This project represents the research and design process that explores how can affective, context-aware systems support mental health and minimize stress in young adults during exam periods. This is achieved by designing an interactive system for stress recognition and relief.
Acute stress is one of the most prevalent issues among students today. While not all stress is inherently negative, students experiencing elevated levels of stress are more likely to develop unhealthy sleeping and eating habits, exercise less, etc. Therefore, there has been an urgent need for effective stress management tools and strategies to address the adverse outcomes of stress for young people. This project aimed to do just that by investigating how can we reliably and accurately detect stress and support students in managing it using affective technologies and unobtrusive methods of data collection.
The concept uses machine learning and biosensors embedded into existing wearable smart devices to infer stress-related mental states from a multimodal set of sensory data. The information is used to increase emotional awareness, provide recommendations for stress management, and enhance the users’ home environment. Zenth is the result of designing in a way that supports people and connects them with nature to reduce stress and increase relaxation and focus.
<p-under-img> The final design consists of three interconnected digital and physical components: a screen-based wearable device, a mobile application, and an external optional device (i.e. a smart ceiling lamp).<p-under-img>
Zenth’s smartwatch and mobile app empower users to track and understand their emotional states, providing actionable steps for stress reduction. It is aimed at improving the lives of users in their everyday environments thanks to its portability. Additionally, the app gives users control and protection over their sensitive personal data. Users can use the mobile application as a way of self-reflection by previewing data of when and where stress occurred and diving into patterns and specific situations. The app’s features include:
Zenth’s smart lamp functions as a background noise and projection generator, promoting relaxation and focus through natural soundscapes, ambient lighting, and immersive visuals. It is designed to be a non-intrusive environmental enhancer, passively collecting contextual data to optimize the user’s surroundings without disrupting their routine.
The lamp creates a sense of groundedness by enabling users to become more immersed in their surroundings. Together with a variety of soundscapes, it creates an enchanting and harmonious atmospheric experience to help users transcend to another place and increase their level of relaxation.
Context awareness and sensitivity are two of the key attributes of the lamp. Thanks to these the lamp assesses the amount of natural light as well as the user’s activities to enhance the environment. The lighting changes based on current environmental needs and a consideration of the user’s emotional and functional needs (human and non-human variables/modifiers). In cases where one’s functional and emotional needs differ the context determines which one to favor. Moreover, when the user is not stressed the lamp emits a soft light. Using the mobile application users can alternate between changing the light’s brightness and the intensity of the sound tailoring the ambiance to their preference.
To design the system, I followed the Double Diamond framework, structured into four key phases: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver.
In the first phase (Discover & Define), I conducted extensive research using multiple methods for data collection and analysis. This included a literature review, questionnaires, interviews, and benchmarking. These insights helped define user needs and key challenges.
The second phase (Develop & Deliver) focused on ideation, where initial concepts were generated and refined into a concrete solution. This concept was then prototyped, tested, and evaluated to ensure usability, effectiveness, and alignment with user expectations.
<p-under-img>The insights gathered from the online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews helped refine my focus, identify opportunity areas, and define the design challenge. The data collected during this stage served as the foundation for the future design. Through analysis, I identified four key qualities that needed to be integrated into the design:
In the early prototyping stages, I used physical and digital sketches to quickly visualize the product's 'look and feel'. This approach effectively communicated the design vision to the target group, facilitating critical feedback before and during the development of the final solution. Later in the process, the prototypes became more refined and interactive.
<p-under-img>When designing the application, emphasis was placed on simplicity, intuitiveness, and usefulness. Several key factors were carefully considered to enhance usability, including: <p-under-img>
During this phase, a tree was chosen as a visual representation of stress accumulation, serving as a gentle reminder to take breaks and relax.
To assess the system in a real-world context, I designed an experiment to induce stress in participants and observe its impact on cognitive performance, as well as the effects of nature sounds on stress levels. The test included three main tasks:
Throughout the experiment, I used a smartwatch to track key physiological indicators of stress, including heart rate and respiratory rate, before and after the tasks. These metrics provided valuable insights into participants' stress responses and the potential calming effects of nature sounds.
The study revealed that exposure to nature sounds positively impacts well-being and cognitive performance. Participants found ambient nature sounds more relaxing than either silence or background noise.
When exposed to nature sounds, participants showed a decrease in heart rate and respiratory rate, indicating that the soundscape and visuals helped buffer stress. This resulted in a more positive mental state and improved task performance.
Among the most pleasant sounds identified were birdsong, rain, waves, and crackling fire. The most relaxing sounds included these, along with wind and distant thunder.
To assess the feasibility and practical application of the proposed design, participants were asked to evaluate its validity, relevance, and functionality. They expressed that the concept provided a more effective way to study under pressure but noted that further real-world testing and implementation would enhance its effectiveness.
