MOODCHECK

Reading minds and moods with a miniature and portable brainscanning device;
a speculative design concept which imagines a moodring that… actually works.

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Solo project

TEAM

all work, incl.: graphics, research, concept

ROLE

illustrator, photoshop, indesign, procreate

tools

Challenge

Monitoring mood and emotion is difficult to quantify in day-to-day life, relying on self-report, observation, and memory – measures with fluctuating accuracy.

There are many reasons why we might want to keep track of our moods, including:

  • Starting a new medication

  • Mood disorder tracking

  • Non-verbal communication

  • etc

conceptual solution

MoodCheck, a futuristic concept that imagines a wearable assistive tech device that tracks a user’s mood.

MoodCheck uses a brain imaging device, the Scanner, placed at the temple and behind the ear to check a user’s mood. The Scanner transmits its reading to a wearable accessory.. the “mood ring”. Using colour and patterns of light, the ring depicts a simplified story of mood and emotion, based in empirical fMRI observations of neurotransmitter activity.

process

research & theory

speculative design

Speculative design envisions a possible future by allowing for no-limits thinking. From there, we can work backwards to investigate what needs to happen to reach this future, or what this design can tell us about the present. I chose it as a tool for innovation and non-routine ideation.

For example, designing MoodCheck leads to questions like:

  • What will it take to develop MoodCheck’s miniature fMRI technology?

  • Should this technology be developed?

  • Is there a more immediate and preferable solution?

(jump down to Reflections for more)

Photos | Star Trek: Voyager, Season 7, Episode 25/26 “Endgame” (2001);
Pacific Rim (2013);

Photos | Star Trek: Voyager, Season 7, Episode 25/26 “Endgame” (2001); Pacific Rim (2013); Black Mirror, Season 3, Episode 4 “San Junipero” (2016);
Black Mirror, Season 4, Episode 3 “Crocodile” (2017).

Black Mirror, Season 3, Episode 4 “San Junipero” (2016);
Black Mirror, Season 4, Episode 3 “Crocodile” (2017).

reflectionS

After research and design ideation, what I thought was an extremely far-fetched idea may have roots closer to reality than it seemed.

Like any speculative design or speculative future, we can get a lot of valuable questions out of working backwards to the present.

What needs to happen to make MoodCheck possible? For one, we would need major advances in imaging technology, including: affordability, accessibility; reduction in scale; increased portability of MRI devices, etc

There are many important questions and revelations that MoodCheck’s speculative design can prompt. For example,

  • What unintended or unforeseen consequences could something like MoodCheck cause?

  • What exists right now that could fill a similar role?

  • What does the need for MoodCheck tell us about society currently and our current healthcare systems?

  • Is there another way to address this need?