Summary
HOME EXAM · CHALMERS
TANGIBLE INTERACTION
AI & CREATIVITY
CALM TECHNOLOGY
2025
Co-Creation Envelope
A palm-sized envelope that lets audiences feel the human behind AI-assisted performances.
ROLE
Solo project
TIMELINE
TBD · Home exam, October 2025
PLATFORM
Wearable device concept + Figma prototype
METHOD
Design Sprint
With generative AI entering the arts, audiences struggle to trust work when they can’t sense the human behind it. How can they feel the creator’s presence, even when AI is involved?
Solo project: survey, ideation, prototyping and two rounds of user testing.
In the second round, 8 testers rated choosing when to read 5.0 / 5, the printed ticket as a personal souvenir 4.6 / 5, and understanding the creator’s emotions 4.4 / 5.
View prototype
See key decisions
Design decisions
Four key design decisions.
01
Temperature instead of vibration
When a message arrives, the envelope warms or cools to match its emotional tone, so you can sense it without looking. It follows the idea of slow interaction and calm technology: stay in the periphery rather than interrupt the show.
02
You choose when to read
Feel the signal first, then decide whether to check the e-ink screen or stay immersed. Testers rated this freedom 5.0 out of 5.
03
A paper ticket to keep
After the show, the envelope prints a short summary of the creator’s and the AI’s messages. Testers saw it as a personal souvenir (4.6 / 5).
04
Palm-sized, paper-like, worn close
The first version felt like a desktop device. The envelope became palm-sized, made of a soft, paper-like composite with a Kindle-style e-ink screen, and can be worn as a pendant or held close to the skin.
How it works
STEP 01
Sync with the show
Enter the performance code and the envelope follows the live show.
STEP 02
Feel a message arrive
It warms or cools depending on the message’s emotional tone.
STEP 03
Read it, or stay immersed
Check the e-ink screen for the creator’s or the AI’s note, or simply keep watching.
STEP 04
Take the ticket home
A printed summary of the messages becomes a keepsake.
Research
Where it started
Many people are open to AI in the arts, but feel uneasy when they can’t perceive the human behind the work. That discomfort isn’t rejection of technology; it is a wish to feel the creator’s presence and intention. A survey on AI-assisted creation explored what audiences actually want.
4.4/5
Average agreement that the human creator’s personal style is the most important part of a work.
AI-creation survey
THREE CORE PROBLEMS
01
Audiences value the creator’s style
Emotional authenticity and personal style matter most.
02
AI’s role is often invisible
2 of 5 respondents couldn’t tell whether they had ever experienced AI-generated work.
03
Trust depends on transparency
4 of 5 said audiences have the right to know which parts AI created.
Survey & ideation details
Iteration
SURVEY
CRAZY 8s
PROTOTYPE 1 · STORYBOARD, 5 USERS
PROTOTYPE 2 · FIGMA, 8 USERS
Prototype 1 — concept sketch and storyboard
Prototype 2 — 3D render and Figma demo
In the first round, vibration alerts and screen-checking interrupted the emotional flow. Users valued the information but not the way it was delivered, which led to temperature as a gentler cue.
“I don’t want to check a screen during the show, but the warm signal felt like a gentle nudge.”
Too bulky, a plastic body that didn’t feel like a letter, and a screen disconnected from the envelope. Version 2 became palm-sized, paper-like and wearable.
Testers said the messages helped them understand the creator’s emotions and thought process (4.4 / 5).
“AI doesn’t feel so cold anymore.”
“If I knew a human was behind this, I’d see the AI part very differently.”
The printed summary carried emotional value and a sense of ritual (4.6 / 5).
“The printed messages felt like a personal memory I could keep.”
The lowest-rated item (3.6 / 5): answers varied, and some testers couldn’t clearly feel the change. The sensory cue needs calibration.
Reflection
People care less about who made it than whether it carries a human presence.
The envelope stayed at the concept and simulation stage, and the temperature, printing and e-ink modules still need work on cost and durability. Harder questions came up too: creators control everything that is shared, which can hide the AI’s real role, and not every artist wants to expose their process. I chose to focus on interaction strategies and experience value, and keep the questions of ethics and truth open for future iterations.
NEXT STEPS
Beyond live shows: exhibitions, theatres and immersive installations
Richer emotional cues such as sound, light or scent
Two-way communication so audiences can respond to the artist
Verified co-creation certification for transparent credit
Solo project · Home exam · Chalmers University of Technology