Designing for meaningfulness is a big point of aspiration when creating objects or experiences. The exploration of this subject through the lens of a tangible user interface was paired with learning to create a digital network. Within the span of 3 weeks, the teachings started small (person to person), and worked their way out to society at large. Design teams were required to present three concepts on different given themes.

ABRAZO (theme: People to People)

In the midst of COVID-19, feeling physically connected to others has become rather difficult. As social beings, realizing how crucial the ability to interact physically is, means that adapting with the changing times is a necessity. The local relevance was not lost on the design team, as Latin Americans are generally very caring and intimate with their greetings, and hugging is commonplace, both amongst men and women. 

Abrazo is a clothing line that allows people to have that physical connection without actually interacting, and in the process saving one from risking their health. The exploration process led to using a heating pad and a force sensor (on the inside of a shirt) against the skin, to emulate the warmth and pressure that a hug like gesture would provide.

KOKOLOCK (theme: People to Time)

People are often stressed in their daily lives, due to ever growing obligations and to-do lists. This causes people to become slaves to unnaturally structured routine & time schedules. 

Kokolock would re-imagine time to mimic nature’s clock, and help reduce stress 
by realigning people to live more natural, healthier, and happier lives. The design team experimented with using live weather from an API to reflect the amount of visibility outside which would be reflected on a 6-neopixel ring, to alert a person if the weather outside is good for enjoying the day, or if they should stay inside instead, simulating a rhythm that is more relaxed and in tune with nature. This idea came from Costa Rica’s traditional agricultural background, and their ‘pura vida’ ideal, which exudes a laid back lifestyle. The coconuts for this project were locally sourced.

DOG CALL (theme: People to People + Moment of Significance)

Machismo within Latin American society is a problem, and has been for quite a long time, where things like catcalling, or men peeing in the street, are commonplace and openly accepted. Such behavior is very prevalent in Costa Rica. By helping to start a dialogue between the genders, it could assist in awareness of such behavior, and in the process, change the way both men and women act (or react) toward one another. 

Dog Call is a public installation, where women's voices catcall men passing by (each voice coming out of 1 of 3 speakers all focused at a particular area to simulate a ‘pack’ of women badgering men), so men can experience the discomfort that women feel from being catcalled out in the street. A different catcall would be generated whenever someone tweets (on twitter) with the hashtag #catcall. After passing through, a board with questions on comfort vs discomfort asks those experiencing the catcalling (women can pass through as well) about their feelings. The people are given the choice to add either a pink (positive), or green (negative) balloon on the board so that it creates a live visual representation of the effects of the experiment. The aim was to get men to reflect on the cause of their actions from the perspective of the women’s side. The findings of a trial run showed that men actually enjoyed it (which was unexpected).