Hi everyone, and thanks for joining in.
We present Azalea: a design to enrich remote dialog by diminishing externalities,
created through a process informed by somaesthetics.
Azalea is a smartphone-based design that consists of a bespoke app and a tactile cushion which envelops the phone.
A pair of Azaleas can be used to remotely connect two people through a phone call.
While most designs for enriching remote communication increase dimensions and fidelity of modalities,
we took a contrary approach by diminishing distractions.
In our everyday lives, gestures, gaze, facial expressions, and other subtle cues, are important factors that add to the quality of interpersonal communication.
In our work, we refer to these cues as "embodied information".
While being physically distanced, embodied information is difficult to compress in a digital medium and can lead to miscommunication.
When in a phone call with someone and you cannot really tell if they are listening or being distracted by something external.
To foreground embodiment in HCI design, we found a suitable foundation in somaesthetics
where technology is used to engage participants in deepening the experience of their own felt bodily sensations and movements.
Briefly summarized, somaesthetic design is grounded in interdisciplinary research and practice stimulating an "experience-centered" design approach.
Most examples of somaesthetic designs focus on introspection and body awareness.
Potentials of somaesthetics for expression and communication are under-explored, motivating us to incorporate this methodology in our project.
The design was inspired by a campfire metaphor.
Many elements of Azalea were modeled after this experience, such as a dark natural environment, the sound of fire crackling, and drifting off while staring into the fire.
Since smartphones are a widespread technology, we figured we would tap into that technology in a resourceful way.
Smartphones come readily equipped with several sensors and actuators which became the only technology used in Azalea.
Users bring the cushion to life by sliding in their phone, fully enclosing it.
The phone's flashlight is then able to project shapes into the user's direct environment.
Doing so, the phone is no longer a distractor and in turn, becomes the driver behind the communication.
The front display of the phone is continuously set to a color that corresponds to the volume of user's voices.
This color glows through the cushion's pattern, moving between a mild yellow glow at quiet conversations, and a bright pink burn as voices get louder.
Also, it allows for users' subtle movements to be translated into a soundscape.
Moving the cushion around in different ways will trigger immersive sounds such as crackling fire, running water, and serene singing bowls.
To evaluate this design we visited 10 pairs of participants in their own spaces,
presented a pair of prototypes, and let them explore the design in open-ended sessions lasting approximately 20 minutes, followed by surveys and interviews.
Our analysis revealed 12 qualities articulating the experience organised into 5 themes, and associated with design considerations and implications to inform future work.
For example, in 'Filling in the blanks', participants noted that the constant soundscape, created social comfort; removing awkward silences that occur during conventional calls:
Azalea not only facilitated the subtraction of distractions, but simulated a shared context via co-experienced soundscape and illumination.
The 'Singularity of Purpose' played an important role in the experience of Azalea.
The designed combination of the matching app and cushion serves no other application than remote communication.
We found that both physical and digital aspects of Azalea, such as the form, material, weight, sound and light... – influenced how people move and position their bodies during sessions.
We refer to this as 'Kinesthetic Conversation'.
Perhaps the most notable implication of this paper is the concept of “diminished reality”,
a design ethos in service of product design and interaction design.
We have attempted to portray this concept through Azalea as an example of how it can be implemented
– a design that motivates people to “turn off” their environment and distractions, inviting focus to connection and co-experience.
In our paper, you will find the full description of the 12 qualities and themes,
and a description of our design process, including the expert interviews we conducted.
We hope this project will inspire fellow designers and researchers to incorporate some of the design tactics into their own work.
Thanks for tuning in!