Thesis Report Extract by Yang He Xiang

The Irrational Affection of Comfort Things: comfort object, transitional object, or security blanket, is an item used for psychological ease, usually in unusual or unique situations, or at bedtime for children.1 Thesis by Yeo Ker Siang, A0074104U. Superviser, Hans Tan. Division of Industrial Design, National University of Singapore. 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Security and Comfort Objects.â&#x20AC;? About.com Pediatrics. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2014. <http://pediatrics.about.com/od/infantparentingtips/a/04_loveys.htm>.

“When a child loves you for a long long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become REAL.” — Margery Williams in The Velveteen Rabbit1

“If we adapt for individual man with his desires, his passions and tastes, then we will adapt the best of social life and the collective order. Art is based on customs, but not on the fleeting or, better-said, artificial customs created by fashion. What is needed is to give the object the form that best suits the spontaneous gesture or instinctive reflex that corresponds to it in view of its destiny.” — Eileen Gray, Architect

1. Bianco, Margery Williams, and Allen Atkinson. The Velveteen Rabbit. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1983. Print.

Contents

7 Preface

Biblography

8 Motivation

ANNEX A: SOCIAL ANXIETY SUFFERER

Mapping the Approach

ANNEX B: FOUND COMFORT OBJECTS

A Primer of Comfort Things

ANNEX C: LOVE/HATE LETTERS

An Era of Additional Anxiety

ANNEX D: AFFIRMATIVE VS CRITICAL DESIGN

The Mythological Object

ANNEX E: SEVEN SHADES OF MOBILE

A Comfort Exhibition

The Kitsch of Comfort Objects

32 Comfort Objects in Medical Context 37 People and their Comfort Objects 43 Deconstruction 44

Initial Ideas and Approaches

Designing Comfort Objects

The Commodification of Mobile Phones:

The Convenient Comfort Object

Awareness of Mobile Phone Culture

and Technology

How People Really Use Mobile

The Psychology of Touch

You Had Me at Scrolling

The Moments with the Mobile Phone

Design Approach: Liberate and Glorify

Design with HTML5 Simulation

HTML 5 Porting to Artefact

82 Review 83 Conclusions 84 Acknowledgement

Preface

This thesis explores the world of irrational comfort objects with designerly ways of research for knowledge, culminating in an outcome that uses design to discuss our increasingly significant relationship with technology and the digital world. The attachment we show for our comfort objects are peculiar when they are utilised away from their intended purpose. They tend to be different among individuals, and are distinctive and exclusive. This therefore renders them indisputably irrational in their adoption, affection and unintended function. Behind these comfort things inhabits common rational mechanisms that fosters human growth, change and development throughout the human lifespan by enabling us to cope with anxiety and stress. They play a much larger and significant role in our development and progress than expected. This role is often disguised by the function of the products that designers intended them to fulfil. The eventual shift of a product’s ‘function’ towards a form of comfort speak volumes of its true purpose. This purpose is essentially more actual than the products themselves. In this thesis, the primary focus for design becomes that of the mobile phone - a ubiquitous palm-sized and convenient piece of rectangular screen. The mobile phone is virtually the commodification of a comfort object. Its apparent neutrality, its touchscreen properties and its interfacing qualities, makes it a malleable and highly accessible piece of comfort object in the digital age that we live in.

1. Dabek, Ryszard, Ryszard Dabek, Melissa Laing, Brett Jones, David Burraston, and Georges Perec. Species of Spaces. Melbourne: West Space, 2009. Print.

Motivation

The enchanting sight of children clinging onto soft toys such as teddy bears or seemingly ordinary pieces of fabrics such as blankets initiated an interest into the theory of comfort objects. This curiosity led to a revelation that objects, while it is designed to perform a particular utilitarian function, subsequently serve as artefacts of comfortness in everyday life. How to design comfort How can industrial designers tackle the issue of irrational comfort and affection in objects? These objects are merely adopted by people; this unintended function arises due to specific circumstances, and are not by design. They are always discovered. In the medical field, only psychologists have sought to prescribe comfort objects for specific therapy sessions. They use it to trigger nostalgia and memories, often utilising them as tools to connect with their patients on a deeper level for therapy. Designers are the originators of such objects, so how do we re-intervene through our lens and skillset to propel refreshing, insightful appreciation and awareness of comfort into the realm of design? It is an amusingly ironic task of re-analysing the consumer products that we conjure every now and then, and to find out what is it that makes them become a comfort object. Beyond market, emotional, and functional: the mythological This investigation into the non-utilitarian fascinates and challenges the conventional fabric of industrial design. If the role of design is to make life better, then this subject would be a fertile ground to investigate and expose these unintended and “important source of comfort througout our lives.2”

2. Collins, Glenn. “OBJECTS OF SOLACE FOR LIFE.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Apr. 1981. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/20/style/ relationships-objects-of-solace-for-life.html>.

Mapping the Approach

Donald Winnicottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theory of comfort objects in childhood development is the starting point for this project. With a fundamental understanding of why children need comfort objects, it assists in leading the exploration of understanding this phenomena in our everyday life. The process is supplemented with ethnographic studies, literature reviews pertaining to material culture and systems, philosophical studies of objects, and selfreflective observations of the everyday and personal experiences. It is an attempt at an organic and iterative process to manoeuvre and instruct this thesisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movement and direction for design research. Comfort things are studied, and classifield into types that seeks to support and explain the hypothesised mechanisms of comfort things. With new knowledge gained through the process, the design outcome seeks to be the vessel for the research. The eventual aim seeks to spark a discourse on our interactive relationships with accessible physical devices that enables a connection with the digital world in which we attain psychological ease from anxiety and stress.

1 Transitional object theory: The comfort object is thus an enabler of illusion, a personally simulated reality to cope with the absence of the mother.

1 Image retrieved from Playing and Reality, D.W. Winnicott,. London: Tavistock, 1971. Print.

A Primer of Comfort Things

This chapter encompasses an introduction to comfort objects, mainly illustrating the ever-present nature of this crucial yet irrational phenomena that enables human growth and development with theoretical studies and examples. As defined on the cover page, a comfort object is an item used for psychological ease usually in unusual or unique situations, or at bedtime for children. Psychological ease, in this study, can mean and is not limited to solace, comfort, and security. While “unique situations” can be chiefly anxiety, boredom, stress or any other personal circumstances that requires comfort objects. This design research will exercise the usage of these terms throughout the writing. The Transitional Object Dr Donald Winnicott, in Playing and Reality (1971)1, explained the concept of comfort objects as a means of allowing the child to “accept reality” in the absence of the mother. In other words, a comfort object helps the child to depart from natural attachment to the mother, allowing growth in independence, and assisting the child in realising its existence in the world. The comfort object is thus an enabler of illusion, a personally simulated reality to cope with the absence of the mother. This thesis will show the myriad of comfort objects that are adopted as we grow up points back to this particular concept. Although we might have relinquish that piece of blanket or that teddy bear, we constantly seek substitutes throughout our lives to fulfil this childhood experience and need.

