Duration
2 Weeks
Oct 2020
Project Feature
Ethnomethodology
Design for COVID-19
Social Interaction
Physical Computing
My Role
Research & Strategy
Ideation
Visual Design
Prototyping
Team
Yixi Liu Hanqi Liu
Project Background
Since the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), countries have adopted epidemic prevention measures. Among the measures, the rule of social distance has radically changed people's social patterns. In restaurants, in order to prevent the spread of the virus, some businesses choose to use dividers, which changed people’s dining experience
Indonesians spend time at a shopping mall that applies social and physical distancing with a plastic divider and lane direction amid the coronavirus pandemic in Surabaya on June 10, 2020. Juni Kriswanto / AFP - Getty Images
Plastic barriers enforcing social distancing measure seen in a restaurant during the coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong on April 3, 2020. Chan Long Hei—SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
A restaurant in Bangkok created plastic partitions and moved its tables farther apart to separate guests in a normally tight space. Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images
A man is surrounded by empty tables at a restaurant. Photo: KH:)/United Social Press.
Students eat their lunch on desks with plastic partitions as a preventive measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 at Dajia Elementary School, in Taipei, on April 29, 2020 // Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images
Students eat lunch between dividers in the canteen of the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) in Taipei, Taiwan April 6, 2020. — Reuters pic
The Challenge
How might we bring back the relaxing and dynamic social connection between people in restaurants during COVID-19?
The Solution
An interactive desktop installation that connects people through humorous sound and light effect (???)
How I got there?
01 - Field Research and Analysis
To uncover the norms and behaviors people eat during COVID-19 in restaurants, we went to the dining hall in Zhejiang University for observations during their lunch and dinner time.
Since people are not fully conscious of their behavior patterns, we used the ethnomethodology and the f-formation system to help us analyze.
Location: Dining Hall @ Zhejiang University
Duration: Two weeks ; 10 hours +
Who: Students, faculty, and staff
Sample Size: 300 + people in total
We observe in units of tables (serving 1~8 people each time) in the space. THREE major social patterns were observered in the dining area: Face-to-Face, Side-by-Side, and Cross-Over. More complex social patterns (involvin 2 + people) are combinations of the three major patterns.
Embodied Interaction Analysis
We analyzed people’s social interaction patterns through detailed observation on their behaviors, artifacts involved, and also the surrounding environment.
02 - Insights and Opportunity Area
Reframed Design Challenge
How might we connect people through an easy-to-use and engaging device in the dining hall? (???)
03 - Concept Development
Experience Design - Button
Short Chinese phrases that expresses satisfaction about the meal are written on the button, inviting people to push. Ep: “Taste good”; “I am so satisfied”
Experience Design - Burp Sound
We tested 50+ types of burp sound and let people comment on their feelings with the sound. We finally decide on 4 kinds of “burp” that are both funny and not disgusting.
04 - Delivery
06 - Reflection