2020 || Design Project
EmotiCom is a next‑generation, vintage‑inspired communication device that helps lonely older adults stay visually connected with their families through simple photo exchange. It combines familiar forms (like a Polaroid camera and projector) with a playful interaction that feels intuitive for people who are unfamiliar with modern technology.
EmotiCom
User & Society || Technology& Realization || Creativity & Aesthetics
Group members
Expertiese
Timo Maessen || Kiki Meiland || Delmar Muilenburg || Anusha Ravishankar
Developed during a first‑year design course (14/02/2020–21/06/2020), the project focused on in‑home use by older adults who have limited digital skills, and on their younger family members who respond via an app. Within this scope, we designed a physical device plus a simple companion app concept, without yet optimizing for mass production or long‑term deployment.
Why?
We started from research on loneliness in later life, emotional communication, and the universality of facial expressions and color‑emotion links. Through ideation, lo‑fi prototypes, and interaction experiments, we explored how a vintage form language, physical contact list, and emotional cues could make photo communication feel playful and understandable. My role centered on human–technology interaction, user research, interaction design, and shaping the UX/UI of the app in line with the tangible product.
Approach
The final EmotiCom concept allows older adults to send and receive photos through a physical device, while younger relatives reply via an app, creating a simple, loving loop of visual contact. The vintage look, projector, and physical contact tokens were well understood and appreciated in evaluations, suggesting that this approach can ease technology barriers, invite emotional expression, and support more frequent, low‑effort contact between generations.