SunScape ~
Making In-Between Moments Meaningful
CLIENT
Cibes LiftsPROJECT
KTH Royal Institute of Technology,Interaction Design as a Reflective PracticeTEAM
Alice Borg Irene Kaklopoulou Rebeca BlancoJonathan Manoousian Yating LiuDATE + DURATION
2021, 8 weeksTOOLS
Soma Design methods, Videography via Final Cut, Figma, Pictorial
ABOUT
As a part of the course, Interaction Design as a Reflective Practice, my team and I designed a somaesthetic lift experience in collaboration with Manyone and their client Cibes Lifts. Various Soma Design practices guided us through the design space, and the gathered insights resulted in a focus on nature and time, namely sunlight and the circadian rhythm. A prototype was visualized through a video, showcasing how the lift’s light slowly changed throughout the day. The concept highlights how the short time spent in a lift can be utilized to slow down and reflect, ultimately creating a moment for micro-meditation.
PROCESS
The project centered around the application of a Soma Design approach onto Cibes lifts. The ultimate goal aimed to enhance the experience for people using the lifts. Opportunities for improvement are many, and the design space was explored through various somesthetic methods, like Focusing, Slow Walking, Magic Machine Workshops, A-Labs, physical and non-physical Body Maps. All having a first-person approach, where focus was directed towards sharing individual experiences and sensations with each other, to emphasize and gain increased awareness.
The process eventually brought us closer to the concept of time. We became interested in exploring how to make the time spent in the lifts more meaningful. To support that goal, we explored how to bridge the calming qualities of nature with the often more stressful lift experience, to allow for micro-meditations and promote general well-being.
To structure the creative work, photos, videos, and annotations from each practice were stored to keep track of the perceived experiences. I further kept a personal diary to document my own journey through the process more carefully.
UX–CHALLENGES
Soma Design encourages people to cultivate aesthetic sensibility through the activation of bodily movements and sensations. It further emphasizes the strength of applying a first-person perspective. However, directing attention towards bodily sensations was something we initially struggled with within our team. Designers have been taught to leave subjectivity behind, and solely focus on objectives and quantitative data and it takes time and practice to step out of that mindset and articulate as well as value each member's subjective sensations, no matter how contradicting they might be.
The design proposal was further limited to a Wizard of Oz implementation, and a real scenario was hence never tested. It would be super exciting to continue this research further and apply deeper evaluation on the actual effects.
RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS
The design process made us reflect on light’s significant impact on our lives and how it is synchronized with our internal clocks. According to our somatic explorations and gathered findings, exposure to pleasant or unpleasant shades of sunlight has the power to influence mood and bodily sensations.
In terms of color scheme, we realized that by following the circadian rhythm, the morning and evening light are quite similar. The true difference exists in the middle of the day, where the light is most bright, blue/ green, and intense. Otherwise, the light is soft and warm in the morning and late evening, which is different from how we initially imagined it. However, the intensity of the light should be lower in the evening than in the morning, to get the waking versus relaxing benefits.
UX–SOLUTION
Inspired by the numerous qualities of sunlight and our related somatic experiences, we addressed the lift ride as an occasion to reflect and find peace in our fast-paced society. The precarious sunlight in Scandinavia and our literature review supported the idea of SunScape, which follows the circadian rhythm. A lift that offers a desirable escape, opening up time for micro-meditation enabled by light.
The experience encourages people to appreciate their time spent in the lift and simply embrace the beneficial elements of the light. The slow, gradually changing colors from warm to cold throughout the day have no intention of appealing any direct consideration or thought. The gradual change in colors will not be noticed during a single ride. It might be noticed if the lift is used at noon and late evening during the same day, but it can also take weeks before the pattern is discovered. The subtleness represents the essence of the somatic experience. Allowing things to take time.
The naturally increased or decreased intensity of light will also indicate the lift’s location, hence serving a double purpose. It is functional in terms of raising awareness regarding the lift's current location, while at the same time supporting a calming sensation of approaching the light.
REFLECTIONS + TAKEAWAYS
SunScape emerged from a highly explorative Soma Design process, where a combination of different methods was applied to slowly reach a final design proposal. The slowness, subjectiveness, and articulation of bodily sensations were new, yet eye-opening for me.
The acceptance and involvement of subjective experiences is something I will bring with me into future projects, and use in combination with more user-oriented methods. I believe that the true value lies in finding the right combinations for each design situation. To be thought-based rather than rule-based when deciding appropriate methods.
I’m grateful that I got the opportunity to develop a somaesthetic skillset and will keep on practicing articulation of my bodily sensations.