1. Winnicott, Donald Woods. Playing and Reality: D.W. Winnicott,. London: Tavistock, 1971. Print.

1 Thumbsucking foetus at 15 weeks gestation shows our innate need for comfort objects

2 Thumbsucking is metaphorically replaced by alternatives throughout the human lifespan

1 Image retrieved <http://www.zawaj.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/fetus-sucking-thumb.jpg> 2 Image retrieved <http://thehypnotherapycentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Stop-Thumb-Sucking.jpg>

Thumb-sucking: the first and natural comfort object This innate behaviour starts as early as the first 14-15 weeks of foetus gestation, according to a study of 274 foetuses.1 It is a natural reflex to “prepare the child for breastfeeding”. In addition, it soothes, calms and makes the child happy in times of boredom, stress or anxiety. The thumb is the first comfort object, followed by the mother (and her breasts), and eventually a blanket or soft toy. This natural phenomena therefore explains an inherent human need for a subsequent “replacement” in other objects for growth and development throughout their lifespan. Extension into Adult Life This phenomena continues into adult life in a similar fashion. In a United Kingdom survey of 6000 participants2, “35% admitted to sleeping with stuffed animals.” It is worth noting that this figure represents only one particular type in a particular context. Solace is the most basic need Dr Paul Horton, a founder of Solace Therapy, where he prescribes comfort objects for his patients, also argues that “solace is the most basic need.” Most people need some solace every day. You can`t be normal and not have a solacer.3” If transitional objects help the child to “accept reality”, then clearly the role of comfort objects in the later stages of life is to aid in accepting ‘life’s little pains, or even big ones.”

1. Thumbsuck shows the hand we favour, <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-311147/Thumb-sucking-womb-determines-hand-favour.html> 2. 35% of British Adults Brings Teddy to Bed, <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/21/british-adults-sleep-with-teddy-bears_n_1290813.html> 3. Security Blanket No Joke < http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1988-10-23/health/8802100668_1_solace-therapy-dr-paul-horton-security-blanket>

Visual Visual m e t Visual Visual Sys e v i t c e f f Mammal A Visual Visual Visual Visual Tactile Tactile Tactile Visual Visual Visual Tactile Visual Visual Tactile Visual Visual Visual Visual Visual Visual

Exploration and territorial odevelopment

Search for protection, nourishment, motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warmth

+ A linear innate process to make sense of the world

1 The mammal affective system explains our desire for physical touch in the state of sadness, where the brain concentrates resources that respond to tactile stimulations.

1 Image retrieved <http://www.baby-gifts.co.uk/itemimages/fynn-steiff-teddy-bear.jpg> 2 Image retrieved <http://www.visnsoft.com/r1.jpg>

2 After sadness is absolved with tactility, mammals desires for visual exploration for development of being.

These popular objects resonates with the masses. They are also historically important in its place in popular culture

The Mammal Affective System The comfort object theory is also verified through the findings of the mammal affective system. As a child, one seeks comfort from sadness through the arms of the mother. Upon reaching a positive state through that behaviour, one wanders about aimlessly to discover the world away from the mother. In the Journal of Consumer Research1, Dan King and Chris Janiszewski explains why we tend to buy certain products with certain tactility: “we found that consumers felt more pleasure from tactile attributes of products when they were in negative states, and more pleasure from visual aspects when they were in positive states.” The study gives marketeers a blueprint to segment their markets according to the mental state of their target audience: “In one experiment, participants who were in a negative affective state were more appreciative of the tactile qualities of a hand lotion, whereas those in a positive state were more appreciative of the lotion’s visual qualities.” It also explains how mammals including humans are biologically wired to change the pleasure response to sensory channels, depending on the current state. When humans are in a negative state (sadness, depression, anxiety etc.), “the brain tries to restore physical resources to these vulnerable creatures by increasing their pleasure response to tactile stimulation.” This stimulation results in the migitation of the negative state. As a result, the subsequent positive state (recovery, happiness, etc.) makes humans “primed for visual exploration, to fulfill goals of protection and territorial expansion.”

1. No author, Animal Instincts: Why Do Unhappy Consumers Prefer Tactile Sensations?, <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615120250.htm>

Fig. 1 Project Linus has delivered over 5 million blankets to needy children

Fig. 2 The Linus character is famous for hanging on forever to his blanket.

Charles Schluz character in Peanuts, Linus, is the best friend of Charlie Brown. He holds the blanket everywhere he goes, rubbing it, hanging over his shoulders, getting teased for it, using it for certain situations. This cultural phenomenon not only shows the blanket as a purposeful comfort object, but also initiated a non-profit organisation called Project Linus1, where they make comforting blankets in the name of Linus to needy children. The cultural quality of the Linus in this case is the reason for the ‘comforting’ qualities of the Project Linus blankets.

1. “Project Linus National Headquarters.” Project Linus-Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.projectlinus.org/>. Fig. 3 Image rhttp://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/files/2012/12/619px-TheodoreRooseveltTeddyBear.jpg> Fig. 4 Image retrieved <http://www.raisingsienna.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/linus-and-his-blanket-e798f1a5e4a17df1.jpg>

Fig. 1 The cartoon that started the Teddy Bear phenomena

Fig. 2 The original Teddy Bear

In 1902, then United States President Theodore Roosevelt refusal to shoot a bear while it is tied sparked a national approval when a cartoon was made of him ‘drawing the line’.2 To catch onto a phenomenon, soft toy bears started appearing, latching on the narrative of Roosevelt’s moment with a bear. Eventually, the bear became widely known as the Teddy Bear. This act of refusal to kill by the President resulted in the Teddy Bear becoming an object of affection, love and comfort till this day.

2. “The History of the Teddy Bear: From Wet and Angry to Soft and Cuddly.” Smithsonian. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-historyof-the-teddy-bear-from-wet-and-angry-to-soft-and-cuddly-170275899/?no-ist>. Fig. 1 Image retrieved <http://www.thegreenhead.com/imgs/xl/linus-blanket-xl.jpg> Fig. 2 Image retrieved <http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/files/2012/12/72.jpg>

Fig. 1 Wilson the Volleyball became a cultural phenomenon in its role as a comfort object for the stranded character in Cast Away (2000)

In Cast Away (2000), an unexpected character took the headlines. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was in the form of a volleyball, stranded along together with the main character on the island. The volleyball is anthropomorphised to become a comfort object. It helped as a narrative device for the film, while also highlighting its role of comfort in times of loneliness and hopelessness for the main character, mentally supporting him and giving him strength and will to carry on living until he gets off the island.

p://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/ e-history-of-the-teddy-bear-from-wet-andgry-to-soft-and-cuddly-170275899/?no-ist

Fig. 1 Image retrieved from<http://www.jithumpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/238397-cast_away_25.jpg>

Fig. 1 We are living in an era of anxiety, where the economic system deliberately produces anxiety while simultaneously promising to take it away.

