Elmer
For this project we’ve focused on the challenge of striking up conversations at public talks, conferences and networking events.
Design: An abstract object that disassembles into four different colour pieces.
Method: Participants receive one piece each as they enter the room and are simply told to find others holding a different colour. As they move through the space, groups of 4 naturally form, spending a few moments fitting the puzzle together as a gateway for effortless engagement.
Effect: People have something to hold onto instead of their phones and their fears. They now possess a purposeful excuse to approach strangers. Conversations start with a fun and light interactive experience, reducing social anxiety, whilst encouraging curiosity and collaboration.
Simon
For this project, we’ve focused on the challenge of social interactions in public spaces, specifically when people already take a few minutes out of their day to sit down. The challenge was how to nudge playful interactions via an innovative bench design.
Design: Inspired by the nostalgic 'Simon' memory game from the 1980s which created a series of lights requiring a user to repeat the sequence, we’ve designed a bench which makes social interaction un-resistible.
Method: The bench is structured in a semi-curved shape with three seats and four light panels in between. Once a second person takes a seat a sensor is triggered, and the game begins. At first, the two panels next to their occupied seats blink, then one after the other, nudging the sitters to press on them. Once they do, more elaborate patterns are generated, requiring both people to collaborate by pressing the panels in the right order. After three rounds lasting under a minute, all panels flicker in different colours, signalling success.
Result: Such playful interactions not only generate joy but also provide an easy segway to friendly chats and at times more serendipitous connections. At the same time, their public settings help generate a more sociable vibe that ripples throughout the space as a whole.
