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Connecting through music

Degree Project 2024

The subject of spreading joy and positive emotions through various media has garnered significant attention and interest, as it is something that everyone can relate to in various forms. It has become clear that music represents a powerful resource for enhancing users' mental well-being and counteracting feelings of loneliness. It has become increasingly evident that there are more aspects within this domain worth exploring and developing into new innovative solutions. This includes discovering and addressing needs that people may not even be aware they have had for a long time. The current project focuses on the use of music as a platform for community and emotional expression, where participants are given the opportunity to collaborate and express themselves collectively. The ability of music to directly influence people's emotions and create a sense of unity has been identified as a significant resource for promoting well-being and enhancing the quality of life for users.

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Project information

This project aims to explore the intersection of design and mental health by leveraging the power of music instruments. Recognizing the profound impact of music on emotional well-being, the project seeks to create innovative solutions that foster community engagement and emotional expression. By integrating principles of design thinking and user-centered design, the project endeavors to address the pressing need for tools that promote mental wellness.

Methods

The project adopts a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on insights from psychology, design theory, and music therapy. Through research methodologies including ethnographic studies, interviews, and prototyping the diverse ways in which music can enhance users' emotional experiences and facilitate social connection. Design workshops and co-creation sessions provide opportunities for collaborative ideation and iterative design refinement, ensuring that the resulting solutions are both inclusive and effective.

Result

RhythmicRelations offers a modular design with four interchangeable parts, allowing users to customize the product according to their individual preferences regarding color and shape. The product embodies a blend of the nostalgic and interactive with the new and intelligent. Its sturdy construction promotes seamless workflow and provides thoughtful inputs and outputs for a wide connection of various external instruments. Additionally, the product is designed to be upgradable over time without the user needing to purchase an entirely new unit but instead being able to replace the part needed for the update to be facilitated. With RhythmicRelations, users have the opportunity to explore and share their music on an anonymous basis. RhythmicRelations is both a product and a process-focused platform where everyone can participate in each other's creations and generate something new together regardless of background, location, or culture. Through the platform, users can access each other's music creations and share their own interpretations of others' works. This creates a sense of community and solidarity, where music serves as a universal instrument of expression. The nostalgic design, inspired by classic radio sets, evokes a feeling of exploring a world of "white noise" before encountering unique and personal music loops that express pure creativity.
RhythmicRelations aims to convey a sense of camaraderie and a shared aesthetic language that everyone can relate to - music.