友 (tomo)
redefining our relationships with our mobile devices
This project started with a personal experience.
One day, my friends and I visited a restaurant. The meal started off amazing with everyone laughing and having a good time. During the meal, I excused myself briefly to use the restroom. Upon returning, I felt disappointed by what I saw. All of my friends, who had been enjoying themselves just moments before, sat in silence.
The reason: every single person was staring at their phone.
This experience frustrated me because our phones had dismantled a fun moment. It prompted me to examine the role that our devices play in our lives.
narrative
image credit: Bay Area CBT Center
Research
I interviewed 100+ people about their experiences. Here’s what I heard:
"Everyone knows that we shouldn't be on our phones as much as we are"
"When I get a notification, I need to check. I can't not look!"
"You can't digitally replicate all aspects of human interaction."
From these insights, I created these pain points:
People feel disappointed when phones interrupt private moments (e.g. shared meals).
and
People have a constant urge to check notifications on their phones.
Based on this research, I decided that the design objective would be to:
Facilitate healthy phone use in private spaces.
testing prototypes
The prototypes endured rigorous testing in various settings. I spoke with users about their thoughts on the product and used their feedback to streamline the user experience. During this step, I received valuable insights for evolving the design.
streamlining user experience
Jerry Manock, former Chief Design Officer at Apple, mentored me throughout
the process, helping me evaluate user feedback to improve the design.
We allowed the users’ input to dictate the design decisions.
final product
友 (tomo) creates phone-free spaces.
Less time on our devices,
more time for moments of value.