Facilitating a mindful moment for busy commuters through the use of sound and light
"Hear, Here" aims to offer commuters a peaceful retreat within bustling urban spaces, where opportunities for relaxation and reflection are often scarce. By transforming these areas into tranquil environments filled with soothing nature sounds instead of city noise sounds, we provide commuters with a chance to pause and focus on themselves, even amid the chaos of their daily routines.
This group project was created as part of the "Playful Cities" studio in the Master of Design Innovation and Technology program at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, under the supervision of Dr. Courtney Coombs and Dr. Michelle Woulahan.
I focused on technology integration, interaction design, and prototyping.
🎵 Technology & Interaction Design – Developed sound classification, p5.js, and ESP32 coding.
🛠 Hardware Integration – Integrated hardware components and sensors into the physical structure.
🎥 Prototyping & Video Production – Contributed to physical prototyping and created demonstration videos to showcase interactions.
🏙 Urban Interaction Design
🎭 Multisensory Experience Design
🛠 Physical & Digital Prototyping
🔍 Design Research & Human-Centered Insights
⚡ Real-Time Interactive Technology
✨ Public Space Installation Design
In today’s fast-paced world, stress is unavoidable, leading to anxiety, frustration, and isolation. Even in a highly livable city like Melbourne, residents face significant stress. This inspired our team to promote well-being through mindfulness practices, helping people manage stress in their daily lives.
To prioritise well-being and address mental health challenges, we focused on Melbourne’s daily commuters, particularly those traveling home in the evening. Often fatigued by work-related stress, they lack opportunities for relaxation. Our goal is to provide moments of mindfulness during their commute, helping to alleviate stress and enhance well-being. To engage Melbourne commuters, we chose State Library Victoria for its high foot traffic and proximity to public transport.
We explored the idea further by researching the concepts of Douglas Harding’s Headless Way. This meditation technique seeks to explore the nature of the self through exercises that involve pointing to one’s own awareness. Through these practices, individuals come to the realisation that there is no distinct or separate self. The Headless Way represents a non-dualistic approach to spirituality, focusing on themes such as boundaries, perspective, and the dissolution of the self.
The installation is placed in a bustling commuter area, offering a space for relaxation after a stressful workday. Upon entering, individuals are immersed in a calming environment where urban noise is transformed into soothing natural sounds through real-time sound interaction, enhanced by light and sound therapy.
Paper Prototype
Material Testing
Prototyping Process
Final Development
The installation focuses on sound classification, capturing distinctive urban sounds around State Library Victoria and transforming them into serene nature recordings to create a soothing experience.
We recorded sound samples at State Library Victoria to train the Teachable Machine model, focusing on tram dragging, tram ringing, and seagull calls. While tram dragging was easy to capture, the unpredictability of tram bells and bird calls posed challenges. Using p5.js, the model classifies real-time audio input and transforms urban noise into calming nature sounds for a more soothing experience
Prototyping Process
Through Hear, Here , I explored how technology enhances well-being in urban spaces by transforming city noise into mindful soundscapes. I gained hands-on experience in design research, prototyping, and interactive technology, integrating Teachable Machine, p5.js, and ESP32. Overcoming challenges in sound classification, material selection, and structural stability required adaptability and problem-solving. Collaborating with my team, I learned the value of flexibility and interdisciplinary design, making this project a key milestone in my academic growth and strengthening my skills in UX, interactive technology, and urban design for future projects.
