Speculative Design Concept for Mental Health

Problem Statement

This year, the subject of VMID was Speculative Design with a focus on Mental Health. Two groups were asked to develop ideas on how problems concerning mental health could be solved in a fictitious future. This involves a research-oriented, experimental design approach with a focus on societal problems. Both possible positive and negative impacts were designed.

Idea and Concept

Group 1: In this group, the topic of Social Anxiety is addressed by creating a concept of a haptic suit and AR-glasses with build-in bone conduction headphones. These items simulate symptoms of a Social Anxiety disorder to the wearer. Under the name „Get Anxious,“ each citizen must wear the suit and glasses for a week, experiencing firsthand the limitations caused by a Social Anxiety Disorder. The aim is to sensitize the population to the problems of those affected by social anxiety.

Group 2: In this group, the topic of depression was addressed. The idea was to design a head implant that could be used to control and visualize emotions. The device that was designed is called Emotion Control Module (ECM). The ECM stimulates specific regions in the brain through electrical impulses to trigger various emotions. These can be acquired via USB stick or via the Companion App. The app also provides a dashboard and can communicate with friends and family, who can thus monitor your condition and give emotions. An LED ring on the head implant visualizes the emotions through different colors.

Implementation

Group 1: This concept will be presented through an animated and interactive graphic novel. The story follows the daily routine of the fictional protagonist named Andy, who goes through the „Get Anxious!“ experiment and completes predefined tasks, such as visiting a supermarket. Andy experiences the symptoms of social anxiety disorder caused by the suit, and his day ends with a panic attack. The dark and oppressive graphic and auditory design helps to immerse the viewer in the story and concept.

Group 2: The developed product is presented in a fictional story in which a scenario was conceived that illustrates both positive and negative aspects. In addition, a visual world was created and a companion app was programmed. The main protagonist, Hans Müller, reports on his Instagram account about his suffering, how he is diagnosed with depression and how he gets finally prescribed and implantated the ECM. He then goes through a positive and a negative phase. If you are interested in the whole story, check out Hans‘ Instagram profile (German): https://www.instagram.com/hans.mueller54321