Space
An interactive experience for claustrophobics to strengthen their ability to cope with fear by triggering their subconscious mind to eradicate the fear by having the power to control what they think and do.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Springer Nature Group
Research paper published in Springer Journal titled "Design in the Era of Industry 4.0, Volume 1"
ICoRD'2023 Conference
Research paper presented at the International Conference on Research into Design, held at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
Overview
MY ROLE
UX Research, UI Design, Product Design, Prototyping, User Testing, Sensorial Design, System Design and IoT
TOOLS USED
Adobe XD, Adobe Illustrator, Miro, Autodesk Fusion 360, Arduino UNO
DURATION
Nov 2021 - Mar 2022
(5 months)
MENTOR
CHALLENGE
Claustrophobia, a prevalent anxiety condition affecting 12.5% of the global population, disproportionately impacts women, with the most significant influence observed in the 40-55 age group. This phobia can lead to substantial challenges on both personal and social levels, hindering the affected individuals from leading a healthy lifestyle.
This gave me an idea - How might claustrophobic women (40-60 years) strengthen the ability to cope with their fear so that they can lead a healthy lifestyle.
OPPORTUNITY
To create an interactive experience for claustrophobics with a focus on triggering one’s subconscious mind by having the power to control their fear in a safe space, strengthening their ability to cope with fear.
Introduction
Before we jump in, some background to the topic
What exactly is claustrophobia and how does it affect people?
The mental health crisis has had a massive impact, with anxiety disorders being the most common. Claustrophobia is a specific phobia under anxiety disorders, defined as the fear of being confined in an enclosed space and not being able to control or escape from whatever may occur when trapped. While claustrophobia is not a disability, it may be extremely detrimental in terms of restricting employment alternatives, career growth, leisure, and significantly impacting both personal and professional relationships.
I took this as a start of my research and jumped right in to identify how I can help overcome or even assist in the process of overcoming the phobia.
Who did I interact with?
Based on the stakeholder and ecosystem map, the user groups were identified for the online survey and empathy interview. Within each stakeholder group, the participants were selected based on random convenience sampling to gain a holistic understanding of each group.
Ecosystem Map
Helped in curating research, found patterns between themes leading to unique insights, and opened up avenues for discussion.
Stakeholder map
Helped in defining the primary, secondary as well as tertiary stakeholders in contact with the claustrophobic people
Focus areas of my study
Click on each to learn more!
To have a deeper understanding of users’ preferences and views on claustrophobia, I did research in the form of literature review, surveys and conducted interviews to identify the key findings:
AURA ASSISTANCE, KNOWLEDGE BYTES
STONE, EXPERIENTIAL SESSION VIA LAMP
INSIGHT #1
Negative connotation towards treatment from outsiders
Users felt that treatment was related with something tangible, such as an illness. As claustrophobia is an internal feeling, they think that a therapist or an outsider cannot assist them. Recent studies indicated that users are hesitant to initiate therapy since most treatment choices require the user to address the feared environment.
INSIGHT #2
Guilty of missing out on experiences resulting in disconnection from loved ones
Claustrophobia can also lead to a disconnection from loved ones as she may not be able to do certain activities which the family would desire causing them to alter their choices and making the claustrophobic person guilty of not being able to participate in activities they desired.
INSIGHT #3
Genetic component (GPM6A gene) associated with claustrophobia
Claustrophobics are more likely to have the human GPM6A gene than those without this phobia, their children can also have claustrophobia. This can happen by either passing down the gene to the child or the child witnessing the parent in a state of anxiety as they learn how to interpret ambiguous situations from parents.
41.7% users had family members who were claustrophobic
INSIGHT #4
Lack of control when they enter a space, crucial role of physical stimuli
Entering a confined space prompts immediate exit seeking safety. Failure to find an exit induces fear. Empathy interviews unveiled the critical role of physical stimuli, such as light and sound, in shaping space perception. Physical factors like light, sound, etc also played an important role in the perception of space. Lifts with glass walls gave the perception of openness as compared to steel-closed ones
Behaviour Analysis Breakdown
INSIGHT #5
Lack of knowledge about causes and symptoms
The cause of claustrophobia remains unclear to both researchers and most affected individuals due to minimal study. It's speculated to be linked to traumatic childhood events, specific genetic factors, or underlying anxieties like fear of losing control or death.
Genetics
A single gene defect in GPM6A increases the likelihood of claustrophobia, as this gene encodes a stress-regulated neuronal protein present in the amygdala and central nervous system.
