Sallie Wormer

“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

a human-centered research and design portfolio

Mindfulness

CHALLENGE

Today's always-on always-connected world means stressors are omnipresent.  Can technology be used to mediate tech-related stress?  This was a semester-long design project for my Interaction Design class.

CONCEPT

KOYA is a solution for mindfulness-based stress reduction.  The wearable monitors and mediates stress responses through programmable meditation or breathing sessions, while the app provides a broader range of relaxation sessions, analyzes progress, and controls interruptions.  KOYA is supportive and non-intrusive: the device's haptic signals ebb and flow so as to not startle, and the app's language is encouraging and positively framed. The samples below show the design concept through medium fidelity physical prototype.  While this was a group effort, I had primary responsibility for the 3D wearable and protocast. 

protocast (05:09)

This short video shows the device and app in context.  I wrote the script, created the sets, and bribed my husband - a fantastic DP - to film it in two hours.  I then edited this using FinalCut Pro, which was a good transition for me from Adobe Premiere.  Kris did the graphics, bless her heart, and Olga helped edit the script and provided great feedback on the edits.