Redesigning Online Places for Consumer Well-being Using Unconventional Interaction Design Elements

Abstract

My research focuses on developing and providing design solutions that promote digital wellbeing for consumers and mitigate noisy experiences within digital interfaces. In this project, noise is defined as the high volume of sense-stimulating activity (such as pop-up notifications). I explore the design challenges associated with noisy digital experiences such as attention recruitment, distractive and ‘cold’ generic interfaces, screen time overuse, touch-poor and mindless interactions. I provide solutions to how these challenges could be addressed by exploring three interactions elements of visual attention, mindfulness, and touch, and testing them by developing prototypes. This project also aims to raise awareness between IT and software developers, UI and UX designers of designing more ethical and mindful online places for consumers.

This practice-based project adapts a Research through Design approach and uses Design Fiction methods. In response to design challenges, I created three fictional prototypes and near-future scenarios. The prototypes that I will present during the session include a mindfulness intervention tool that tracks screen time called Birds; a fictional Yoshi Phone with a monochrome hand-drawn interface; and Shapie, a shape changing communication device. I will also present the user manuals and the narratives for each prototype.

The fictional narratives will then be distributed together with the diegetic prototypes and an online questionnaire to industry professionals such as UI and UX designers, software developers and engineers to gain feedback. The insights collected from the industry professionals will be analysed and presented as part of the results of this study. I predict and recommend that noisy digital experiences can be mitigated by implementing mindful elements, purposefully using colour and shapes, hand-drawn interfaces, and touch-rich interactions, when designing noise-free digital interfaces.