SpeakOut, my second thesis exploration, aims to push forward family presence in a physical space. The prototype consists of several sets of boxes. Each box represents a communication portal with one family member.
Every time someone comes home, he can turn on the device and make himself available. The other family members can see that the box representing the first person lights up. An audio channel is opened between every two connected boxes, so that people can eavesdrop into the other space. When a conversation happens, everyone can hear it, which creates interesting social interactions. There is also a private mode that allows the user to speak to only one person.
Give_and_Take is an application and a service that allows family members to exchange money, computer space or online memberships. Based on the assumption that family property is fluid, the project aims to connect families by involving them in a shared activity. Family members who have trouble performing an online task can borrow a solution from their families – they can borrow extra money for an online purchase, temporarily use an application they don’t own or save a bigger file on someone else’s hard drive.
