Betsu/Setsu are a family of small desktop objects who help create a humanistic connection through subtle interaction.

At the outset of this exploration final direction and function were unknown, but research began by exploring surface types. The surface itself was important, but paramount were the interactions occurring at and around surfaces.

I nurtured a spirit of exploration so the process could be free to shape itself. Physical models and prototypes were the first step in the process. A number of small totems and relatable forms were developed, with general purpose understood, but not function.

Ideation shifted towards guided play and user conversation. Test users were asked to look at the objects and explore without restriction what they imagined these objects doing.

Sketch development and mind mapping exercises were conducted alongside 3D form exploration, and in some cases, even guided by findings which stood out when prototyping small objects of unidentified function.

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The first Betsu/Setsu collection consists of five devices; each functioning to connect the user to their digital world through tactile and relational interactions.

Each of the five items in the collection accomplishes a task that could also be done with a computer, but it presents this task by itself and in a more relatable, humanistic and analog way.

HELP (Copy)

A handheld device which pairs with your smartphone to accept voice prompts to keep you from distraction throughout the day. Its built in sensors activate the device when it’s moved from a resting position, but remains off otherwise.

WINK (Copy)

A small totem which sits with you on your desk while you work. It remains calm until someone wants to let you know they’re thinking about you. When that person sends a text message to WINK, its built in feather flutters gently, letting you know that you are loved.

SEE (Copy)

A handheld device designed to make video calling more humanistic and less cluttered. Its sole purpose is to establish two-way visual communication with those you care about in a beautiful, tactile device.

ALERT (Copy)

A playful desktop reminder who is assigned by the user to remind them of day-to-day events of their choosing. When the alarm or reminder goes off, ALERT raises itself up, allowing the speaker on its underside to project. To silence the device, the user must gently push ALERT back to its resting position, physically hushing their digital reminder.

DELIVER (Copy)

A device whose sole purpose is to print out the user’s text messages as they are received, to roughly the same scale as a fortune cookie. It brings an uncluttered and poetic feel to the desktop and to a task which is often messy and bothersome.