1 Image retrieved <http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Observer/Pix/pictures/2008/08/14/anxiety460x276.jpg>

An Era of Additional Anxiety

The need for comfort objects beyond childhood could also be attributed to the state and ideas of the world economy. In a World Mental Health Survey of 18 countries, anxiety disorder has become the most prevalent in the world.1 As the standard of living increases, the expectations of reality heightens. Inevitably, we are constantly in a mode of searching for this higher ground, contributing to our irrational anxieties for a “better life”. Why we need anxiety, empathy and awareness Anxiety is important for human interaction as it helps to develop empathy and awareness of others. However, it becomes a psychological issue when it becomes excessive. As such, the volatile nature of the world economies has contributed to this rising mental state, as people are constantly worried about their bills and their jobs. Writer Tom Hodgkinson, also points out the way the economic system works to keep us anxious. People are always feeling that they are “just one purchase from happiness.” He added that “anxious people make good consumers and good workers. Anxiety will drive us back into our comfort blankets of credit-card shopping and bad food - the system deliberately produces anxiety while simultaneously promising to take it away.” Anxiety is Irrational It is apt that comfort objects are irrational, just like anxiety itself. Anxiety, psychologist Oliver James proclaims, “is worrying about things you can’t do anything about, or which don’t matter. It’s not the same as fear: fear sharpens the senses, anxiety paralyses them. The key thing is that anxiety is irrational. It’s a loss of priority - a lost sense of what is important and what isn’t.”

1. Green, Harriet. “Welcome to the Era of Anxiety.” The Observer. Guardian News and Media, 17 Aug. 2008. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/aug/17/ mentalhealth.healthandwellbeing>.

Functional

Comfort Object

Mythological

Double meaning: the mythological quality of the comfort object is more actual than the functional aspect. The functional is efficient, while the mythological is fully realised.

The Mythological Object

This chapter explains philosophically, our irrational affection to comfort objects, and also probes at how design can not only solve problems for functional means, but also explore the subliminal areas of objects for communication and discussion. Jean Baudrillard, in the System of Objects (1968)1, proposes that for functional objects to work and exist in the world, it needs to have mythological objects as well. Although not explicity mentioned in the book, comfort objects can be cateogrised rightly alongside mythological objects such as vases, stamp collections, and antique furnitures. These objects are subliminal, for they appeal to the subconscious through its mythical quality rather than its utilitarian functions. Man is not at home amid pure functionality He defines them and support their purpose as objects which answer to demand for “witness, memory, nostalgia or escapism” because “man is not at home amid pure functionality.” In addition, he calls such mythological objects as “having serve no obvious purpose, but nevertheless purpose on a deeper level.” Comfort objects emits a mythical quality because they are irrational and mainly fictional to the outsider, but realised by the owner. These mythological objects are “minimal in function, yet maximal in meaning.” The role of the comfort object is that of a symbol, a sign, as it allows one to psychologically enable a simulated reality for comfort. In pointing back to the natural human need for comfort objects to replace the mother as discussed in earlier chapters, Jean Baudrillard explains that the role of the mythological object “always takes on the meaning of an embryo or mother-cell... a dispersed being identifies with the original and ideal situation of the embryo, retrogressing to the microcosmic yet essential state of prenatal life.” 1. Baudrillard, Jean. The System of Objects. London: Verso, 1996. Print.

Fig 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Modernity is comfort. Yet, with every new accomplishment of comfort the prospects and expectations are increasing even further. Sustaining comfort of our modern lifestyle is becoming a provokingly complex scenario; keeping up with its ongoing development is creating fundamental challenges to all of us. One of the most striking phenomena related to comfort in the western world is the progressive dematerialization of our physical environment, even to the extend of defying the limitations imposed by gravity, geography and time. Comfort is the ablity to be here and there at the same time. Comfort is having access to information always and anywhere. Comfort is when difficult things are becoming easy. Comfort is the assurance of safety, and health. Comfort is being independant of constraints (whether they are physical and mental).â&#x20AC;?

Fig 1. Image retrieved <http://konstantin-grcic.com/resources/910.jpg>

A Comfort Exhibition

Fig 2. Taxi: He was lost on a hill somewhere in North London and drunk. Dawn was about to rise, and the girl he fell in love with had left the party telling him only the name, not the address of the nightclub she wanted to go to, but then he saw the Taxi and waved – thank God the driver knew Annabell’s.

Konstantin Grcic’s curated exhibition of ‘Comfort’ at cité du design, saint-étienne1 is an exhibition about the comforts that modern developments bring us. Though similar in word, the related comfort here is much more about the investigation into comfort itself, rather than the idea of comfort objects. It is about the things that makes our life better and more convenient. Nevertheless, the commentary about the comforts of modernity supports the thesis’s statement that comfort is not by design, as Mr Grcic himself states that “the feeling or idea of comfort is chiefly subjective relative to context, making it difficult to set a definite course of action or system of values for it.” This sets the tone later to search for a common comfort object that is happening on a grander scale, eg. the Teddy Bear or blanket, for design approaches. It also influenced the deconstruction process which allows better understanding of the mechanisms of comfort objects, and also an overview for insights and opportunities.

1. “Konstantin Grcic Industrial Design.” Konstantin Grcic Industrial Design. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. Fig 2. Image retrieved <http://konstantin-grcic.com/resources/908.jpg>

The Kitsch of Comfort Objects

As defined by New Oxford American Dictionary, kitsch is “art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way.” Kitsch is therefore the simplest and straightfoward form of comfort object, featuring superficial elements and aesthetics that are immediately relatable to the user, as shown in the following case studies. Japanese Comfort Things Japan, a highly stressful and competitive society, has an extreme culture of comfort objects. Adults use them freely, for they seek solace in “everyday items from teacups to computer screen-savers, adorned with popular Japanese cartoon characters, such as Pokemon bath mats or Hello Kitty cell phones.1” Psychologist Kayama Rika, professor at Rikkyo University, “suggests that people in Japan have become tired of verbal communication and are seeking comfort in a fantasy world of silent articles.” These ‘Japanese objects’ carry a range of aesthetics that is cultural in its expression, therefore affording the Japanese a familiar form of escapism embedded in these objects.

1. “Finding Satisfaction in Being Ourselves.” Japan Times RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. <http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2009/12/06/general/finding-satisfaction-in-being-ourselves/>.

Fig. 1 A Hello Kitty Toaster that is overwhelming kitsch

Fig. 2 Woman’s lap for lonely men

The use of the Hello Kitty toaster enables the user to simulate a “fantasy world” for escape from reality. While using the toaster, the reality that the toaster toasts is not as important as the imagery of the Hello Kitty character. This imagery easily provides psychological ease by using function as the medium.

In the example of a manufactured woman’s lap, it was a response to the single Japanese men who yearn for a woman’s comfort. “From the time people were kids, people have laid their heads on their mothers’ laps to get their ears cleaned,2” This design manifests on common memories and mechanisms of nostalgia and a particular life event that is ubiquitous in Japan, allowing the Japanese to simulate an experienced moment back in time to achieve comfort.