Past Experience
Individuals who had a traumatic experience in childhood may begin to make associations with related situations or objects in adulthood.
Observational Learning
Living with or observing family members with this fear can impact loved ones' thought processes. The anxiety state can be unsettling, potentially triggering claustrophobia as they associate that place with a negative feeling.
Elevators, MRI scans, crowded spaces despite not being fully enclosed due to the invasion of personal space
Physical symptoms like difficulty in breathing was the most common among users along with being nervous
INSIGHT #6
Neglecting one phobia which gives rise to another
Few people had secondary phobias like fear of darkness or fear of heights. If one phobia isn't treated then it could give rise to another phobia.
Problem Statement
Claustrophobic women (40-60 years) need to strengthen the ability to cope with her fear so that she can lead a healthy lifestyle
You may ask,
Why this target audience?
Claustrophobia affects 12.5 percent of the global population, with women being the most affected. Females are more susceptible to this phobia, and the impact is greater in the 40-55 age group. Furthermore, because men and women have different personality traits, males are able to deal better than females. This was confirmed in primary research, where psychologists saw more female patients than male patients.
As a result, the target audience selected for this study is women aged 40 to 60 years.
Intervention areas
Mindset of people
Changing the mindset of family members and friends that the claustrophobic is at fault
Claustrophobics' mindsets must be altered so that they can unconsciously let go of their fear, resulting in high emotional fitness and the ability to conquer their fear.
Coping mechanism
Claustrophobics need a coping mechanism in the worst case of having a panic attack
Lack of knowledge
Bringing awareness about the various triggers and symptoms to accurately diagnose each individual (themselves or clinically)
Equipping loved ones with relevant knowledge about claustrophobia and overcoming panic attacks
Concept
How are we solving it?
Assist claustrophobics to overcome their fear by targeting their subconscious mind to eradicate the fear by having the power to control what they think and do, while also helping the family be empathetic of her situation to assist in her journey of gaining her self-confidence and fulfilling her responsibilities.
4 Nodes of the System
Click on each to learn more!
An interactive lamp that guides the user through an experiential session to tap into the user's subconscious mind via exposure therapy and cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy
Metaphor: Breaking through the cage and freeing oneself
Nested inside the lamp and is used while doing the mind fitness session as it provides comfort because of the faint, relaxing haptic feedback that is triggered
Metaphor: Feeling the presence of loved ones and holding hands
Gives positive affirmations while also tracking the user's emotional well-being. Loved ones can also be connected and gain knowledge about claustrophobia.
Monitors her emotions and stress levels throughout the day, providing insights into her everyday activities. It also helps during a panic attack by advising her to engage in diverting tasks.
PRODUCT DESIGN | BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN
PRODUCT DESIGN | EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN
INTERFACE DESIGN | DATA VISUALISATION
INTERFACE DESIGN | DATA VISUALISATION
NODE #1
Interactive lamp
Features of the lamp
01
Motivating Lighting
The light from the tiles on the lamp, which begin to light up, shows them the instantaneous action of what they are doing. The intensification of the light represents the user breaking free from the cage and conquering their fear.
02
Personalised Environment Experience
Based on the users answers from the onboarding, the app identifies the various triggers that the user is afraid of facing. These triggers are then projected from the lamp during the interactive sensorial session by allowing the user to experience the environment where they feel claustrophobic in the comfort of their room through a projection that the lamp generates. It also utilises visual, auditory, and tactile senses.
Prototypes
The form was iterated based on user feedback. The design is of a pentagonal pyramid structure which resembles a cage. The first iteration was made with sunboard and then it was refined further by laser cutting MDF for the base and black acrylic sheet for the top. It was then made into a CAD model of the product which was created using Autodesk Fusion 360.
Iterations
The form was iterated by making quick prototypes using paper and green foam models of the sketches and then validated with users.
NODE #2
Stone
Features of the stone
01
Haptic Feedback
During the mind fitness session, it provides comfort to hold because of the faint, relaxing haptic feedback that is triggered.
02
Presence of someone
Based on interviews, holding someone's hands and feeling the presence of someone helped them overcome the fear and face the trigger as they don't feel "alone". The shape of the stone fits perfectly between one's palm and the silicone material as soft and calming to touch
Iterations & Prototypes
The form was iterated by making quick prototypes using green foam models and tested with users for the best form in terms of ergonomics and haptic vibrations
Green foam form iterations
Final clay model
NODE #3
App
Features of the app
01
Elaborate onboarding for a personal experience
Users have to answer questions related to their phobia and details about their experience to enable the app algorithm to learn about the users phobia so that it can provide customised suggestions for each user to target one’s subconscious mind effectively.
