Wearable technology, smart meters, and networked devices have generated an environment of abundant digital chatter. It’s now socially acceptable to compete with your FuelBand, send a text to your thermostat, and argue with Siri. Our eagerness to communicate with objects as we would a friend points to a new criterion for designing intelligent products. We want our technology to be smart, but also deeply personal. This presentation outlines the opportunities and risks associated with designing smart objects for emotional people. Through stories of emerging products and experimental research endeavors, it highlights the fine line designers must walk between enhancing the emotional intelligence of individuals, and replacing it.

1. DESIGNING
SMART
OBJECTS
FOR
EMOTIONAL
PEOPLE
JENNIFER DUNNAM | #AIEMOTIONS

4. A NEW GENERATION
OF SMART OBJECTS
PASSIVELY SENSE YOUR
EMOTIONAL STATE OF BEING
INDIVIDUAL
OBJECT
PERSONALIZE THE OUTPUT TO
ALIGN WITH NATURAL BEHAVIOR
AND COMMUNICATION

5. TECHNOLOGY
IS ADVANCING

6. BUT... OUR
VULNERABILITIES
PERSIST

7. “Should you meet the
needs of people with
something that basically
suckers them?”
— CLIFFORD NASS

8. A RELATIONSHIP MODEL
FOR HUMAN EXPERIENCE
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OURSELVES
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OTHER PEOPLE
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OUR
ENVIRONMENT

9. A RELATIONSHIP MODEL
FOR HUMAN EXPERIENCE
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OURSELVES
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OTHER PEOPLE
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OUR
ENVIRONMENT

10. A RELATIONSHIP MODEL
FOR HUMAN EXPERIENCE
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OURSELVES
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OTHER PEOPLE
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OUR
ENVIRONMENT

11. A RELATIONSHIP MODEL
FOR HUMAN EXPERIENCE
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OURSELVES
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OTHER PEOPLE
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OUR
ENVIRONMENT

12. A RELATIONSHIP MODEL
FOR HUMAN EXPERIENCE
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OURSELVES
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OTHER PEOPLE
OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE
THESE RELATIONSHIPS
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OUR
ENVIRONMENT

13. SIX CHARACTERISTICS OF
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
1
SELFAWARENESS
4
SELFEXPRESSION
2
SELFCONTROL
5
SOCIABILITY
3
MOTIVATION
6
EMPATHY

14. 1
SELF-AWARENESS
RATIONALIZER | PHILIPS | 2009

15. 2
SELF-CONTROL
NEVERMIND | REYNOLDS | 2013

16. 3
MOTIVATION
CLOCKY | NANDA | 2005

17. 4
SELF-EXPRESSION
AFFECTIVA | AFFDEX | 2013

18. 5
SOCIABILITY
CHAIN-MAIL VEST | CZERWINSKI | 2013

19. 6
EMPATHY
PREGNANCY BELT | HUGGIES | 2013

20. SMART OBJECTS FOR
EMOTIONAL PEOPLE
SELF-AWARENESS
SELF-CONTROL
MOTIVATION
SELF-EXPRESSION
SOCIABILITY
EMPATHY

21. “It’s easy to be so
immersed in technology,
we forget what we know
about life.”
— SHERRY TURKLE

22. frog is a company of Aricent.
© 2014 frog design inc.