Precedents

Connectivitea was inspired by Nettle, a tea set that also serves as a networked communication device, created by Audrey Fox, an interaction designer. The main objective of Nettle is to help senior citizens build social connections as a way to address the issue of retired, older people becoming unable to maintain social networks and connections in our increasingly more globalized world. Fox intends to spark conversations on the possibilities of thinking different about technology and social interactions: how can technology enable social connections differently, and what’s stopping us from making smart home devices that are as “surprising, beautiful and intuitive as making tea?” Because of the simplicity of the use of Nettle, the focus is on the space and time it creates for one to connect and talk to people in one’s local community.

We wanted to draw from this concept to create a “ritual of letting go” that would also create a space and time in one’s day-to-day to let go of a stressful, sad, painful, etc. memory by talking to someone else over tea. Sharing memories, stories, and feelings with others through talking can be cathartic, which makes it a way for people to deal with their negative memories and move on forward in their journeys to forget the pain, sorrow, stress, etc. that these memories cause. Centering these therapeutic conversations around relaxing tea breaks helps set the mood for a comfortable and safe space for one to become vulnerable through the sharing of memories one wishes to let go of.

In order to further foster a sense of calm within oneself and allow the user to feel more comfortable with opening up to a stranger about a past emotionally-packed memory, we wanted to incorporate a meditation aspect to Connectivitea. We utilized a similar approach to helping one become more mindful of oneself as Headspace does, a meditation and wellness app. While mindful meditation has been shown to “[increase] happiness, compassion, and better health and relationships”, it has the flexibility to be as personalized as one wants it to be. In other words, one can mindfully meditate for as long as one needs and is comfortable with. Through Connectivitea, we incorporated the Headspace idea in the beginning of its use (while the tea brews) in order to help set the mood and environment for the imminent conversation the user will have. This part of the tea ritual intends to allow users to gather their thoughts and feelings to better prepare for the possibly difficult conversations they’ll have.