02
Aura
Aura is a virtual representation of the user, created based on what the user does and feels. It acts as a guide as well so the user does not feel alone and constantly motivates the user. They can also ‘talk’ about their daily experiences to Aura like they would do to a therapist. Aura induces delight through the interactive sensorial session.
03
Daily affirmations
Positive affirmations at the beginning of the day are based on the user’s phobia and intensity level. It would help start the day with a positive mindset while also motivating the user throughout the day through prompts on the wearable and app.
04
Knowledge
Enables the user to learn more about claustrophobia and its symptoms, causes etc. A self-diagnostic test can also be taken by the user which can indicate signs of the phobia. It can also help the loved ones gain more knowledge so that they can help the claustrophobic in time of need.
05
Conquer it
Enables users to conquer their fear by doing mind fitness exercises at the end of the day. It utilises 3 therapies – cognitive behaviour therapy, hypnotherapy and exposure therapy. This segment of the app is connected to the lamp. It is guided by Aura so they don't feel alone.
06
Connect
Enables users to connect with their loved ones during time of need. It also aims to build a sense of community of like-minded individuals facing challenges.
The session utilises various therapy methods like exposure therapy, hypnotherapy and cognitive behaviour therapy. It has 4 main stages:
01
Absorb Attention
In order to absorb attention, the Aura’s voice simply guides the user to capture the attention and focus. This is done by using voice tonality. Once this is achieved, the next stage begins.
02
Bypass the Critical Faculty
The critical faculty is the part of the mind that uses logic and reasoning to disbelieve. By suspending disbelief, Aura assists the user in lowering their resistance to hypnotic trance. This enables the user to respond subconsciously. The unconscious mind is more receptive to hypnotic suggestions and metaphors after the critical faculty has been bypassed.
03
Activate Unconscious Response
These responses are generated subconsciously and occur even when the user is not aware of them. This form of unconscious response includes a visible shudder when the user imagines themself in a closed environment. These bodily manifestations are the unconscious mind's reaction to the thoughts and images that Aura helped the user create.
04
Lead the Unconscious to Desired Outcome
Hypnotic Suggestions are usually given in the form of commands and can be used to produce an immediate or post-hypnotic effect. Metaphors are narratives which are carefully constructed and delivered that help the unconscious mind become more resourceful, resulting in a more desirable outcome
Iterations & Prototypes
Paper prototypes and low fidelity wireframes were made and then tested with users.
Paper sketches
Low fidelity wireframes on Adobe XD
NODE #4
Smartwatch
You may ask,
Why a smartwatch?
A wrist wearable like a band or smartwatch is worn close to a pressure point on the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve that starts in the skull and connects many organs to the brain. It is a vital component of our neurological system that governs arousal. When we are in danger, worried, or fighting, we rely on our sympathetic nervous system to shunt blood to our muscular system so that we can react swiftly. When we are safe, the vagus nerve signals the body to resume blood flow to the intestines, decrease the heart rate, relax respiration, and rest all systems. The vagal tone has a good clinical effect on digestion, depression, PTSD, and heart rate variability.
Features of the wearable
01
Panic distraction
The wearable detects users stress levels and when it is high, the wearable prompts distracting activities for the user to perform. This would help deviate the mind of the user from the panic state.
02
Stress and emotion tracking
Stress and emotion levels of the user are tracked and this helps provide more personalised data to the user. It also prompts the daily affirmations to motivate the user.
03
SOS message to the family
The wearable sends an SOS message to the added contacts when the user is having a panic attack. This would help the loved ones be aware of the situation and take any action if needed as the users are not in a state of mind to take any decision and hence the message is sent automatically.
Iterations & Prototypes
Paper prototypes and low fidelity models were made and then tested with users.
Paper sketches
Low fidelity prototypes
User Feedback
Before usability testing, it is important to set up test objectives, tasks, and rubrics for measuring the result of the testing before conducting a test. Therefore, I wrote a usability testing plan to get prepared for the test and then conducted both in-person and remote usability testing.
