Incorporating additional framing techniques

The transference of aesthetic and somatic values into design ideas is complex. It requires the development of heightened somatic sensibility, which contradicts the general tendency to split mind and body, situating rational thinking over other life aspects, such as affect and intuition. Focusing-oriented techniques and other somatic approaches can function not only as strategies to extract unearthed personal insights and access creativity through a wholistic path, but also as a possibility to further develop empathy within the design team.

Although reflection might be the main precondition to access aesthetic and somatic qualities of experiencing, part of this research’s future work contemplates the inclusion of some enactive elements before guided experiences, in order to naturally integrate affordances and constraints into potential ideas. Additionally, more sophisticated framing techniques are to be explored, including strategies from techniques such as the frame creation model (Dorst, 2015). Particularly compatible with the FOI method is the frame creation model approach to theme analysis, where designers try to understand and filter out the universal aspects of the problem situation by systematically refining and documenting texts, until finding the core insight. Although participants experience insights during the sessions, some extra tools for framing documentation can refine the presentation of subjective ideas into universal design problems.

6.9 Summary of outcomes

Three main categories of ideas grounded in felt-sensing qualities were generated through the application of FOI:

- Transformative: Negative aspects emerging from the guided exercise are reframed as a projective solution

- Metaphorical: Positive aspects emerging from the guided exercise are framed as a metaphor representing these values.

- Somatic: Ideas were projective responses grounded in heightened awareness of the lived body.

FOI has proven useful to articulate design ideas by highlighting the role of body and emotions in everyday experience. Additionally, as the somatic practice is grounded in subjective appreciation of the inner dimension, emerging ideas tend to bypass social conventions and expectations, towards a more authentic identification with the self.

Chapter 7

STUDY THREE: WEARABLE PROPS AND FOCUSING

How is experience shaped by external stimuli?

This chapter introduces a more evaluative dimension of Focusing-oriented bodystorming (FOB), by integrating Focusing reflection with the use of artefacts. As with FOB, Wearable props

and Focusing (W&F) comprises two different formats of user studies initially motivated to

envision the opportunities of interactive technologies in the practice of Focusing. Particularly, I wanted to find out if wearable stimuli, in this case gentle heat and vibration could amplify or jeopardise the access to the felt-sense. Beyond these polar possibilities, it was discovered that the use of stimuli on the body can shape the way personal stories are articulated, including the qualities of their aesthetic experiences.

This chapter was crafted by combining a set of unpublished material, plus content from the following papers:

Núñez-Pacheco, C., & Loke, L. (2017). Tacit Narratives: Surfacing Aesthetic Meaning by Using

Wearable Props and Focusing. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the Eleventh Tangible,

Embedded and Embodied Interaction Conference (TEI), Yokohama, Japan.

Núñez-Pacheco, C., & Loke, L. (Conditionally accepted). Designing to support somatic

contemplation: Aesthetic qualities of thermal and vibrotactile interactions as sensory materials for inner focus.

7.1 Introduction

This chapter describe various explorations with the use of wearable props and Focusing. As physical representations of open-ended questions, the props used in this study contain basic technology such as vibration motors attached to microcontrollers, as well as non-technological means and materials. The way props are used share a few similarities with technology probes (Hutchinson et al., 2003), specifically in regard to 1) their exploratory quality, and 2) the deliberate use of limited functionality, allowing the user to interact with open-ended artefacts and complete their own meaning. Their simplicity is intended to stimulate primary sensations and also support a broad provision of responses. The cyclical nature of the Focusing process reinforces and brings aesthetic qualities from the tacit dimension to the surface of people’s consciousness, while wearable devices act as physical handles to reveal unexpected aspects from personal stories.

There are some motivations behind using vibration and heat. As described in my methodology chapter 4, initially I was interested in using tactile stimulation for Focusing therapy, inspired by some studies linking interpersonal touch with affect (Gallace & Spence, 2010), the calming effect of touch (Grandin, 1992) and also some experiences of tactile stimulation in the context of therapy (Westland, 2011). After my failed attempts to work with part of the Focusing community, I still considered it important to explore the potential impact of direct stimuli on our felt-senses. Then, the objective was to elucidate whether the use of heat and vibration was useful to acknowledge, anchor and amplify the presence of the felt sense, or, on the contrary, if the stimuli would remove people from their inner focus.

The skin is our largest organ, delimiting our presence in the world. The perception of gentle heat and vibration on the skin can function as doors to access affective memories and pleasure. According to the Oxford dictionary (2015), warmth is associated with kindness, enthusiasm and affection, as well as representing the intensity of our emotions. On the other hand, the act of

vibrating is also associated with the person’s emotional state, as well as with the general

atmosphere of a place, as perceived and communicated intersubjectively. Additionally, to vibrate

with something can also be interpreted as quivering with an emotion towards a situation in

particular. Corporeality is strongly incarnated in the meaning of these terms, so the interest to support and distribute affective processes through the described means is not rare. Investigating the role of haptic stimulation in meditation tools using mobile phones, Bumatay

and Seo (2015) point out that vibratory output of respiratory patterns allows ease of use when following the meditation guide. Inspired by somaesthetical principles, Jonsson et al. (2016) describe their explorations on the use of thermal stimulation and its aesthetic properties in the context of the practice of the somatic technique Feldenkrais. As one of the findings, heat appears helpful to gently direct attention towards different body parts, therefore making the process of self-reflection easier. In a similar vein, Höök et al. (2016) describe the soma carpet, which assists in the task of directing awareness inwards during somatic exercises. Additionally, Rajko, Krzyzaniak, Wernimont, Standley, and Rajko (2016) discuss how haptic feedback can be used to create experiences which make users more conscious about their feelings.

In the context of how wearable technology has incorporated the affective dimension of perceptual stimuli to augment intimacy, the metaphor of warmth as being strongly affective has been explored by Lee and Schiphorst (2016), who describe their study on the use of wearable prototypes for interpersonal communication between parents and their children. The system was composed of an input device placed on the lower arm, and an output device receiving thermal information. Thermal messages were delivered as ways to convey affection and to notify children about everyday tasks. Children perceived those messages as loving attention, reminding them of real, physical connection with their parents. It was also perceived by the participants as an opportunity to discover and play, as thermal messages cannot be interpreted as easy as text messages. Finally, the researchers discuss how beyond the designer’s expectations on how the system should work, human beings tend to naturally generate meaning independently (Sengers & Gaver, 2006).

Haptic interfaces can be useful to ground overwhelming sensations, as described by Vaucelle, Bonanni and Ishii (2009) in the design of a vest called Squeeze me, which was intended to lessen panic attacks in autistic children by simulating a hug. The vest also contains a safety system to prevent over-compression, therefore avoiding potentially harmful consequences with the wearable. In a similar direction, Duvall, Dunne, Schleif, and Holschuh (2016) have designed a wirelessly-controlled vest using shape memory alloy (SMA), potentially operated from anywhere in the world. However, beyond the strict functionality of therapy, sensory stimuli can be used as a material to convey storytelling through the body, therefore as a way to understand our humanness from a different perspective.

In the field of electronic arts, Stenslie (2010) has developed a body of work around the exploration of aesthetic qualities through the use of haptic stimulation on the body. For instance, his work Erotogod (Stenslie, 2010) explores the sensual dimension of haptic narratives by creating an immersive experience including visuals and an auto-erotic suit, which reacted to the wearer’s unique patterns of touch. Understanding the potential of perceptible feedback to unearth more experiential qualities of interaction beyond data labelling, the following section describes the approach to prototyping, and how wearable devices were worn and used.