Duration: 10 Weeks
Senior Thesis
Context
In the first eight months of the COVID-19 pandemic rates of anxiety and depression skyrocketed. People were told to stay home, to go to class through a tiny computer, fear others, and many lost their jobs. It became easier to focus on the past or the future than the threat of our current time.
Practicing Graditude
Past
We visit our past selves as a way to remember the positive, know how to honor our past self, and learn how to improve our future self.
Present
Talking to our present self is about decision making, reflecting, and understanding. This is where we set goals and ground ourselves.
Future
Thinking about the future is a chance to ask yourself what gifts you can give to yourself. Your present self becomes your past self and you continue to learn valuable lessons.
Take A Beat
Muse challenges people to ground themselves in the moment. It asks the person to stop, to think, discover, and practice gratitude. This little stone tracks one heartbeat and mimics it back to the person in real-time. Its job is to be a companion for fidgeting, meditation, and therapy.
Materials
Cactus Leather
An authentic material that wears over time, becoming personal and more natural.
Ethically Sourced Stone
Stones are already used as crystals in spiritual practices, each stone is unique and channels crucial energy.
Recycled Aluminum
Aluminum is a reliable source, and one of the most recyclable materials. This material allows for more control of the weight of the product.
"I want something that feels authentic. like when you're walking on a trail and there is like a section of a tree that's worn down from people touching that same spot"
-User Testing
The Guts
Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave Radar
A radar sensor that radiates continuous transmission power like a simple continuous-wave radar, allows for a more accurate reading.
Machine Learning
Machine-learning algorithms use statistics to find patterns in massive amounts of data and continue to learn as more data is collected.
Haptics/Vibrations
Technology that stimulates the senses of touch and motion. This allows for a simulation of direct interaction.
We will be living in a world that will forever be longing for the past.
-Survey Participant
User Testing
Texture
""Real leather if it were stacked, and kind of worn-in together it could be cool, like how broken in wallets feel, or saddle, shoes, boots, stuff like that."
"These remind me of a warm fire in a library and the spine of a good book, while this one reminds me of a comfy couch, so they are all comfy but in thier own ways."
"The leather is sexy, but I want it to feel like authentic, like an authentic material."
Size/Shape
"I like having the two different-sized things in my hand, it's easy to move them around."
"My mom got me a crystal shaped like this ( a river stone) and its really nice to like, slide around in your hands."
" I would want it to be more natural and organic, but not overly round, like a circle,
Ethically sourced, sustainably made.
Weight
"I definitely want it to be a little heavier, because I want to be able to feel it in my hand."
"I don't want it to be so light that I feel like I am holding air, but I also don't want it too heavy."
"Like a river rock palm size, however much that would weight."