2. “Japanese Men Lap up Woman of Foam.” - Back Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. <http://www.iol.co.za/news/back-page/japanese-men-lap-up-woman-of-foam-1.229438#.U09STV40lK4> Fig 1. Image retrieved <http://www.slipperybrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/hello-kitty-toaster.jpg> Fig 2. Image retrieved <http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/lap-pillow-1.124173!/image/newspic41bd7f971e7bb.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/newspic41bd7f971e7bb.jpg>

Fig. 1 The snowglobe was a quick way for Americans to move on from the Oklahoma bombing

Fig. 2 The Hummer was an image of security and safety, despite its dangerous attributes from its design

Fig. 1 Image retrieved from Sturken, Marita. Tourists of History: Memory, Kitsch, and Consumerism from Oklahoma City to Ground Zero. Durham: Duke UP, 2007. Print. Fig. 2 Image retrieved from <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/2007_Hummer_H3_--_NHTSA.jpg>

Two major security-related events in the United States of America, had resulted in kitsch objects that seek to bring about comfort and reassurance to the American citizens. Snowglobes of Oklahoma A souvenir to remember the 1995 Oklahoma bombing, is in the form of a snow globe with the miniaturised city inside. This object, “offers a sense of return: the scene always returns to the way it was”. By shaking it, the snow flurries and settles. Marita Sturken, in Tourists of History (2007)1, states that this “evokes to some degree, the consumerism of trauma, fear, and security and the closely woven relationship of loss to tourism and kitsch.” In expounding on the culture of comfort in the USA, she writes that it “functions as a form of depoliticisation and as a means to confront loss, grief, and fear through processes that disavow politics.” The role of comfort objects can also be politically-driven, leveraging on the citizens’ patriotism and consumerism behaviour to produce psychological ease for moving on from national disasters. The Imagery of Safety In another example, the September 11 terrorists’ attack of the Twin Towers ushered in a period of mass consumption of comforting and secure imagery. SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicle) rose in sales after the incident. The Hummer (now defunct), a major component of the Gulf War, became one of the main symbols of militarisation and safety since the attack, even though its design had safety issues with its height and awkward maneuverability. The imagery here is a psychological appeal to the Americans, much more important and crucial than the true safety of the SUVs themselves.

1. Sturken, Marita. Tourists of History: Memory, Kitsch, and Consumerism from Oklahoma City to Ground Zero. Durham: Duke UP, 2007. Print.

Sweet Dreams Security Matthias Megyeri1, in 2003, designed a series of products that marries security with cuteness. This project suggest a potential technique in applying comfort (in this case, kitsch) in current existing products for a surprising effect that makes us look closer at the possibile anti-securityaesthetics for the variety of security items around us.

1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;SDS.â&#x20AC;? SDS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.sweetdreamssecurity.com/sweetdreamssecurity.html> Note: All images retrieved from <http://www.sweetdreamssecurity.com/>

Comfort Objects in Medical Context

Fig 1. Adorable ducklings act as distraction for children in medical therapy.

In this image from 1956, medical staff used living ducklings as a form of comfort for the child who was undergoing medical tests. This served as a form of distraction for the child from daunting medical process as well as the unfriendlylooking medical equipment. Instead of designing a new comfort object for this particular context, the medical staff simply apply cute animals that the children can immediately relate to as comfort objects.

Fig. 1 Image retrieved from <http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MbjWC7WfvzE/UkmOKo2q4zI/AAAAAAAAJgo/a8xVE0arA8Y/s1600/Animals+being+used+as+part+of+medical+therap y%252C+1956.jpg>

Fig 2. A doll with mirror as face allows the user to recognise himself.

Fig 3. A doll that emits sounds to the user

These Boezels1 by Twan Verdonck are prescriptive comfort objects designed for mentally challenged people and Alzheimer’s sufferers as sensorial stimulation therapy. Each Boezel has unique characteristics and stimulates one or more of the four senses (touch, smell, hearing, sight.) This example highlights the role design can play in improving lives /ofMichael the mentally impaired through Dunnethe & Raby Anastassiades catering for specific senses. In the field of design, users and consumers are usually characterised in narrow and stereotypical ways resulting in a world of manufactured objects that reflects an impoverished view of what it means to be human. This project set out to explore and develop a design approach that would lead to products that embodied an understanding of the consumer/user as a complex existential being. To achieve this the project focused on irrational but real anxieties such as

1. “Boezels.” Boezels. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.twanverdonck.com/twanverdonckdesign/boezels/ni.htm>. Fig. 2 Image retrieved from <http://www.twanverdonck.com/twanverdonckdesign/boezels/boezelsseries/zhumanoydssnoezelen.jpg> Fig. 3 Image retrieved from <http://www.twanverdonck.com/twanverdonckdesign/boezels/boezelsseries/hingelingsnoezelen.jpg>

Hideaway Furniture is for people who are afraid of being abducted. Each opens in a surprising way without disturbing objects displayed on its surface. The poses encourage the occupant to feel in control, proud and comfortable, the opposite of a foetal position.

The Huggable Atomic Mushrooms are for people afraid of nuclear annihilation. Like treatments for phobias they allow for gradual exposure through different sizes.

Dunne and Raby1 collaborated with Michael Anastassiades to design a series of products for real anxieties such as the fear of alien abduction or nuclear annihilation. They approached the phobias as though they were perfectly reasonable and designed objects to humour the sufferers. The resulting objects are suitable examples for this thesis, of a very different way of designing for how people really are rather than how they are supposed to be. They explore how psychological realism can be applied to designed objects.This project gives the thesis a vote of confidence in its similar approach for design.

1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dunne & Raby.â&#x20AC;? Dunne & Raby. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/>. Note: All images retrieved from < http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/content/projects/71/0>

Photo diary from user

Internet resource: forums/blogs

Love/hate letters

People and Their Comfort Objects

As it is a relatively unexplored area in design, it is crucial that the study of people is carried out to gain first hand ethnographic data. The main objective of this process is to understand the rationale behind the things that people adopt for comfort. A Highly Pertinent Process Since comfort objects are adopted, then the greatest resource is the people who bestow its status. Through intimate ethnography by photo documentations, love and hate letters, forums and blogs, the rationale behind the irrational attachment is documented and later distilled. The samples ranges from associates to secondary data. The Case for the Methods Photo documentation gives a first-person-view of the context with a short commentary by the subject. It provides a personal glimpse into the subjectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own simulated reality of comfort objects. The interviews came through in the form of love-letters to the subjectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; comfort objects. Quick conversations and interviews are conducted casually to match the emotional and lighthearted nature of comfort objects. It served as a starting point for extracting more information that leads to insights for deconstruction later. Online findings on forums, blogs, and websites are a more direct and relatively honest form of research which are easily sourced and are high in quantity.

Before she leaves her home, the comfort object has to sit near the door.

So, it will be able to ‘greet her’ when she gets home, and this makes her happy, and her a day a little better.

Thereafter, she will make the comfort object greet her parents in a ‘special voice’.

She makes the object play with ‘its friends’.

The subject documented photos of her comfort object with short commentary.

and control. This form of comfort object is irreplacable and one of the most exclusive.

The comfort object has been with her since she was a child. It has ‘lost a limb’. She stressed very much that there is nothing that can replace it, and that it allows her to look forward to going home, and that it makes her feel happy in times of stress and anxiety. She uses it to shutter between the real world and her own simulated world. The soft toy can be whatever she wants it to be.

