I'm a
Designer
Audio-Visual interaction for managing everyday physical & mental distress.
JoySpread
Overview
In today's fast-paced world, stress from tight deadlines, work demands, and exams is inevitable. JoySpread offers a solution for emotional distress, providing pre-programmed white noise to aid relaxation and concentration.
Unlike conventional white noise, It allows personalisation for a tailored experience. Additionally, interactive graphics offer a healthy outlet for stress relief. Dedicated to easing everyday emotional strain, our program aims to foster calmness, focus, and a positive mindset for navigating work and study challenges.
My roles
Researcher & UI Designer (group project)
Design tools
Figma
Duration
September 2023
Background
research
Mental health issues are growing concerns in society. According to self-reported data from the NHS, rates of high psychological distress in young people increased between 2012 and 2018. In 2012, 12% of people aged 18–24 experienced high psychological distress compared with 15% of young people in 2018 (ABS 2012, 2019a).
Mental health issues affect an individual's daily life and can negatively impact social, academic, and employment opportunities. We need to pay more attention and give supports and assistance to help cope with and overcome certain situations. To this end, we will get our hands on the issues of emotional distress, developing a mobile-to-laptop interaction to help people better manage physical and mental distress.
Problem
Statement
Emotional & Physical distress, akin to sitting for prolonged periods, adversely affects individuals' mental well-being and increases the likelihood of developing mental health disorders. Individuals should actively manage their emotional well-being to mitigate the effects of emotional distress. Traumatic events can exacerbate emotional distress, much like how prolonged sitting increases the risk of developing diseases (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023). Therefore, developing stress-released interaction can have significant power to help target emotional illness, which is essential to prevent its detrimental effects on mental health.
Target
Users
Individuals facing (excessive stress) and (emotional distress).
Struggling with anxiety, depression, or traumatic events.
People feeling tired after work or school.
Individuals interested in therapy products for quick relief.
Young people dealing with life challenges and need to be healed.
User
Scenario
Sarah, a busy professional, (*feels overwhelmed) and seeks relaxation by the constant demands of her hectic lifestyle. She opens JoySpreader on her phone, adjusts white noise settings for a calming effect, and interacts with visuals via joystick, experiencing a mental shift towards tranquility and peace.
Through JoySpreader, Sarah (*finds the space) her needs to pause and (*unwind her mind). She appreciates the opportunity to disconnect from her everyday stress and get immersed in moment of peace.
Our
Concept
The Input
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The Output
1. While user enjoy with the chosen sounds, they can swipe the joystick (input) to view the visual presentations shown on the computer (output).
2. Users can enjoy a firework-like visual display by swiping the joystick on their smartphone. This feature aims to alleviate daily stress and enhance overall well-being, including mental, physical, and emotional aspects
User
Guide
1. Swipe the joystick to interact with the visuals for stress relief .
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Users can see groups of coloured particles on their computer (output) screen by swiping the joystick on their smartphone (input). Additionally, they can select three buttons to play natural sounds individually or together. This immersive experience coupled with relaxing acoustic waves, fosters a state of meditative relaxation and soul-healing.
2. Press the button to play or pause the sounds.
When the sound is (off)
When the sound is (on)
The sound therapy involves three natural sounds that are pleasantly heard in our everyday life; the sounds can be mixed and matched based on the user's preference. They can choose to only listen to the sound of birds singing, or they can choose to select the sounds of water and blowing wind and play it in a harmonious way.
While playing around the joystick, users can also press the button to play the three natural sounds together or individually. The entire interaction invites users to enjoy the constant tactile attention and natural acoustic waves that can put their minds into a soul-healing and meditative state.
System
Architecture
Process
Documentation
The Input
1. The touch
Joystick to help you get rid of stress and pressure
By (*rotating) the joystick on the phone, users will observe visual effects spreading with small coloured particles running on the computer screen. Alongside manipulating the joystick, users can (*press a button to adjust natural sounds) collectively or individually. This interaction encourages users to indulge in constant tactile attention and soothing natural acoustic waves.
2. The sounds
The nature acoustic waves for spiritual healing
“Music is something that almost anybody can access and makes it an easy stress reduction tool”
Research highlights that releasing stress through the power of music/sound has power to influence individuals’ feelings, especially with sounds like rain, thunder, and white noise which can feel a sense of healing while they want to get rid of the stress of the day.
Why we use sounds?
Natural sound integration
To further counteract the build-up of stress, we are exploring ways to implement the sounds into our emotion therapy concept. therefore, we incorporate three sounds that are commonly heard in the natural environment: *water flowing, *birds singing & *smooth wind ambient sound. When users interact, they have the options to play around with the three sounds collectively or separately.
The process
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The Output
The visual presentation mainly focuses on relieving stress and relaxing the mood, helping people seek comfort and calm in tense and stressful environments.
Blue is considered a gentle and calming colour, which *lowers heart rate, blood pressure, and tension. We chose two different shades of blue for healing purpose. Pink is considered a warm and *soothe vibe that can bring joyful feelings and *soften emotions.
Pastel shades
We streamline the visual presentation *by eliminating unnecessary elements, facilitating smoother interaction for users. This simplification *promotes relaxation and reduces cognitive strain. Additionally, it fosters a comfortable and straightforward interactive environment, alleviating tension and anxiety for users.
The visuals
We employ subtle colour transitions in animation design, *accompanied by calming white noise and slow-paced dynamic visuals, to guide users into a meditative and relaxed state during interaction. Additionally, we offer users *expanded creative freedom, encouraging imagination and providing spiritual nourishment through innovative integration.
Creativity
The process
