Hi, my name is Nermeen and today, I want to present to you a project I have been working
on for the last year, with my teammates Margarita and Kevin.
As I'm sure many of you will know, and have experienced yourself, in 2020, many among us
and perhaps for none more so than university students.
Our relationships to and through our devices are increasingly complex;
have spent more time than ever before with our mobile devices.
And yet, there remain many gaps in our knowledge of just how students perceive and desire their
engagement with these devices.
Our paper presents a user-centred, iterative design process, involving 157 participants
in total, and concerning the role smartphones play in students’ lives; contributing findings
from five phases of mixed-methods research, and resulting in a final concept solution
that enables users to select, configure and reshape their interactions with their devices.
As you might know, many of the decisions we make as designers and developers are driven
by a desire to engage users.
And our now widespread use of mobile devices shows just how successful we have been in this respect.
More recently, many highly-engaging design patterns have been subject to critique for
However, this success has also raised issues at times.
encouraging passive and mindless [forms of] interaction with adverse consequences
for our productivity, mental health and social connectedness.
Design to support mindful interaction has, in contrast, been framed as empowering users
to obtain and maintain control of our technology use.
Today, companies including Apple, Google, Facebook and TikTok provide in-app tools enabling
users to limit their screen time, and promoting more meaningful interactions.
And yet, the extent to which these features support our digital wellbeing remains unclear.
So, what is our solution?
We are each familiar with `Silent' and perhaps even `Quiet' modes, as supported by Fitbit devices for example.
This prototype solution builds on prior HCI research by asking what other modes of engagement
Our final technological solution comes in the form of Alone Mode, a reframing of the mobile app ecosystem,
we might aspire beyond abstinence.
enabling users to reshape their interactions while alone in order to
promote a healthier relationship with our smartphone devices.
First, it prompts users to customise their notification settings by choosing which apps
and contacts they want to allow during the mode.
This prototype solution has four primary features.
In alignment with this feature, disabled apps are greyed out, as the bright colors can prove distracting.
Secondly, it supports the creation of motivational messages to help the user persist with activation of the mode.
Thirdly, the user can customise no-reply texts, which will be sent to individuals trying to
reach the user during Alone Mode.
Finally, the fourth primary feature is the selection of alert keywords, which allows
notifications to be unlocked in case one of the predefined keywords are detected in incoming notifications.
This ensures disabled contacts to reach the user in case of emergency.
In developing this solution we have come to a rich understanding of the challenges smartphone
use poses for students today - an understanding embodied in our concept solution and our design choices.
And indeed, we found that students’ perceptions of their mobile devices spanned multi-tool
and willpower battle, seat of personal values, and judge of consciousness and awareness.
This is why we recommended that designers and researchers seeking to support digital wellbeing;
Offer Choice Strategically by letting users define urgent and meaningful interactions.
Work Towards Device-Level Solutions by offering system-level solutions for digital wellbeing
Provide Desired Opportunities for Consciousness-Raising by introducing micro boundaries to prompt
user reflection and promote more mindful interactions, and finally
Design Not for Abstinence but Alternative Forms of Engagement in order to design from
a positive and hopeful perspective on engagement rather than propagating values of shame and
guilt in relation to digital wellbeing.
Just one example of a broader modal interaction paradigm, this solution empowers users beyond
abandonment and distraction, in support of digital wellbeing.
wellbeing solutions will continue to provide insight into the role smartphone devices play
In the future, additional long-term studies of this technology prototype and related digital
in the lives of university students and support the continued development of strategies for
the design of meaningful practices of mobile engagement.