It also informs the thesis that comfort objects are usually discovered or given, and that designing a comfort object is an almost impossible task. The discovery or gift of it is part of the process that makes a comfort object.

This simulated world is the world that gives her comfort. It is her ritual, and its familiarity gives her confidence

He prefers dim lightings. It makes him feel private, thus safer from people’s judgement.

He likes the mass and weight of lead blankets. The pressure it provides is soothing which helps him rest and sleep better.

He finds comfort in sleeping under a table. The enclosure gives him security together with the floor.

In public spaces, he hides in the toilet to get away from the crowd. It is a distraction and a form of escape for him.

A subject who has social anxiety issues (read ANNEX A) reveals his self-solacing methods.

This study shows the adoptiveness of comfort objects rising from circumstances and personal situations, further implicating the futility of designing comfort objects.

He tends to feel that people surrounding him are judging him and talking about him, in which he admits that is extremely irrational. He avoids crowded places if he can. At home, he tends to seek unique forms of comfort, as explained above from Object 1 — 4. We see that each ‘solution’ provides comfort in the forms such as tactility, atmosphere and enclosed space.

Note: All images retrieved from <http://www.stocksy.com/>

The objective of this forum is to “provide support for those who suffer from social anxiety disorder (social phobia).1” The forum contains an abundance of users who have discussed their anxiety problems in addition to solutions. It is thus a large pool of comfort objects data. Using the keyword ‘Comfort object’ to search the forum, the comfort objects adopted by the users were found and then added to the list of comfort objects in ANNEX B. A stand-out discovery was from a user who commented that knowing that he or she has social anxiety is a form of ‘comfort object’ for his or her social anxiety. This strongly suggests self-awareness as a form of comfort. The role of the comfort object is not to cure, but to make the user be aware of the anxiety.

1. Social Anxiety Forum About <http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/about/> Note: Screencaps are of the above mentioned website.

Dim the lights Close the eyes Drawing flowers

ATMOSPHERE

Face a wall of nothing

Hoarding Indulge in food

Facebook

Rub pillow’s edge before rest RITUALS

Turning the ring on the finger

TYPES OF COMFORT THINGS

Turn both sides before rest

Time

INFORMATION

Instagram Tumblr

Playing video games

Coca Cola bottle

PHYSICAL

Scarf

SPACE ENCLOSURE Cups

Soft toys

Pillows

Sit in the public toilets Blankets Rest under the table

MEMORIES

ACCOMPLISHMENT

SENSORY FOCUS

SENSE OF CONTROL

THE MECHANISMS OF COMFORT THINGS FAMILIARITY

ESCAPISM

Deconstruction

From the various studies gathered, the types and mechanisms analysed from comfort objects are distilled, isolated, and linked for exploration. This study is influenced by Alain de Botton’s book, Art as Therapy1, where he listed down the functions of art to hypothesised their importance as therapeutic tools in our everyday lives, and Konstantin Grcic’s Comfort exhibition discussed earlier. The comfortness is liberated from the weight of its original image when such a process presents and clarifies the structure and workings of comfort objects through a phenomenological perspective. From this, it is clear that a suitable design direction for this thesis should triangulate on a highly-accessible form of comfort object. It should be relatable even if the outcome might not be an obvious choice of comfort object. Types of comfort things: Atmosphere Information Space Enclosure Physical (Tactile) Rituals Mechanisms of comfort things: Memorable Sensorial-Focus Accomplishment Control Familiarity

Sensorial-Focus A method of diverting the attention from anxiety. Through things which affords easy distraction, people can escape from reality by focusing on a particular task. Accomplishment Things which affords a sense of achievement provides psychological ease by boosting the confidence of the user through the simulation of ability reassurance. Control In a study of rituals, “mourning is left behind, thanks to the mourning itself.2” The action of mourning provides a sense of control over the ‘moving on from someone’s death’. The desire to simulate control is thus another form of reassurance which brings about psychological ease. Familiarity The lack of a need for realignment of thoughts, where the mind does not need to work hard to understand a particular scenario, is a form of gaining psychological ease. This study not only looks deeper at our relationship with comfort objects, it also maps out an overview, which allows the thesis to pinpoint a new area for further investigation for design, highlighted in dashed circular lines. This ‘information’ segment subsequently led the thesis to investigate our relationship with devices for comfort.

Memorable Alain de Botton writes in Art as Therapy that “the urge to pick up a camera stems from an anxious awareness of our cognitive weaknesses about the passage of time...” People are inherently afraid of forgetting things. In this example, he explains that the action that allows for reliving memorable moments brings about psychological ease. 1. Botton, Alain De, and John Armstrong. Art as Therapy. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. 2. “Rituals of Mourning Help Cope with Grief.” TurgidTribunes. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://turgidtribunes.com/2014/03/18/rituals-of-mourning-help-cope-with-

Initial Ideas and Approach

As a design research project, the research seeks to be the outcome, with an intention to expose our inevitable dependence on objects for their psychological ease. These initial design ideas investigate the technique of isolating the mechanisms from the deconstruction process, and then re-applying them to the context of the found comfort objects. (See ANNEX B) In these examples shown, there is exploration of the physical and digital possibilities. This process yielded feedback that maneouvre the thesis towards the focus on the mobile phone as the comfort object for design outcome. This is because some of these ideas presents too much of a subjective and personal comfort object only relatable to a few. With the current rise of the digital age, it is also fitting and relevant that the thesis zooms in on the digital aspects of comfort objects. This chapterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exploration on the digital also serves as the foundation for further investigation into the mobile phone as the comfort object.

In response to the pocket as a comforting vessel, the pocket becomes not for storing personal items, but is reduced to its essentials as a comfort object in the form of a glove within the pocket.

A combination of childhood blankie effect and hoodie to feel like a superhero. The imagery is similar to that caped heroes in comics. This also brings the feeling of being a protector, negating any thoughts of anxiety or stress.

The desire for different forms of eyewear for different scenarios is possible with interchange lenses.

A Comfort Visual Hub

This ‘Comfort Visual Hub’ is the idea of passive visuals as ‘comfort objects’. Based on user behaviours, the information is algorithmically curated to suit the user’s comforting needs.

The idea of glowing icons as a game to induce interaction within the context of the phone itself for comfort.

A game of icons arrangement possibilities is suggested to reflect the interface itself as a comfort object

Transitional Zone

COMFORT OBJECT

Comfort Zone

Non-comfort Zone

Comfort object model modified from Donald Winnicottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comfort object theory. The possession of a comfort object allows one to activate a transitional zone for comfort.

Designing Comfort Objects

The design of comfort objects is that of escapism, shown in the deconstruction where it contains several mechanisms which responds to certain contexts. As the main thread of comfort objects, it is quite suitably defined for this thesis in the New Oxford American Dictionary as the “relief from unpleasant realities.”

The medical segments are more apprioriately left to psychologists to prescribe. While there are promising developments from designers, especially the project on comfort objects for the mentally-challenged, the range is too limited for this thesis to communicate to the masses as research.

