Nest - connecting made personal

A solution that makes initiating calls easier, notably enhances the user's experience during these interactions, resulting in higher user engagement leading to feelings of togetherness.

Inspiration

For a significant part of my life, I've been away from my family and friends due to studies and work commitments. During this time, phone and video calls have been my lifeline to stay connected with them. However, I've often felt a sense of disconnection—a nagging feeling that our conversations fall short of their potential to be personal and engaging. These communication tools may bridge the virtual gap, but they often fall short in delivering truly enriching and meaningful conversations that evoke a deep sense of belonging.

Abstract

In a world where physical distances often separate us, the need for togetherness becomes a crucial aspect of human interaction. Connecting over distance using communication tools isn't just about staying in touch; it's about creating a sense of closeness and community despite the miles apart. This need reflects our intrinsic desire for emotional support, shared experiences, and the warmth of companionship, driving the evolution of digital communication to foster deeper, more meaningful connections.

Introduction

In the realm of modern communication, while communication tools enable us to gather, they struggle to truly bring us together. The essence of our interactions and the richness of our conversations get entangled in the technical constraints of these tools, diminishing the authenticity of our connections and the true sense of togetherness we long for.

“In our view of the future, it is not so much distance that will be abolished, but rather our current concept of being there”

Understanding Our Need for Connection:
Recent Insights

Studies highlight our deep need and longing to keep in touch with family and friends who aren't nearby. This includes wanting to know what they're up to, where they are, and how they're feeling. Having this information helps us plan activities together or just feel a stronger bond with them.

Unveiling Insights: Delving
into User Interviews

To gain a deeper understanding of how individuals connect with their loved ones online, I engaged in a mix of in-person and remote interviews. I had conversations with over 35 people—both users and experts. In conducting these interviews, I integrated research techniques such as journey mapping and emotion mapping, along with speculative thinking about future scenarios. These approaches enabled me to empathize with and truly comprehend the hopes and needs of those I spoke with.

Insights through observation: Social experiments

I created and led a series of social experiments, studying how people interact in different situations during video/audio calls. During the facilitated sessions, I took real-time notes, capturing observations on the topics discussed, emotions displayed, body language, the surrounding environment, and movements of the individuals on the call. For the sessions I didn't facilitate, I followed up with the participants afterward to discuss their experiences and gather their insights.

Availability

There's a real need for simple ways to figure out if someone is free and willing to join a call. The current status indicators on communication tools does not signal one's real-time availability and openness to a audio/video call.

Share life

Families cherish the opportunity to share longer stretches of time together, like everyday activities, which can't be fully captured or expressed through just photos. So home communication systems should enable you to engage in virtual shared experiences/moments.

Flexibility

Mobility plays a large role in sharing aspects of daily life or while engaging in shared experiences; hence, people should not be tied to their devices and/or be confined to a certain location when sharing.

Balance

We require systems that seamlessly integrate calls into our daily routines, understanding our need for both connection and personal space at home.

I facilitated engaging brain-dumping and writing collaborative workshops, which proved invaluable in refining my 'How might we' questions. These workshops offered a range of viewpoints and detailed exploration of potential design paths, acting as vital building blocks in my creative journey. From these rich discussions, I was able to synthesize a unified and coherent concept. Next, I plan to develop this concept into a low-fidelity prototype. This step will enable me to collect invaluable feedback and further refine my design approach.

Introducing : Nest

Nest transforms the way you stay connected with your loved ones, no matter the distance. It's a cozy virtual community space designed to make every call you initiate feel effortless and more enjoyable.

Nest brings warmth and vibrancy to every conversation through its three unique zones: 'Pause,' 'Live,' and 'Play.' Each space is designed to enrich your connections, making every moment spent with loved ones not only enjoyable but deeply meaningful. Whether you're taking a moment to relax, sharing live experiences or working together on something exciting, Nest creates a sense of togetherness that bridges the gap between you and your loved ones.

Zone A : Pause

In Nest, when you have a little time to spare and feel like catching up, just set your status to 'On a Break' and enter this zone. This signals to everyone in that zone that you're around and ready for a chat, making it easy for others to see who's available and willing to connect. It's a perfect way to announce your readiness for either a personal conversation or to jump into a lively group discussion, fostering a sense of community and openness among all users.

