Beyond Screens
Tangible Approaches to Sleep tracking Excellence
divyanka sadaphule
Project Description
Sleep is complex, and many factors of our physical and mental health are interlinked. This thesis suggests introducing tangibility to visualize personal data from sleep apps and journaling, aiming to create a more empathetic, user-friendly interaction with data and enhance engagement and meaning. Unlike traditional visualizations on app interfaces, exploring tangible representations offers the possibility to reduce screen time, better understand data, and potentially alleviate risks to mental health, promoting healthy sleep patterns in bedroom spaces.
This experience entails a two-week data visualization of my sleep data, where I mimicked the body's natural feedback system using the analogy of "bumps" to represent sleep scores and tiredness. This project addresses a common issue in sleep-tracking app interfaces, which is distinguishing between good and bad sleep scores. Using the scale of bumps on the surface of tangible objects, I aim to tackle this problem by allowing visitors to touch the bumps and feel the difference. Through animating the object in this manner, the objective is to evoke a sense of connection and empathy among users as they interact with the tangible surface, fostering a deeper engagement with the represented sleep data.
BIO
Divyanka is a versatile designer, skilled in knitwear, fashion, and graphic design. Driven by her passion for crafting meaningful experiences and exploring the intersection of technology and creativity, she embarked on her thesis journey. Currently pursuing an MDes in Digital Futures at OCAD University, her background in knitwear design infuses her work with a unique blend of tactile(using knit fabrics) and technological elements. Her thesis focuses on tangible representations to enhance understanding of data from sleep-tracking devices and apps, aiming to reduce nighttime screen usage while fostering empathy, engagement, and deeper meaning. With her creative vision and determination, Divyanka aspires to carve a path in experience design, interaction design, and data visualization, pushing the boundaries of innovation and user-centric design.