The simulation of a transitional zone (escapism) is thus enabled through a comfort object in the noncomfort zone, where it acts a bridge in between with the comfort-zone. Conversely, an entry into the contexts of transitional zones in the everyday would also subconsciously similarly signify a need for a comfort object.

With much increasing discussion on our reliance on technology and mobile phones in the digital age, the relatable mobile phone is a suitable mass medium for a design outcome. Its underexposed status as comfort objects therefore adds value as a design outcome. It is also a recurring topic in the ethnographic studies.

Basing on Donald Winnicott’s diagram of transitional object, a model of where comfort things would exist is constructed. Comfort objects also operate in two different modes: Private and Active. In ‘private’ mode, the comfort object is a very personal form of solace. It is frequently used when alone, in a private space. An example is a old soft toy or a blanket. In ‘active’ mode, the comfort object is activated depending on circumstances, usually in a public space. For example, a user requires the phone as a comfort object in crowded and busy places after his friends has left him. It is not the designated comfort object, but a temporary one, and thus it is always ‘active’ to be ready as a comfort object. Finding a design direction Blankets, teddy bears, and soft toys are frequently revisited by designers and artists. These comfort objects are also well-known, and therefore it does not anymore require the designer’s intervention. Potential outcomes such as the handglove-pockets and interchangable glasses are interesting but too exclusive. For the intention of this thesis, it will not be able to reach the widest audience possible.

The subsequent chapters will investigate the effects of the mobile phone on the everyday life to prove the hypothesis of it as a comfort object.

Fig 1. The mobility, lightness, and connectivity of the mobile phone makes it a truly convenient comfort object. This plethora of images from ‘WE NEVER LOOK UP’ 1 makes powerful statements about the commodification of the mobile phone. It has become just like the air we breathe and the stairs we take.

1. “WE NEVER LOOK UP.” WE NEVER LOOK UP. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://weneverlookup.tumblr.com/>. Fig 1. Images retrieved <http://weneverlookup.tumblr.com/>

The Commodification of Mobile Phones: The Convenient Comfort Object

The advent of the digital age has subverted the way we perceive reality. The ever-present nature of virtual reality, the digital world, means a substantial shift in the experience of everyday life. Perhaps today, we all experience the digital world much more richly than the physical world. Things as simple as online shopping, visiting Tumblrs and Instagram, and hogging on Facebook can also provide an array of comfort soley by touch with visuals. This is quite sensibly a convenient form of comfort, for Juhani Pallasma states in the Eye of the Skin that “mass production of visual imagery tends to alienate vision from emotional involvement and identification, and to turn imagery into a mesmerising flow without focus or particpitation.”1 However, is passive visual stimulation alone worthy, sufficient, and true to distract us from anxiety and stress? This type of comfort is also evident in the ethnographic research of this thesis. (See Annex B). The constant availability of digital information along with its light mobility makes it an ‘easy’ source of comfort as it can be accessed anywhere at anytime. This presents an emergence of a particular context, as well as an exponential form of digital comfort experience - a digital comfort object.

1. Pallasma, J, 2012, The Eyes of the Skin, Wiley, UK, Printed.

“I act like I’m doing something with the phone when I want to avoid people.”

“I just touch the phone and do nothing with it.”

Fig 1. Extract from Curious Rituals depicting the mobile phone as a security blanket

Fig. 1 Nova, Nicolas, Katherine Miyake, Walton Chiu, and Nancy Kwon. Curious Rituals: Gestural Interaction in the Digital Everyday. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Awareness of Mobile Phone Culture and Technology

The mobile phone today is the ubiquitous everyday object. It is usually in the our pockets, if it is not in our proximity. It follows us everywhere we go. It is subliminal, where now people are only subconsciously aware of its status as a comfort object. Ethnographic studies from the Social Anxiety Forum show that the mobile phone as a very common comfort object. The users even describe its function as â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just touch the phone and do nothing with it.â&#x20AC;? Currently, awareness of our dependence on mobile phones has began to take pace. In Curious Rituals1, the gestural interactions with the digital world is documented with a chapter dedicated to the security blanket. While it acknowledges the mobile phone as a comfort object, it merely serves as a brief mention in the scope of the research topic. Therefore, there is an opportunity for more awareness of this particular phenomena. The following examples further discuss and justify the need to communicate this awareness.

1. Nova, Nicolas, Katherine Miyake, Walton Chiu, and Nancy Kwon. Curious Rituals: Gestural Interaction in the Digital Everyday. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. <http://curiousrituals.files. wordpress.com/2012/09/curiousritualsbook.pdf>.

Fig 1. A stack of phones parallels the iconic image of Guinness stout

Guinness1 recently released a campaign to inform their customers to enjoy their stout instead of their phones, by stacking phones to form the image of their signature stout. People are usually down with their mobile phones, eyes fixated on the screen. Even within conversation, it has become a natural tendency to multi-task with the mobile phone. This poster elegantly transforms the phones into the beer by communicating that users are here for the beer and not the phone.

1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Enjoy Responsibly. Phones Down Please.â&#x20AC;? AdNews:. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.adnews.com.au/campaign/enjoy-responsibly-phonesdown-please>. Fig. 1 Image retrieved < http://cdn.psfk.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/guinness-anti-cellphone-poster-ad.jpg >

An app to track your activities on the mobile phone signals a shift in communicating awareness of our dependence on technology in our everyday.

`Methanl Balance1 (word play on Mental), an app launched by a group of psychologists, aims to teach users to control their dependence on mobile phones through visualisations and reminders. The actions on the mobile phone is recorded consistently to allow you to review your digital activities. It also allows sharing on their forums for you to discuss with other users about ‘digital detox’. This app is utilitarian to its own existence, questioning its own purpose by aggregating information for the users to make decisions and ponder about their dependence on technology and mobile phones.

1. “Menthal Balance” Menthal Balance N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <https://www.menthal.org/> Note: All screencaps retrieved from <https://www.menthal.org/>

The LIVR app is a social drinking service to engage fellow drunkards through a breathalyzer device.

Note: All screencaps from http://www.livr-app.com.

The LIVR1 app, an online hoax campaign that manages to attract investors and acclaim despite it being a deliberate poking fun of the soon-to-be-saturated app industry, criticises our increasing dependence on the mobile phone for its ‘endless possibilities2’ and the people’s tendency to trust technology to help them with the many aspect of their lives. The design of this hoax encompasses a professionallyshot video and website that uses plenty of technological jargon that is commonplace in selling products from the Silicon Valley. This set-up aims to be as real as possible to draw the audience in before revealing their intentions to expose the app industry; in the creator’s Brandon Bloch’s words, this is to “hold up a mirror” to tech start-up companies to reflect purposely on their apps and technological developments.

1. “Get in Touch with Us.” LIVR. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://livr-app.com/> 2. “Fake App Intended to Fool Media, Creators Say.” Mashable. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://mashable.com/2014/03/07/fake-drinking-app-is-a-hoax/>.