Entering the zone

Once you enter the 'Pause' zone in Nest, it's like stepping into a friendly, virtual cafe where everyone's welcome to pull up a chair. Here, you're greeted by the possibility of spontaneous conversations, serendipitous meetings, and the warmth of familiar faces. Whether you're in the mood for a deep, meaningful dialogue or just looking to share a few laughs, this zone is your go-to spot for making those moments happen.

Joining a Group conversation

Jumping into a group conversation in the 'Pause' zone is like stepping into a warm, virtual living room filled with your friends and family. The moment you enter, the layout mirrors the feeling of sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in real life, instantly drawing everyone closer. It's a blend of the digital and the personal, making our interactions feel intimate and familiar.

Private Spaces, Persistent Media and Clean Slates

In a virtual chat, you can choose to create a private space by 'locking the door' for a one-on-one conversation, or keep it 'open' if you'd like friends or family to drop in. If you and your chat partner have exchanged doodles, images or other media that you want to keep, simply hit 'save.' This way, the next time you connect, all your shared content will be right there waiting for you. If you prefer a clean slate, selecting 'clear the table' will remove all the shared media from your space.

Overview enabling awareness

You'll have an overview of the zone, which alerts you whenever someone else enters the area. It's a handy way to see when a friend or colleague is around, potentially sparking a spontaneous call while
being in one.

Creating Micro-moments of Joy

As you catch up on the call, Nest brings extra warmth with your choice of background music, sparks deeper chats with conversation prompts and lets you share photos, audio clips, emojis and doodles in the same space—all while you talk. These features weave together into your conversation effortlessly, making each call a uniquely shared experience. It’s like adding color and texture to your chats, ensuring that every interaction is not just heard but felt and remembered.

Talk & share all you want

Now, there’s no need to juggle multiple apps to share photos, messages, or memes when you’re chatting from a distance.
Do it all seamlessly in one place.

Zone B : Live

This zone is Ideal for quick exchanges or instant replies, it keeps you connected without pulling you away from your tasks. For those times when you're deep in work but still up for brief chats, this zone has got you covered. It’s specifically designed for real-time, instant audio conversations, so you can effortlessly juggle work and catch-ups.

Co-exist with others

This zone lets others know you're in the midst of work but still available for those quick, essential chats when needed. Just a simple press and hold on a contact brings you both instantly live—ready to talk, listen, and respond in real-time. It's the perfect setup for when you're deep in focus yet open to urgent conversations, streamlining communication to fit seamlessly into your busy day.

Zone C : Play

If you have free time to chat or engage in shared activities you enter the play zone. This is where you can really connect with others through shared activities. Whether it's catching a movie with friends, picking up a new recipe from your mom during a relaxed weekend, or reading bedtime stories to your grandchildren—even if they're miles away.  

When you enter you see some highlighted areas that indicate the varied activities and you and your loved ones can join one of those or create a personalized activity for yourself. Also, once you have chosen the activity...you can customize your view according to your convenience and based on the shared activity.

Home

In the home view, you're greeted with a display of all your contacts. When you wish to connect with someone specific but they seem to be away, you can playfully nudge their contact blob. This sends a subtle notification to let them know you're thinking of them and would love to chat whenever they're available.

Send & receive location based asynchronous messages

Transforming how we experience asynchronous messages. What if we could leave messages such as voice notes/doodles/texts for each other based on locations inside our home. When we enter that area in our physical world, Nest notifies you of the message and plays it to you. This explores blending the digital and physical worlds.
Choose your status - Pause, Live, Play, or Away by pressing one, and then turn the dial to pick your preferred medium: audio, video, or both. This straightforward status update lets others know when you're available and how you prefer to communicate.

By physically setting up your preferences, you'll find the system more intuitive and trustworthy.


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Nest offers the flexibility to move around freely while you're engaging in online chats or sharing your daily experiences with those closest to you. Its adaptable design allows for parts to be attached or detached, enabling you to take it wherever you go—be it setting it up on a wall or resting it on a desk, whatever feels right for you. With Nest, you're no longer tied to one spot, making every connection with friends and family feel more natural and boundless.

Experience moments of delight

Nest adds a dynamic touch to your video calls by syncing your background with the current weather in your area, whether it's rainy, snowy, windy, or sunny. It’s a fun way to make each call feel fresh and connected to the world around you.