Bachelor Assignment

Emerging smart technologies have branched out into devices to track and regulate mood. While these technologies are publicly available, underlying usability problems and user limitations restrict their adoption among the older population. Based on combined research and design methods, the thesis provides a new approach to effective mood tracking and regulation during older age. It suggests a shift in the use and design of the technology: from individual to collective use, and from smart devices to smart environments.

The proposed design consists of a smart bench which responds to the social and environmental engagement of older adults by blooming (kinetic) flowers. The design proposes that by interacting within close proximity, with the environment and other people, the target user is nudged to adopt mood regulation strategies. Furthermore, the use of kinetic flowers provides an effective and inclusive tracking tool.