Fig. 1 Fisher-Price’s Apptivity Seat sparked discussion about our interaction with screens and objects

In this apptivity seat, it allows iPads to be held for children to engage in screen activities. While controversially it has been criticised for its support of early adoption of digital screens for children, it foreshadows the shift of comfort objects from teddy bears or soft toys to the rectangular screen, confirming the thesis’s hypothesis of the mobile phone’s status as a comfort object.

Fig. 1 Image retrieved from < http://images.essentialbaby.com.au/2013/12/02/4974534/ipad-apptivity-620x349.jpg>

Gabriele Meldaikyte1 created these five multi-touch gestures forming the language we use between our fingers and iPhone screens. Finger gestures like tap / scroll / flick / swipe / pinch are considered to be 'signatures' of the Apple iPhone. Her aim is to perpetuate them so they become accessible for future generations in exhibitions as she believes such gestures will evolve in the near future.

1. “GabrielÄ Meldaikyte.” GabrielÄ Meldaikyte. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.gabrielemeldaikyte.com/project/multi-touch-gestures>. Note: All images retrieved from <http://www.gabrielemeldaikyte.com/project/multi-touch-gestures>

Fig. 1 In HER, the operating system itself is a communicator, falling in love with the protagonist

Fig. 1 Image retrieved from <http://www.designworklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/her-04-design-work-life.jpg>

Fig. 2 The world in the film depicts lonely people attached to their operating systems

Spike Jonzeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HER (2013), explores the relationship of people with technology. In it, almost everything is voicecommanded, and holographics are a dream come true. The film depicts states of singularity, where a single entity that is the operating system handles the entire protagonistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. There are hardly fancy gadgets, just pure simple voice interactions with the world around. In the end, the film hints at our human need for not just connections, but also the fundamental touch, which are discussed in a few earlier chapters. This psychology of touch is what makes human, and reminds of being human (back to the mother, cell). It beautifully raises the question of whether we should tread carefully on our dependence on digital worlds to handle our reality in a very possible future.

Fig. 2 Image retrieved from <http://www.designworklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/her-02-design-work-life.jpg>

46% of mobile phones usage is me-time (comfort)

“DESPITE THE HUGE INDUSTRY’S FOCUS ON UTILITARIAN, UTILITY IS A MINOR MOTIVATOR FOR USERS.” - AOL INSIGHT STUDIES, 7 SHADES OF MOBILE DEVICES

How People Really Use Mobile Phones

In “Seven Shades of Mobile1” (also see ANNEX E), conducted by InsightsNow for AOL and BBDO, 2012, gained insights that apps, despite their functional purpose, is not the be all and end all for users. In the first phase, 24 users completed a seven-day diary and in-depth interviews. In the second, 1,051 U.S. users ages 13 to 54 were surveyed, data on 3,010 mobile interactions were collected, and the mobile activities of two-thirds of those users were tracked for 30 days. The research suggests a more personal relationship with the mobile phone itself, rather than the digital applications that it affords. The apps are after-thoughts, the interaction for me-time is the most intuitive and important for the users. This me-time, dominates the time of the users at an overwhelming 46%. We are not using apps for their intended function, “we are just doing the same thing all the time.” As marketeers, they looked at how they can gain exposure with ads in this particular me-time. For this thesis, designers have the opportunity here to make an interaction touch platform for this particular me-time, and at the same time, conveniently communicate the comfort object status (me-time) of the mobile phone.

1. “How People Really Use Mobile.” Harvard Business Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://hbr.org/2013/01/how-people-really-use-mobile/ar/1>.pp-is-a-hoax/>.

The Psychology of Touch

In the mammal affective system, it is suggested that tactility is the foundation for visual exploration and human development. In a study of existential fears1, it is further suggested that touch helps people confront with their own mortality. Psychologist Sander Koole of UV University Amsterdam, says that “people find existential security through interpersonal touch, even in the absence of symbolic meaning derived from religious beliefs or life values.” She cites an experiment done in the study, where people who were reminded of death valued a teddy bear higher (23 euros to 13 euros) compared to those who were not. This difference in value highlighted the comforting qualities of the teddy bear, as it is mostly associated with quality of hugging and touching. Tactility is therefore a fundamental aspect to comfort objects, where its physical nature is in actual responsible for the psychology that alleviates fears. While interpersonal touch is not available all the time, people tend to seek an alternative inanimate objects around us. This puts the mobile phone as a very suitable and alternative candidate for such activities.

User reminded of death: Teddy bear is worth 23 euros

Typical user: Teddy bear is worth 13 euros

1. “Touch May Alleviate Existential Fears for People With Low Self-Esteem.” Association for Psychological Science RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <https://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/touch-may-alleviate-existential-fears-for-people-with-low-self-esteem.html>

You Had Me at Scrolling

Observation in Public Space Observing people in public space, the touchscreen events appear to me more important than the content. At times the user access specific pages without purpose. This draws parallels to the Seven Shades of Mobile study, where the functional apps are not the important touch points of the mobile phone The information on screen merely serve as a good reason to appear busy - a psychological dialogue with Fig. 1 In the legendary unveiling of the iPhone, Steve Jobs made a point of mentioning the tactile-attractive interface of the information to rationalise the irrational affection of the revolutionary mobile phone. touch events. When Steve Jobs unveiled the revolutionary iPhone, he stopped to mention the user interface as the gameIt is also increasingly common to fiddle around with the changer of mobile phones. mobile phone before putting it beside your sleeping Youcould check it routinely, you are just feeling the Thebed. phone have the manybut applications and touchscreen its responses. features, but theand in-between (the interface), is what matters the most, as he anecdoted about how a user who tested the device said immediately that Steve Jobs “had me at scrolling.” In Jerry Maguire (1996), when Tom Cruise’s character expresses his love to Renée Zellweger’s character, she told him to stop saying anything before professing to him that “you had me at hello.” This parallel confirms the interface as a very much affectionate feature that today the users take for granted, but is still yet the comforting aspects of the mobile phone as a comfort object.

Fig. 1 Image retrieved from <http://cdn.iphonehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/you-had-me-at-scrolling-steve-jobs-iphone-keynote.png

Note: All images retrieved from <http://www.stocksy.com/>

The Moments with the Mobile Phone

With its mobility and lightness, the mobile phone is everywhere we go. This therefore allows the phone to become a very convenient comfort object â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â a comfort object of our digital age. When we meet someone that we do not wish to talk to, we naturally flip out the phone to look like we are doing some thing with it, or we use the phone to act like we are actually calling someone. Even when we are with friends, there are tendencies to reach for that screen to fiddle with. Before we sleep, we fiddle with the screen aimlessly, like a ritual before bed. Upon waking up, the first thing we do is to check the phone. For what, we do not know yet as we are still in the midst of waking up. There are moments of the transitional in our everyday. The bus stops, the taxi stands, the pedestrian crossing, the corridors, the pathways, the waiting place etc. These contexts subconsciouly triggers our irrational and underrated affection for the mobile phone, mostly just for that 60 seconds interval in between using apps and the transitional contexts. The study by Seven Shades of Mobile, the well-known phenomena of people always looking at their screens, synthesised with our innate need for touch, our affection for the mythological aspect of objects, the mobile phone with its proximity is thus the comfort object for the masses, making it the appropriate medium for this design research.

