Phillips Embrace
A multi-sensory device designed for Philips to combat loneliness and restore flourishing for the 75+ demographic during the future pandemic.
For this speculative design brief, we were tasked with selecting a company and imagining a product aligned with their future direction. We chose Philips, a leader in healthcare innovation, and designed for a world set in 2035, amidst the outbreak of a new respiratory pandemic.
The brief challenged us to envision how design could support mental well-being, connection, and flourishing, especially for the 75+ demographic, a group deeply impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prologned isolation led to a surge in mental health issues, with 50% of the elderly feeling lonelier and 61% feeling more anxious - The Patients Association Report
Testing
The Crisis of Connection: Learning from COVID-19
74% of respondents (aged 55+) said their health & care needs weren’t supported during the pandemic, highlighting a failure in essential services for the elderly - The Patients Association Report
In a survey we conducted only 4/19 respondents rated the seniors in their lives as ‘competent with technology or higher’, emphasising the older generation’s lack of understanding with current digital solutions.
Our direction was validated by a simple, non-digital intervention used by nurses in Brazil: filling latex gloves with warm water to simulate holding hands. Nurse Vanessa Formentan stated this provided comfort to the patient "as if someone were holding hand with them". This reinforced the design mandate: to create a multi-sensory product for Philips that provides a physical, emotional presence, moving beyond the 1 or 2 senses hit by most current Philips products.
Touch, distributes the heat evenly, offering a warming sensation throughout the interchangeable hand. This helps the user flourish through by enhancing tranquillity and peace promoting emotional well-being.
Ergonomic and Anthropometric Testing/Prototyping
Smell provides a personalised scent that reminds you of the other user, so whilst holding the hand the smell enhances the experience through flourishing by aiding mental relaxation and emotional balance through aromatherapy.
Sound allows for either calming sounds, music, guided medication and bluetooth phone calls to loved ones, through the speaker, which encourages flourishing by enhancing emotional well-being, and reducing anxiety through soothing audio.
The first phase involved a two-week group design sprint, during which we researched Philips' values, explored multi-sensory interaction, and developed a concept for a hand-held or wearable device. The concept aimed to simulate the comfort of holding hands with a loved one remotely, engaging the senses of touch, sound, smell, and sight to combat isolation and support emotional resilience.
Final Design Process
Touch designed for comfort & ergonomic support which ensures a natural and soothing tactile experience through the heating of the hand along with haptic vibrations from the speaker enhancing the users experience, this promotes flourishing through relaxation and reducing stress, by providing a comforting hand-holding experience, whilst contacting a loved one.
Touch provides a warmth, which can be comforting and therapeutic. Can easily be disassembled for easy repair through the parts replacement scheme offered. This promotes flourishing through supporting well-being by regulating warmth for a calming effect. Whilst also learning how to fix the product.
Senses - Smell provides a holds scent dispersing elements, stimulating olfactory senses, through heat, enhancing the users connection with their loved one as smell is linked to memories.
Positive Emotion - Pleasant scents enhance mood & well-being Meaning - Certain scents can evoke nostalgia or spiritual grounding
Sight & Touch ensures the product is always functional and ready for use by wirelessly charging the device, to allow for it to be used whilst doing day to day activities , this provides seamless usability, reducing frustration.
CAD Model
AI Generated
This palette isn’t just about looks, it actively enhances the sensory experience and emotional connection the product is designed to create. Each colour plays a role in boosting flourishing and PERMA, ensuring that users feel comforted, engaged, and connected while using it. Plus, it aligns with Philips’ branding, keeping the design professional but still warm, inviting, and easy to integrate into everyday life.
AI Generated
AI Generated
Soft Pastel Purple (#C5B4E3) – Represents calmness and emotional balance, reinforcing relaxation and aromatherapy elements.
Light Blue (#A7C7E7) – Symbolizes trust, clarity, and tranquillity, creating a sense of security and reassurance.
Soft Green (#A9CBA7) – Reflects nature, healing, and balance, aligning with the well-being aspects of the product.
Warm Beige (#E4C8A2) – Evokes comfort, warmth, and familiarity, making the product feel more natural and emotionally engaging.
The design process prioritized an ergonomic, natural shell shape that intuitively offers comfort and promotes subconscious nourishment. Following user feedback, I focused on Basalt stone for its natural heat retention and psychological properties, mirroring the form and benefits of therapeutic massage stones.
This physical form works in concert with four key sensory functions to provide a true sense of presence:
Core Functionality
Heated Hand Element: Provides real-time warmth, mimicking the sensation of holding a loved one's hand to strengthen emotional connection and tranquility.
Personalised Oil Diffuser (Eden): Allows the user to select custom scents that trigger positive memories, aiding in mental relaxation and emotional balance.
Integrated Speaker: Enables effortless, natural communication with family and friends.
Hologram Projection: The charging base includes a 3D AI camera and projector to create a full, immersive, real-time presence.
AI Generated
AI Generated
AI Generated
The design is fundamentally modular, allowing it to be easily disassembled and repaired by the user or a family member. This not only aligns with Philips’ zero-waste sustainability goals but also reinforces the Meaning and Accomplishment elements of the PERMA framework, fostering user confidence and independence. Furthermore, the inclusion of interchangeable parts and customisable hand sizes ensures the product is inclusive and accessible to users with a wide range of physical needs. The focus is on creating a long-term, repairable companion, not a disposable gadget.
This project taught me the power of multi-sensory design in encouraging human connection and well-being. It deepened my understanding of how to design empathetically for ageing populations and inspired me to continue integrating emotional intelligence into future product development.