7
participants tested
Assist in overcoming the phobia
Motivation to use
Learnability
Overall, the users felt -
Lamp & Stone
Form of the lamp was appreciated by all as it was very unique. The lamp lighting up did give the feeling of opening the cage
Stone was comfortable to hold
Lamp shape gives a feeling of stability
Projection feature was greatly appreciated by all
Screen of the lamp did not have any major impact as the content could be viewed from the app or wearable
Strong, quick vibrations were not pleasant
I can overcome my fear myself at home through this projection! It is so convenient
Lighting of the tiles based on my feelings makes me very happy when I look at it
App
Appreciated the anonymous feel through Aura of connecting with the community
Th concept of a virtual avatar, Aura was well received
Users found the onboarding very nice as they felt someone took the effort to get to know them first. It built trust in the app
Slight confusion in navigating between the community and my contacts screen
The term ‘daily dose’ was not understood easily
The onboarding was long and didn't know how much further to proceed ahead
Aura is visually very relaxing, cute and friendly to look at. I automatically feel calm
I would like to see how others are improving, the community factor is nice
Smartwatch
SOS message going immediately in case of panic attack was one of the most appreciated feature
Panic distraction games was nice and would be helpful
Strong, quick vibrations were not pleasant
I love how the watch sends messages without me doing anything and before I reach the extreme panic level!
During panic state, I am not in the state to call anyone so the watch does that job which is very good.
So, what did I change?
The decision to omit the LED screen from the lamp was taken
Allowing users to customize the shape and colour of Aura to create a more personalised and unique experience.
Calmer vibrations were replaced with the harsher ones
Converse with the wearable or lamp for quick 'my experience' input, fostering a more interactive and personable connection beyond conventional note-taking.
The onboarding process was refined by adding visual cues of the process with motivational messages
Technology plan
How the system works?
The working of the system was mapped out by making a technology plan of the entire system. It also highlights the backend processing of the stress and emotion detection algorithm which can be used along with the interconnection between each node.
Lamp
The lamp has a projector, speaker and LED lights which are used during the hypnotherapy session. It can also be used as a normal lamp if required.
Wearable
The biometric sensors of the watch track the Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Skin Temperature (ST) and Electrodermal Activity (EDA) to synthesize the physiological signals into tangible emotion and stress levels at a given time. When the emotion or stress levels go beyond the calibrated baseline, a cue is provided to the user which act as a distraction. At the same time, a message is also sent to the selected contacts for their knowledge. The emotions detected are happiness, sadness, anger, and pain.
Business model
How do I market this?
The Identity
The Name
The main objective of this passion project has been to find a way claustrophobics can overcome their fear or at least deal with it better instead of halting their lives. I hope that SPACE helps them achieve this by breaking free from this cage around them and being free in their own SPACE.
Brand Colours
#58495F
Primary
#D5D7ED
Secondary
#93D1ED
Accent #1
#E885B4
Accent #2
#C5EFD6
Accent #3
#2F2E2E
Black, White & Greys
Space Logo
The logo represents a box and the letter S (for Space) which aims to break open the cage box.
My learnings and takeaway
Power of personalisation among user groups
Recognizing that individuals with claustrophobia have unique triggers and coping mechanisms, I discovered the importance of tailoring interventions to the specific needs of each user. This required a deep understanding of their personal experiences, preferences, and comfort levels.
PERSONAL TRIGGERS | AURA | ONBOARDING
Adapting the scope to consider a broader audience
Understanding the diverse characteristics of individuals in the target user group is challenging yet crucial for holistic insight. This learning emphasised the importance of developing universally applicable solutions while remaining sensitive to the diverse stakeholders
CLAUSTROPHOBICS | FAMILY MEMBERS | AGE GROUPS
Design choices must consider the broader context
Recognising the context is crucial and can be the deciding factor in the success or failure of a design. For ex, the environment where they feel safe to do the session, if they're outside and a panic attack occurs.
OCCURRENCE OF PANIC ATTACKS | SAFE PLACE
Importance of user testing and flexibility
Throughout the iterative design process, I developed flexibility and responsiveness to user feedback, continually refining the solution. It enabled quick revisions without investing excessive time in the development of each iteration.
FEEDBACK & ITERATION
Also, I'm a published author now!
Journal Publication
Excited to announce the publication of my research paper titled 'A Design-Based Study to Assist Claustrophobics in Overcoming Fears' in the prestigious Springer Journal 'Design in the Era of Industry 4.0, Volume 1'
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to present my work at the International Conference on Research into Design (ICoRD Conference 2023) organised by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. The proceedings of the conference were published by Springer Nature Group.
I would like to thank my mentor Dr. Shreya Maulik Banerjee for her valuable guidance throughout this project, and NMIMS School of Design for their constant support throughout this journey. 🙏
Presented at
ICoRD 2023 Conference
Published by
Springer Nature Group
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