Tactility, Communication, Connection
Amanda Licata
Communication technology has advanced to a point where it is no longer necessary to be in the same room as another person to interact, make a deal, or join a class. This development has allowed for more ease, but at what cost? Communication in digital spaces lacks critical components of social interactions—physical presence, tactility, and touch. Without these elements, we feel disconnected and lonely. Loneliness is a serious issue; it increases one’s mortality risk by 32% and can cause depression and suicide. This thesis considers the effects of diminishing tactility and how to design more connective digital communication experiences.
Speculative Design for a Multisensory Headset
How would technology respond to a world without touch? In this speculative design, I imagine the solution is a multisensory headset that provides an overwhelming sensory experience as a new form of touch.
Capstone Project: Physical & Digital Cultural Probe
Is the lack of tactility in digital communication perceptible and tangible? How might we understand how people are coping with COVID-specific loneliness, the experience of using digital communication as their primary form of interaction, and if opinions of digital communication are changing with the pandemic?
Capstone Project: Physical Probe
My capstone data provided insight on how my participants felt about digital communication, what it’s lacking, and what it might be like to include tactile elements as part of the communication experience.
Capstone Project: Physical & Digital Cultural Probe
How can a cultural probe best function in a digital space? I created a digital version on Miro to involve more participants and allow for a broader range of data. The digital probe had some of the same content as the physical version but asked for different types of responses.