![smart artifact product design conversation Interruption industrial design voice sophiecarrillo design](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/731f9274514555.5c358d576ac67.gif)
Referee is a smart artifact that works as a conversation monitor, helping reclaim your voice, especially when dealing with a chronic interrupter. Through voice recognition technology that detects interrupting voices and signal when these interruptions happen to nudge behavior in a comical way, giving power and time back to the interrupted.
![smart artifact product design conversation Interruption industrial design voice sophiecarrillo design](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/c96a8f74514555.5c3662e84259c.jpg)
HOW IT WORKS
First users register their voice, the device stores their dominant frequencies and create a voiceprint to refer back to. Users would then turn Referee on before starting a conversation, and it will keep track of any interruptions. As soon as it detects an interruption from the other side, a mini air pump will start inflating a balloon-like sphere until the interrupter stops talking, once the interruption stops the balloon will start deflating.
First users register their voice, the device stores their dominant frequencies and create a voiceprint to refer back to. Users would then turn Referee on before starting a conversation, and it will keep track of any interruptions. As soon as it detects an interruption from the other side, a mini air pump will start inflating a balloon-like sphere until the interrupter stops talking, once the interruption stops the balloon will start deflating.
![smart artifact product design conversation Interruption industrial design voice sophiecarrillo design](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/da26e874514555.5c3913587416e.jpg)
![smart artifact product design conversation Interruption industrial design voice sophiecarrillo design](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/b1529174514555.5c3519c8db1cd.jpg)
During research, we learned that the inability to change this behavior is due to a lack of awareness when it happens, as it is a decision the interrupter makes subconsciously. So we developed a physical interaction accompanied by a visual cue that could help the interrupters aware when they of their behavior.
![](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/7adaf174514555.5c341e84584c5.jpg)
![](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/7e86dc74514555.5c341c4d65695.jpg)
![](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/a39ec374514555.5c34185b84da9.jpg)
In collaboration with Phuong Anh Nguyen