“Human relationships are rich and they're messy and they're demanding. And we clean them up with technology. And when we do, one of the things that can happen is that we sacrifice conversation for mere connection."
- Sherry Turkle
In the digital era, we are sacrificing real conversations for mere connection. This project highlights how rich relationships are undermined by the emptiness and superficiality of social media relationships. To counter this I have designed pieces, which reminds people of the value of rich human relationships. Taking the traditional Irish custom of the “cuppa tae,” I am reminding people of the importance of immersive, awkward, messy conversations. I have designed artefacts, which draw attention to the messiness, closeness, and awkward nature of real conversations as they occur in physical and temporal proximity. The connected mugs, two-person teapot, unorthodox spoon and connected tea boxes encourage the user to appreciate the physical and spatial proximity to the other person whilst encouraging the users to figure out how they work in tandem with each other. This is not the edited, clean, distracted communication that occurs simultaneously across multiple conversations on our phones, tablets and laptops. These artefacts demand mutual thought and reflection, provoking awareness of the physicality of the other person, our points of contact and how we relate
The round-bottomed wooden mugs are connected with an orange nylon cord. The cord establishes an immediate spatial connectedness between users that stands in contrast to abstract digital connection. The bright orange cord visually emphasises the spatial proximity actualised during face to face conversation; drawing the users together to encourage closer engagement. The instability of the rounded-bottomed mugs adds an unpredictable edge to user’s relationship with the situation.
The tea boxes have a symbiotic relationship – one relies on the other for stability. This correlates with the co-dependency of people; we are social creatures who crave meaningful relationships with others.
The Long Tea Spoon, used for picking up tea leaves, is deliberately awkward in its design. The bowl of the spoon is turned back on the handle, striking the user on first glance with its apparent uselessness. It is still functional but is difficult to navigate; and if not handled carefully will spill the tea leaves. The awkwardness of the spoon encourages commitment and focus, drawing the user’s attention to their interactions with their environment.
The wooden, round-bottomed teapot has no handle, but two spouts, encouraging engagement and interaction between users. Having no handle requires two hands to pour. The spouts, being at different lengths, require a second user to carefully position the unstable mugs at the right distance in order to catch the tea. The awkwardness, messiness and unpredictability generated through the use of these artefacts reminds the users of their position within a relationship, provoking awareness of the other and a deeper connection between both.
THE MAKING OF CONNECTY
