Omni
Watch this video for a TL;DR of the project!
Introduction
This was a project done in 2015 in a Senior thesis class while at Carnegie Mellon. While it’s a bit scrappy, I believe it showcases my early passion for mental health which has never left me.
Team:
Sahana Kumar - Design Lead
Miriam Buchwald - Industrial Designer
Jean Kim - Designer
Prompt
For my class "Prototyping for UX Tools," Ford commissioned us to do a semester long project.The prompt is to "redefine mobility," focusing on the future. I worked with Miriam Buchwald and Jean Kim to develop our own take on mobility in the future. We specifically focused on a future 5-7 years from now, where autonomous cars are common and stress levels have increased.
Mental Mobility
Instead of approaching mobility in the traditional sense we approached it in terms of Mental Mobility - helping you deal with stress and anxiety by mentally transporting you. This is a new approach to mental health - a lifestyle where the stigma of therapy and addressing stress is no longer present, and people are more aware of the effect of their stress levels.
Research / Make Tools
We spent a lot of time trying to understand how people deal with stress, and what they define as peaceful.
You can download the results of these co-design sessions here.
The most interesting results we learned from our research was how people view therapy. Most people seemed to prefer talking to no one rather than talking to a therapist. This really exemplified the stigma surrounding therapy and the reluctance to admit to a mental health issue, even if it may do good.
Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness
We did research and found writing about cognitive therapy and the benefits of daily attention to mindfulness. In the end, we determined that combining the ideas behind daily meditation and therapy to create a solution that is more preemptive than prescriptive.
Solution
There is an opportunity space for Ford in the fact that people are already using their cars to destress, even though they are not necessarily designed to meet these needs. Our solution is Omni a tool that responds to the things you say by mapping them out for you and allowing you to gain a new perspective on your issues.
Form
We wanted the form to be encouraging to touch. We purposely didn't have this be an interaction which lived on your mobile device because we wanted to separate this interaction from the phone, which is the source of much of the stress due to overwhelming notifications and constant connection. The form acts as a stress reliever as well as a mini projector.
Conclusion
We believe that working to create a peaceful space in the cars by calling upon the principles of cognitive therapy and mindfulness will actually improve day to day interactions between people and result in less conflict and more peacefulness over all. It's a chance for Ford to capitalize on the individuality and safety of the car.
