AËR - the Emotional Being
Let’s face it. Emotions are complex.
And understanding them better gives clarity and relief.
AËR is a digital tool to read the human self through emotions felt.
A lot of our behaviour and actions are based on how we feel. A true picture of our emotions can be read through scientific data collected from wearable technologies and other significant monitoring ways like online activity, tone analysis, etc. It not only gives the users an accurate reading of their emotions but also gives a full control of their actions.
Concept Design + Data Visualisation + UI Design
Basic Emotion Chart:
A Circle is a holistic shape in itself. We defined our fundamental shape based on the circle and then adding additional shapes to understand five basic emotions.
We developed a graph for the system to understand how the emotions work. Each emotion was assigned a shape, colour and animation. But most importantly, they were assigned a place where they would appear when triggered.
The graph explains how and where the emotions occur in the visual language. But sometimes, the emotions can cover every ‘side’ of the circle when the user is feeling a heightened emotion which is made of only anger like: Rage or only happiness like: Ecstatic.
Design Language:
It was easier to input and educate the AI with a clear set of assigned shapes, colours and movements. It paved way for more accurate visualisation. We defined a design language as below:
Level 2 emotions
A mix of basic emotions makes you feel more complicated things. That is the beauty of human nature. Teaching the AI to feel emotions like betrayal, we combined two emotions like anger and sad to form it.
Based on an extensive research of different basic emotions by Robert Plutchik and Paul Ekman, we introduced the word complex to AËR.
Take a look at AËR:
The UI design for AËR was kept minimal and precise for users to relate immediately.
It starts with an onboarding screen where users are informed about what the app is.
Users can control tracking by selecting to turn on or off some controls. It lets AËR read the necessary provided data and give an accurate reading of the user’s emotion.
Going through AËR
Users have four basic controls that help them navigate through AËR.
First, the Emo button shows the users their latest read emotions.
Next, the Report takes the users to all the emotions they have felt in their timeline. They can also select a specific basic emotion and learn more about it and about the activity that made them feel that way.
The Share navigation helps the users to share their emotions with their friends and also see what they are feeling.
Settings can help the users to take control of tracking, monitoring, notifications etc.
More things to do
AËR has three secondary controls that lets the users navigate through the daily activity, adding devices or even buying an emotion printed T-shirt from the store.
They can also order a 3D print of their emotion from the store on important days like their 25th birthday or their wedding day.
Users can also see their activity notification and reach out to specific friends by sending them a message or even gifts based on their respective activities.
AËR gives users a way to learn more about how it works with an option of educating the system more on emotions and the complex versions of them.
Footnote: This is a Masters Visual and Experience Design project by a group of three designers
My fellow designers are Elisa Roldán and Ruben Babu | All rights reserved, Berlin 2021