1. Bachelor Thesis Project
Mid- Semester Presentation
Rethinking expressive communication between family members
through a series of interactive tangible products
Guided By: Prof Keyur Sorathia

2. Outline
Timeline
Secondary Research
Primary Research
Analysis
Further Work

3. Timeline

4. Secondary Research
Communication
Emotions in Communication
Projects Done
Research Papers
Research Documentation

5. in pairs
greeting card
messages
recreates
handwriting
personal object
Remnant Pillow Talk, MIT
Loops of Faith Pillow Talk
indian context shows presence
sending prayers pillow lights up
symbolism

6. with key holder
in pairs
communicates
detects touch presence
provides warmth
White Stone The Frame
6th Sense Softair communication
light sculpture in atable chairs
elecommunication light and sound
varyies intensity sitting together

7. indirect and calm haptics
low tech communication interpersonal
movements and signs telepresence
Wablog inTouch
Ambient Clock Lumitouch
ambient media ambient media
for elderly symbol: frame
presence indicator emotional comm.

8. connectivity social business card
sharing a drink physical networking
virtual toast connectivity
Lover’s Cup Poken
Tag What Location Based Social Networking
social mobile travel trajectory
augmented reality track and share
location based real time sharing

9. Understanding of Secondary Research
Understanding communication and how emotions assist in it
Exploring projects done world wide
Understanding methods invloved

10. Primary Research
3 user groups, 6 Interviews, 1 Shadowing
Audio Recordings, Pictures , Videos

11. User Groups
User Group 1:
Parents with geographically distant chidren
User Group 2:
Independent children living away from parents
User Group 3:
Dependent children studying away from parents

12. Questionnaires
User Group 1:
Initial introduction and query about where son/ daughter lives
Ques 7: Who made your account?
Ques 1: How many times per week do you contact your children?
Ques 8: How many times your children call you back?
Ques 2: How many times last week?
Ques 9: What are the general talks that you have?
Ques 3: How do you contact them? (Open ended question)
After listening to the answer process to give the following options: Ques 10: What sort of questions do you ask? (How are you?
- phone Have you taken food properly?)
- internet chat
- video chat/skype Ques 11: Do you write down notes (imp topics to discuss) before talking t
- letters o them? (long distance calls of short duration)
- emails
- sms Ques 12: When you are really concerned/ miss them.. what do you do?
- courier - cry on phone
- any other - simply talk to them
- write letter/personal diary
Ques 4: Frequency of each medium +Duration
Ques 13: How often do you feel like expressing your emotions/ you want them
Ques 5: Why do you call them generally? to be home?
Options:
- concern Ques 14: Do you use emoticons? IF yes which ones?
- just asking well being
- miss them
- it’s a routine
- is there any unusual scenario
Ques 6: Do you know how to use computer for video chat/skype?

13. Questionnaires
User Group 2 and 3:
Initial introduction and query about parents and relatives.
Ques 7: Any special/unusual scenario you can mention?
Ques 1: How many times per week do you contact your parents?
Ques 8: How many times yourparents call you back?
Ques 2: How many times last week?
Ques 9: What are the general talks that you have?
Ques 3: How do you contact them? (Open ended question)
After listening to the answer process to give the following options: Ques 10: What sort of questions do you ask?
- phone Ques 11: At what ocassions do you miss there presence the most?
- internet chat
- video chat/skype Ques 12: When you are really concerned/ miss them.. what do you do?
- letters - cry on phone
- emails - simply talk to them
- sms - write letter/personal diary
- courier
- any other Ques 13: How often do you feel like expressing your emotions/ you want to be home?
Ques 4: Frequency of each medium +Duration Ques 14: Do you use emoticons? IF yes which ones?
Ques 5: Why do you call them generally?
Options:
- concern
- just asking well being
- miss them
- it’s a routine
-
Ques 6 Contents of emails, sms?

14. Interviews
in-depth interviews
User Group 1: Professors(3), Housewife(1),
User Group 2: Professor(1)
User Group 3: Student(1)

15. Analysis

16. Analysis
User 1 User 2
Son -college- delhi Concern Issues:
Daughter -working- mumbai Health, Safety, Food, Happiness, Scared of tra c in Metro
Mobile, Landline SMS/ Missed calls/ Phone calls
Yesterday listened to wife talking to them Constant back and forth calling
Duration 5-10 mins Sms: pretty often. Children taught how to sms
When travelling abroad: email
Routine: Inner Ghanti
Internal Family jokes
Daughter has hectic work schedule. Helps the daughter in shopping through phone.
So worried about her returning to home
Son: had food? Health concern. “I am very anxious about their safety, health, whether
issues of being new to the city they are happy or not. “
Email Attachments: Songs and Wallpapers:
Generally deals with the issues that don’t Daughter is the source of all music and other media
worry children. Wife is more worried.
Observation: Handling of situations by “I wish I could write to them.”
mothers and fathers is di erent
Got a call from her friend when she fainted. was very
Skype: know about it but never tried it. scared. Never want such a call.
bored of spending 4 hrs on computer
Gifts, Homemade sweets. Return gifts from daughter:
Observation: Behavior with new technologies
notebooks to write, sarees, etc

17. Analysis
User 3 User 4
Concern Issues:
Son studying law in Dehradun Health, Studies, General well being
5-6 times a week
Assisits sister in studies. About how to write an
We ring once and whole family talks
assignment, tackle a subject
Well being, studies, health, social life
Used to send pictures and letters from hostel.
Son is in hostel since 4th class Also phone call once a week.
Schooling hostel di erent from college.
Less concern of safety and health “Miss him a lot on Bihu and Puja. “
Instructs about rituals of festivals on phone.
Observation: Concern is less when parents
For ex: Dont eat meat today
know that child is leading a disciplined life
Sends money on birhtday and other occassions to buy
Emails: Internship Opportunities new cllothes
Observation: Father-son communication topics: When I miss him, I talk to husband and daughter.
education, academics, career
“Through all these photographs and media,
Advices for medical problems: common cold, we are close though he is far away.”
sport wounds, painkiller
Observation: Father very enthusiastic about I go to temple and pray for him when i feel concerned
son’s achievements Gifts: Handmande cards and wooden craft items: mother
has kept them safely. Takes pride in showing them

18. Analysis
User 5 User 6
Family in Gujarat, elder sister in Mumbai Family in Kota, elder brother in Mumbai
Father sends sms- but very rare- career oriented, Talk to mother about everything, grandmother’s health
motivational sayings Brother: Once in a week, also emails and chats
Well being, health, food, exercising, career Skype chat when was in a foreign country
Father talks about career. I was in a foreign land, Used to miss my parents a lot.
Mother complains about shopping behavior- Seeing them on skype was amazing
says doesnt know how to bargain
Used to upload pictures on picasa and send link to them
Wrote a sentimental letter to express love
and gratitude toward his family. Sent a photo collage on father’s birthday. He was almost
in tears on receiving it
Doesnt express the deep emotion of badly
missing someone but nds ways to show Discusses shopping of clothes and accessories on phone
gratitude for their love and support.
When misses family, looks back ar old pictures and
Shows pictures on laptop whenever goes back discuss about the events in past on phone with the
to home family members
Family discusses the picture albums together.

19. Further Work
Conduct More User Interviews
Conceptualization and Ideation

20. Interviews
Thank You!
Ankita Gautam
Roll No: 07020502