Grounding Watch
a watch that combats intrusive feelings in a low effort way
What products are currently out there for survival situations?
Where is there a need?
As a group we researched all kinds of survival scenarios. As a result I decided to focus in on the topic of Human Trafficking.
Then we did research on what products are currently out there for survival situations. We found that many of the products on the market deal with “outdoor” scenarios for example; floods, fires, hypothermia, etc. I noticed there was a lack of products for surviving beyond outdoor scenarios.
How might we help human trafficking survivors thrive?
75% of trafficked victims experience recurrent thoughts/memories of terrifying events
65% have feeling as if they don’t have a future
60% feel detached/withdrawn
After interviewing an Anti-Trafficking organization I found a need to focus on survivors of Human Trafficking.
It can be really hard for survivors to thrive in their lives after experiencing severe trauma and so I wanted to focus on creating a product that would help them thrive.
It was really important that I was aware of all the aspects that could trigger somebody from how they use the product to the feel of the material. I focused on the idea of creating a new positive association with an item on their wrist as well as using a material that does not cause a lot of attention and blends in with the user.
What are the scenarios people may find themselves in?
I explored scenarios of before human trafficking happens, during, and after. This led me to focus on a solution for after it happens. Through my research I found that after many people have a hard time living out their normal lives because of the extreme trauma they experienced.
Thriving after Surviving
After coming up with scenarios I decided to focus on a device that is always with the user to help them in moments of despair. I explored different functions and intentions of this device.
Using the Senses
I explored concepts around an inconspicuous device that uses the senses to helps them conquer dissociation and anxiety during their daily life. The sense that I was focused on was touch.
Inconspicuous & Effective
The final design I chose is a grounding watch that the user would wear. It is small and disguised like an every day watch. Rotate the ring on the watch to activate a cooling effect. These two sensations help in combating intrusive feelings in a low-effort way.
Final Design Details
Details of the final watch face.
Validation
How does it work?
The Peltier Effect describes the phenomenon of heating or cooling caused by an electric current flowing across the junction of two different conductors. This would be a metal plate implemented on the bottom face of the watch touching the users wrist.
Why does it matter?
Grounding techniques often use the five senses—sound, touch, smell, taste, and sight—to immediately connect you with the here and now.
Feeling something cold helps “shock” yourself back into actively being aware of the surroundings. It makes your brain refocus on something else.
Movements help because it is a tactile sensation to also help to refocus your attention.
The combination of rotating a ring and then feeling a cool sensation helps in combating intrusive memories, feelings, and impulses.
Making It
I 3D-pinted the watch face so that I could create a mechanism in Solidworks for a rotating ring. Then I filled, sanded, and painted it. The band is an OEM Part.
