Exploration of Electrochromics for Calm Reminder:A Customizable Bracelet

Damien Brun and Jonna Häkkilä

Proceedings of the 33rd Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction OzCHI’21

At the crossroad of calm computing and personalization technology, we present a calm reminder, taking the form of a customizable bracelet. The concept is based on a perpetual and automatic slow switching between two graphical states, only reminding personal values or actions to the user when fortuitously noticed. Switching and customization of the graphical states increase the reminding personal signification, aesthetics, and noticeability by providing a visual change to the user’s periphery. We report on building an actual prototype as well as a survey study (n=62) and a workshop inspired by co-design practices (n=17) to understand why and how this concept of calm reminder could be used.

Brun, D., & Häkkilä, J. (2021). Exploration of Electrochromics for Calm Reminder: A Customizable Bracelet. In Proceedings of the 33rd Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction OzCHI’21. ACM.

Prototype implementation: set of previous iterations and various components (left), close-up inside the base (center-left), and two different states of the bracelet while being worn with an optional pink felt background (center-right and right).

3D models of the calm reminder as a bracelet, over-all (on the left) and detailed view of its base (on the right)

Different flexible background materials, e.g., straw, leather, cardboard, wool, silk, cotton, plastic

Strip band (left) and free form (right) design to be reminded to take a break. Courtesy of Santeri Hirsikangas