Acknowledgements

This thesis would have not been possible without the 4 great years at NUS Industrial Design. I have not been the hardworking student I should be, but certainly the teachers have open my eyes. These teachers are mainly my thesis supervisor Hans Tan, thanks for withstanding my indecisiveness. Dr Yen, Dr Christian, Ash Yeo, Donn Koh, Luisa Mok and Jieyu. Thanks for everything. Dr Jeffrey Mok, for withstanding my jokes and incorrigible English. Many thanks to Dr Erwin Viray for introducing design to me, as well as Clement Zheng for being my tutor of his class. All the best to my thesis group mates, and also my classmates. I have always tried my best as a true class representative. My parents, my sister, my old friends, you will never understand what I am trying to do here. My grandmother, thanks for being a great grandmother. My friends in Milan, Italy and Europe. You opened my eyes as well, and made me realise that â&#x20AC;&#x153;everything is beautifulâ&#x20AC;?. I miss everything about you.

Bibliography

Antonelli, Paola. Safe: Design Takes on Risk. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 2005. Print. Bachelard, Gaston. The Poetics of Reverie: Childhood, Language, and the Cosmos. Boston: Beacon, 1971. Print. Baudrillard, Jean. The System of Objects. London: Verso, 1996. Print. Botton, Alain De, and John Armstrong. Art as Therapy. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Boucharenc, Christian. Design for a Contemporary World: A Textbook on Fundamental Principles. Singapore: NUS, 2008. Print. Munari, Bruno. Design as Art. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin, 1971. Print. Burroughs, Augusten, and Jet Matla. Droog. Houten: Van Holkema & Warendorf, 2004. Print. “CodePen.” RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. Dunne, Anthony, and Fiona Raby. Design Noir: The Secret Life of Electronic Objects. London: August, 2001. Print. Dunne, Anthony, and Fiona Raby. Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2013. Print. Dunne, Anthony. Hertzian Tales: Electronic Products, Aesthetic Experience, and Critical Design. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2005. Print. Eatock, Daniel. Daniel Eatock: Imprint. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural, 2008. Print. Flusser, Vilém, Rodrigo Maltez. Novaes, and Siegfried Zielinski. Post-history. Minneapolis, MN: Univocal, 2013. Print. Fukasawa, Naoto, and Jasper Morrison. Super Normal: Sensations of the Ordinary. Baden: Lars Müller, 2007. Print. Grand, Simon, and Wolfgang Jonas. Mapping Design Research. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2012. Print. Hara, Ken’ya. Designing Design. Baden, Switzerland: Lars Müller, 2007. Print. Husni-Bey, Adelita, Roberto Pinto, Franco Berardi, and Federico Campagna. Room for a Void. Milan: Mousse, 2011. Print. “Learn to Code.” Codecademy. N.p., n.d. Web.

Martin, Bella, and Bruce M. Hanington. Universal Methods of Design: 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions. Beverly, MA: Rockport, 2012. Print. Miller, Daniel. The Comfort of Things. Cambridge: Polity, 2008. Print. Müller-Brockmann, Josef. Grid Systems in Graphic Design: A Visual Communication Manual for Graphic Designers, Typographers, and Three Dimensional Designers = Raster Systeme Für Die Visuelle Gestaltung: Ein Handbuch Für Grafiker, Typografen, Und Ausstellungsgestalter. Niederteufen: Verlag Arthur Niggli, 1981. Print. Nova, Nicolas, Katherine Miyake, Walton Chiu, and Nancy Kwon. Curious Rituals: Gestural Interaction in the Digital Everyday. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. <http://curiousrituals.files.wordpress. com/2012/09/curiousritualsbook.pdf>. Sadie, Plant. On The Mobile, The Effects of Mobile Phones on Social and Individual Lives. N.p., n.d. E-book PDF. Sturken, Marita. Tourists of History: Memory, Kitsch, and Consumerism from Oklahoma City to Ground Zero. Durham: Duke UP, 2007. Print. Pallasmaa, Juhani. The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. Chichester: Wiley-Academy, 2005. Print. Papanek, Victor J. Design for the Real World; Human Ecology and Social Change. New York: Pantheon, 1972. Print. Potter, Norman. What Is a Designer: Things, Places, Messages. London: Hyphen, 2002. Print. Winnicott, D. W. Playing and Reality. New York: Basic, 1971. Print. “Mental Space.” POTENTIAL SPACE: TRANSITIONAL PHENOMENA. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://human-nature.com/mental/chap8.html>.

ANNEX A: Social Anxiety Sufferer

“Loh Shengde.” GERALDINE KANG. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://geraldinekang.weebly.com/-loh-shengde.html>.

ANNEX B: Found Comfort Objects

A list of found comfort objects: Guitar Coca Cola Hooded Jacket Laptop iPhone Pockets Food Pork Ribs Soup Winnie the Pooh Piglet Gougou (Dog without limb) Hijab Scarf Pillow Pillow’s Edge Full set of different spectacles for different context Nintendo DS Console Grandmother’s blanket Squirrel Pencil Case Smoking Pink Teddy Bear Bubble wrap Instagram Pinterest Tumblr Facebook Dimmed Lights Shutting the Eyes Face a Wall of Nothing Time Watch by my Boyfriend Playing with my Ring A Cup of Tea Drawing Flowers Under the Table Hide in Public Toilets Pretend to Use the Phone Sweater Long Coat Milo Play with my Hair Smelly Bolster Ipod with Dokumon Nail-biting

ANNEX C: Love/Hate Letters

Love letter to my pillow I like your softness, your smell, your neutrality in hearing out my issues. You act as the other voice in my mind. The voice that provides empathy, sympathy and comfort. You have been in my life for the longest time. I enjoy thinking of irrefutable concepts of how you can be alive, so that I cannot deny your existence. My punching bag in the past, and my comfort item in the present.

100

Smokers plight When alone, I whip out a stick habitually. If I’m not otherwise preoccupied, what else is there to do but think? To block out the monotony of everyday events - the human rat race to the end of the line, chasing down a lifestyle. Who doesn’t want to be comfortable to their respective standards? In this race, everyone is a competitor. It’s necessary to keep away from being competitive all the time, a respite from the chase. A cigarette is company for such soul searching moments to contemplate why compete for a success proven by someone else. The ritual movement of inhaling to see a feedback of smoke, poetically releasing those worldly troubles, that at this stage of life in college seems yet pertinent but, in need of serious contemplation nonetheless. It is a habit, but one I’ve grown to love and hate. To know that every stick is seven minutes less I have, is to remind me that I’ve only that much time left to live life no regrets.

101

Cos it wears a domo costume I personified it... Comfort object Go and write abt it Make it famous!!

102

ANNEX D: Affirmative VS Critical Design

“Dunne & Raby.” Dunne & Raby. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/content/projects/476/0>.

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ANNEX E: Seven Shades of Mobile