Team My Role
Individual Project User Research, Ideation, Sketching, Prototyping, Rendering
(Conceptual product)
Duration
2 months
Project Overlook
SENSSE is one of my project in my thesis that seeking solutions of emotional abuse. SENSSE is a visual indicator designed to be used covertly at home: It is a filter that the victim can run in the background of conversations without fearing that the abuser will detect it. The shape of SENSSE is inspired by a conventional lamp to disguise its actual function, and its AI sensor includes a database of thousands of abusive phrases and words.
(It's located at the bottom of the website page.)
What is Emotional Abuse?
Emotional abuse is a form of harm that uses feelings and words to control and manipulate others by embarrassing, shaming and blaming them. It can happen in any aspect of our lives. It's especially prevalent in relationship settings. It can lead to psychological trauma, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and low self-confidence.
When these sorts of comments are made often enough, they form a pattern of what is known as emotional abuse.
Research
SME Interview and Published Articles
Key Findings
1. Most People who are being emotionally abused does not know they were being abuse because emotional abuse is so subtle most of the time.
2. Victims often blame and attack themselves when emotional abuse happens. They have to understand that they are not the problem.
3. Don't try to change abusers; usually they never change.
How might we help people to validate the negative feelings they come to develop in association with emotional abuse?
Brainstorm/Ideation
Final Design
SENSSE is a visual indicator designed to be used covertly at home: It is a filter that the victim can run in the background of conversations without fearing that the abuser will detect it. The shape of SENSSE is inspired by a conventional lamp to disguise its actual function, and its AI sensor includes a database of thousands of abusive phrases and words.
When turned on, the light glows with a warm tone to indicate that no abusive words have been detected. Once it detects abusive words and phrases, the light shifts to a cool tone, indicating that the situation could be emotionally harmful.
In public advertising, SENSSE would provide very little information about the product's actual function. The advertising slogan would simply read, "It's just a lamp." But we would tell our users, "You can confirm and validate your feelings with SENSSE."
My Thesis Presentation was held in the SVA theater on May 23, 2021. Click the photo above to see my presentation!
