instruction sets for strangers
Overview
This project explores interfaces as connectors in socially mobile contexts. Our team designed an interactive installation with a rack, colored posters representing emotions, and colored string. Users placed strings corresponding to their emotions and engaged in conversations about their choices. With minimal instructions, the project successfully fostered communication between strangers.
Skills
User Experience Design
Problem
Public spaces often fail to encourage meaningful connections or interactions between people. While these environments are shared by many, they tend to lack elements that spark spontaneous engagement or deeper communication. As a result, opportunities to connect with others and reflect on shared emotions are often overlooked.
Solution
Our team designed an interactive installation aimed at fostering communication and emotional expression in a shared space. The installation consisted of a simple rack, posters representing various emotions with corresponding colors, and colored string. Users were invited to select a string color that reflected their current emotion and place it on the rack. The design was intentionally minimal, with little to no instructions, allowing users to interpret and interact with the object naturally.
The installation not only encouraged individuals to reflect on their own emotions but also created opportunities for interaction between strangers. Conversations often emerged as people asked each other about their color choices, sparking meaningful discussions. This intervention successfully transformed a shared space into one that encouraged connection, introspection, and dialogue.
Key Takeaways
This project taught me how simple, thoughtfully designed interfaces can encourage unprompted social interaction and engagement.
I gained an understanding of how to design for emotional expression in a way that feels natural and accessible to users.
I learned the importance of creating space for interpretation, allowing users to shape their own experiences with minimal guidance.
The experience showed how physical installations can serve as powerful tools for fostering community and meaningful connections in public spaces.