Madyson Webb - Discursive Design

The Ohio State University, Third-Year Design Collaborative Studio, DESIGN 4650 (SP22)

Instructed by: Dr. Sébastien Proulx

OVERVIEW OF THE CLASS

“Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they
live, learn, work and play.”

Interestingly, the field of public health remains somewhat
blind to the potential agency designers may have in their practice. To explore
this blind spot, this collaborative studio will challenge students to envision
design proposals to a series of public health challenges, that focuses on
the development of subversive, critical, and disruptive ways through which
design can engage with public health issues.

DESIGN CHALLENGE #1

H.E.A.R "HR Empathizes and Responds"

DESIGN TEAM

Caden Pfendler, Jane Zucker, Shaylee Shepherd, Madyson Webb

PROBLEM: Workplace Leave & H.R. Response

Workplace leave greatly affects employees that are left behind. HR does not account for how the work is distributed and the overall workload of each person. There's little to no support in how to handle the overload which leads to most workers feeling high levels of resentment towards the person who leaves and can get overwhelmed with increasing amounts of work.

Stock image of workplace stress

DESIGN PROCESS

INITIAL RESEARCH

Axis of Compromise vs. Axis of Critical Uncertainties:

Helped the team broaden our reach in the project and discover flaws in the workplace environment to redesign.

INITIAL CONCEPTS

How do we design an idea that puts the problem back onto HR?

2 systems to create empathy between worker and HR

SOLUTION

Any time a worker is required to take a leave of absence, their work must be transferred to co-workers which overloads already packed schedules. The H.E.A.R. System consists of two devices, a humming system to create noise in the HR office and a bracelet/ app system to monitor stress levels.

It is Human Resources’ responsibility to ensure that their staff feels supported and takes on an appropriate amount of work. However, HR frequently fails to adequately address issues of overworking.

SYSTEM

APP/BRACELET SYSTEM

The second device triggers a hum in the HR office that gets increasingly overwhelming as levels increase, making it impossible to work without addressing the needs of their employees. To restore their office to a normal, silent working condition, HR has to reduce stress and bring workloads back to manageable levels.

A bracelet that monitors the heart rate, cortisol, and epinephrine levels of staff members as they work, when these signs become too high from a worker the second device is activated.

REFLECTION

1. Workplace leave has repercussions that are often left unaddressed. The focus is often put on those who are in these stressful circumstances that require them to take leave, but those who are left behind also experience an increase in stress.

2. H.E.A.R. ensures that no worker will take on too much work or be placed under excessive levels of stress as a result of their co-worker taking leave. It increases the empathy between HR and their coworkers and supports emotional and physical health in the workplace.

DESIGN CHALLENGE #2

SCUFFED "Randomized Button Generated Controller"

DESIGN TEAM

Candie Bozzard, Whitney Baxter, Madyson Webb

PROBLEM: Behavioral Video Game Addiction

Video games keep users engaged by activating their reward system, operating on variable rewards to send infrequent dopamine spikes to those playing. Games are designed to be challenging enough to be entertaining, but not too challenging that players give up, leading to an impulse control disorder.

DESIGN PROCESS

INITIAL RESEARCH

Axis of Compromise vs. Axis of Critical Uncertainties:

Helped to discover the proper way to reduce video game addiction harm

INITIAL CONCEPTS

The team started out exploring a console or system that frustrates or affects the player into taking longer breaks. The team decided on a controller that breaks the patterns of a controller's system which in turn breaks the long gaming times.

SOLUTION

Scuffed is designed to be as unassuming and unambiguous as possible. The same plain black button is strewn about the console in a random pattern to detach from the typical button groupings. One joystick is central to the controller, creating an uncomfortable stretch in the user’s hands when attempting to utilize the joystick. Several other buttons are placed around the perimeter of the controller in a position where the user’s fingers do not typically reach easily.

Start of game before recalibration

Recalibration & system function in-game

In the programming of the Scuffed controller, the buttons will configure to a new function every 30 minutes, without telling the user the new outlay. Disrupting gameplay in this way discourages users from playing for extended periods of time through a method of frustration. The idea behind the newly designed console is to attack video game addiction at the source of the gameplay, creating a scenario in which it is difficult for players to maintain their gaming habits.

REFLECTION

1. Behavioral addictions can affect anyone at any time and in terms of video game addictions, are often used to escape reality.

2. Video gamers design their games to be as addicting as possible. Breaking the psychological habits formed by users will promote healthier gameplay by encouraging the user to take more frequent breaks.

IMPACTS

1. Encourage users to have shorter game-play periods vs. long extended game-play

2. Healthier gaming practices.

3. Reduces harm and stress to the users' mental and physical.