Team: Patti, Wil, Jim, and Charlene

Objective

Find a design solution to the problem of mismatched expectations in the phone information chain - i.e. [callers]<=/=>[receivers]. These problems arise because callers don’t know why receivers are not answering; receivers don’t always want to or are unable to answer calls; and whenever either happens, the voice mail system takes too long so it is ineffective on both sides. Our project aims to bridge the gap between expectations of either party, and our tagline for doing is: saying more by saying less.

Initial Ideas

• Communication is 60% nonverbal, so try different sensory approaches such as: touch/tactile, sight/color/miming, smell, taste, hear (other variations), or even ESP!
• Automated SMS (text message) replies: touch key to leave IMs that can be de/activated easily
• Pre-recorded voice mail or pre-set list of “away messages” that receiver can choose from in DND times

Final Ideas


1000 Words Phone
A sensor detects the phone user’s environment - for example, the bathroom, or a classroom - takes a snapshot, and sends it as a visual “away message” to anyone who calls while the user remains unavailable in that environment.

Smelly Phone
Emits a smell on the receiver’s end in order to be able to quickly identify the caller and/or caller’s situation. Useful when it comes to knowing instantly where someone is at.


Mood Phone
Color indicators help the receiver to pick up on the caller’s moods, using voice analysis to help people understand voice inflections and social cues. Potential application for a wider audience: autism toolkit?

The Conclusion

Project ESP was primarily an exploration of concepts that we intuitively felt would improve the cell phone user experience in general. Because it was based on our personal frustrations with making and receiving calls, we chose to focus on solutions that met our criteria - innovative and immediate - rather than go full-out and research the needs of the bigger user base. Obviously, this limits the project’s wider relevance, but as far as college students are concerned, we think these three ideas offer some improvement, and that’s saying something.