AbScents
Product Design, Design for Children, UI Design, Individual Project
AbScents is a children's fragrance dispenser that is designed to comfort and re-establish the intimate connection between parent and child through smell during the time apart.
Through digital scent technology, AbScents reproduces the parent's presence and serves as a cute, stand-in companion to help the child feel less alone.
(2022)
Solace in the Smell
Design Brief
The product is intended to help young children cope with a temporarily absent parent. The product assists children in tracking the return date and connecting them with their parents by producing tactile sensations. By emulating the parent's presence through an intimate sensory experience and providing assurance of the parent's return, the product will ease the child's anxiety and bring comfort until they reunite.
Mood Board: a palette of inspirations that kickstarted my design
Concept Sketch: ideas that matched my design brief and keywords
Sketch Model: visualized ideas and gained feedback on mechanisms
Initial Design: 1st version of “love printer” with instructional storyboard
More iterations..
The Mechanism
Soft silicone coating to improve grip for little hands.
Rechargeable lithium battery that lasts for 10+ hours.
Fully integrated circuit
wirelessly connected to electronic devices.
Final Physical Model
User testing with children and parents
Insight from children
Insight from parents
Product aesthetic encourages play.
Heart tokens are intuitive to use.
The device is seen for children as a way to express their love for the parents.
“ It feels like Play-Doh”
“ I don’t want to go! I just made a new friend”
78% of all children said they would prefer having the tokens
100% of all children said they want parents to receive notifications when they press the button
I conducted online interviews with 10 kids, in person testing with 12 kids and 2 experiments where children would use my device over the weekend when separated from their parents to test needs.
A daily usage summary would be helpful to facilitate conversations upon reunion.
Parents want their children to get the comfort they need at hand but learn to be more independent on their own.
"This is a dilemma that parents face. Of course I'm happy to know my son misses me, but I also want him to grow up more and enjor time with his friends, just, enjoy the moment he is in.
“Don't get me wrong I love my kids, but when I'm away. I want to focus on what I'm doing. Maybe there could be a summary instead of me geling notifications everytime, so I could talk to them after I'm done with work?"
From interviews with parents, I realized there needs to be a way to monitor device usage. At the end of the day, parents could look at the data and generate meaningful conversations with their kids.
The accompanying app to AbScents helps parents to track the daily usage, which can be used to more effectively nurturing the growth of a more independent child.
The parent can facilitate a conversation with their child about their feelings during peak usage hours.
The app informs the parent of their child's woes so that they can later support and address their concerns.
The child is taught to be independent in similar situations by their parents.