Science & Tech
Have you ever seen a celebrity interview and noticed how someone's knee won't stop bouncing, but then a friend or co-star provides a gentle, friendly, discrete touch, and the bouncing stops, the celebrity breathes, and the whole world barely noticed. What about how a hand to
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How are brain waves being used to better understand design and what could the future potentially look like? In a study run by Google in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, a wristband was used to monitor biometrics of participants while they experience differently designed spaces. " Before entering the interactive
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In an article posted by Clinical Trials Arena (2025), they claim that we are drastically closer to brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, than we think. " Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) represent a groundbreaking technology that establishes a direct communication pathway between the brain’s electrical activity and external devices, such as computers
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First off, what is aromatherapy? Lately, essential oil diffusers seem to be popular in the wellness world, especially the ones with Himalayan salt bases. According to Johns Hopkins, aromatherapy is a practice of using essential oils for therapeutic benefit. " Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils for therapeutic
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Haptics have become a feature of many phones in recent years as a form of accessibility and engagement. How could haptics continue to spread into more spaces of the market like wellness? In an article from Dijka et. al, the subject of how combined audio-tactile stimulation could be studied, developed,
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What is Bilateral Stimulation? In short, it is the term for a type of stimulation that engages both hemispheres of the brain. Commonly used in EMDR therapy, how might bilateral stimulation be a helpful tool for grounding and relaxation in times of discomfort? " Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)
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Could prolonged commutes be tied to declining academic thriving? An article from Ding and Feng (2022) seems to show a potential relationship between commuting for approximately 20 minutes and declining academic test scores. How might we design a backseat environment that could potentially mitigate these impacts? "Besides commuting time,
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This conjecture consists of different signs that could be placed at state parks to discourage littering and encourage visitors to stay on official trails. While creating the signs, I tried to employ the techniques discussed in the paper by Rice et al. on graphic design in park signs (2023), including:
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One issue that cropped up when researching children in cars was the framing of time. As explained by Ruth Ogden, "a five-hour car journey may feel longer to a five-year-old than to a 50-year-old, simply because it is a greater proportion of the five-year-old’s life" (Ogden, 2022)
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When designing for children, designers may convince themselves that they must give the entire solution. However, education on how to handle the problem could be just as effective in the long term as a pre-packaged solution as explained by Lovino, Koslouski, and Chafouleas: The acquisition of self-soothing skills begins in
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If you've every driven with a kid in the backseat you know all too well the infamous phrase "are we there yet?". The car is a microcosm for many issues that children face as seen in the article "Are we nearly there yet?" from
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Nowadays, child protection features are a main selling point for many vehicles such as family SUVs. However, this wasn't always the case. Critiquing these early attempts to protect and entertain children in the backseat of cars could give insight to design pitfalls only visible in the back mirror