Emotional Design for Communication

“One”

A sphere split in half with two rods sticking out from the centre. It can be pushed in and out to communicate a sense of touch between two distant people. When the centre rod is pushed in at one end, the rod on the other end moves up.

F+R Hugs

Francesca Rosella, is a soft Lycra shirt with embedded sensors and electronics that allows you to feel the physical closeness of a distant loved one, bringing the sensation of a hug.

Mizar's Telesquishy

For people "in long distance romantic relationships." A blue glow means that the partnering squishy is not being squished. The red glow means that it is currently being squeezed.

'Boyfriend Arm Pillow'

The Hizamakura is shaped like a man's torso with one sturdy arm. It is marketed towards single women or people who need it to replace a loved one while they are away.

Why we need emotional design

Communication is a key factor in our modern lives and with new technology at the height of innovation, we have the most mediated relationships history has seen. This is perhaps the reason why people are beginning to have successful long distance relationships; the introduction of e-mail, texting and interactive web sites such as bebo, facebook and twitter are making long distance communication possible throughout the world by allowing fleeting conversations and swapping of pictures and videos when it is convenient for the user. This means we can catch a glimpse of what the other person is doing without having to make the time to talk to them directly. However, the problem comes when we apply this to personal relationships, due to the fact we are missing an important part of the communication. Simply transferring information to your computer with the hope of a reply in the near future is not emotional, and that is one of the main things that make a personal relationship work. The reason why long distance relationships more often that not fall apart within months, is there is no physical interaction and no emotional stimulation.

Accessories for Lonely Men (Noam Toran, 2001)

Accessories for Lonely Men consists of a collection of eight fictional products designed to alleviate loneliness after the departure or loss of a woman. The project is an attempt to understand what initiates loneliness; do we miss the individual or the generic traces they leave behind?