclusive


preSENSE increases family companionship between aging adults and their families by allowing them to feel one another’s physical presence. The tool allows for daily and spontaneous and playful micro-communication to aging adults from their children or grand-children, and sends family members real-time updates about their parents or grandparents. preSENSE uses intuitive tactile micro-communication methods, and is designed to be technologically inclusive for both the older adults and younger demographic. Taking into consideration the global sensory impairment of older adults, the device uses multi-sensory inputs and outputs within the communication method.





Designed with inclusivity in mind for all family members, preSENSE uses both active and passive ways of communication including multi-sensory inputs and outputs.



Convenience


We wanted the device to be convenient and pleasant to interact with. The design had to alleviate anxiety and stress through its form, and be straight forward and simple to use. We played with several forms before deciding on the form of a riverstone. With its form derived from nature, preSENSE is smooth and soothing to touch. Its form and size are designed to slip easily into your pocket, become a wearable, or simply held in your hands when you want someone to hold onto. This small pebble-like device can accommodate you wherever you go - giving comfort, alleviating anxiety, and strengthening the connection between you and your loved ones through the simple gesture of touch.





Prototyping



Initial prototype uses integrated smart IoT technology,  tactile sensors measuring frequency, duration and pressure, and electrothermal materials. The simple technology allows for frequent and spontaneous micro-communication.


Inspired by the form of a riverstone, preSENSE builds family connection and soothes anxiety and loneliness through multi-sensory micro-communication.




So What?



preSENSE focuses on the joys of spontaneous connections and minute gestures of thoughtfulness.


preSENSE emphasizes the innately human act of caring - the touch. Designed with global sensory impairment and technological difficulties in mind, preSENSE strengthens family connections by making frequent communications accessible. It is for the busy bees who want to be there but cannot find the time, and for the older adult that may have difficulties with modern technologies (eg. zoom). When two parties, such as grandparent and children, hold preSENSE together - the mere presence each other’s touch generates warmth and reassurance - knowledge that your loved one is present.
© Isa He
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