Digital Long Distance Relationships

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This is a conceptual design of a haptic interactive digital object that intimately connects two people.  Designed by Spencer Denton and Carson Massie, junior industrial design students at Western Washington University, as part of my introduction to interaction design project.

They found that "technology is amazing, but... Does technology make sense to serve us a foundation for our relationships?  Human interaction on a personal level is not translating well to the digital world."

Their problem statement was "Technology has created relationships and social interactions that lack touch and presence.  Create an interface between two individuals, which acts as a platform that fosters intimate communication."


digital messages are so easy that they've lost their meaning.

How can we use technology to communicate intimacy?

Connecting the long distance relationship with technology.


Your partners caress can be seen as moving finger prints on a molded OLED screen.

Warmth is transmitted between devices as their companion interacts with theirs in real time.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks for sharing this article, it was intersting to read. I agree that technology has created false relationships, it's much better to talk to people in person. However, technology is good for short term communication over long distances. http://www.brammer.co.uk/
October 1, 2012 at 4:19 AM
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
February 9, 2013 at 7:25 PM
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