Entrepreneur

Deborah Werbner, Ogenblik Ltd. and Freelance Designer Maker

Academic Partner

Professor Jonathan Freeman, Goldsmiths, University of London

Project Title

In A Nutshell (IaN): Proof of Concept for an Internet of Things  (IoT) wearable to relieve anxiety, improve therapy outcomes and reduce the costs of psychological therapies.

Project Description

The In A Nutshell residency set out to help alleviate the huge emotional and financial costs involved with mental illness by creating a prototype ‘digital worry bead’. The hypothetical bead would enable wearers to signal distress, dysfunctional behaviours and trigger moments, communicating this information to their therapist. By plotting these moments the wearer and their supporters would be aided in identifying undesirable behaviours and understanding the underlying narratives of their condition.

Working with Jonathan Freeman, a professor of Psychology and Digital Media, Deborah Werbner of Ogenblik Ltd conducted two co-design workshops with groups of students and psychologists. The sessions involved mind mapping exercises and group discussion which when reviewed presented a number of conclusions which were implemented into a critical methodology. This new product design methodology allowed for a refined concept design.

Next working with Martin Conreen, Pete Rogers and Andrew Weatherhead from Goldsmiths’s Design Department a early prototype was developed. A software specialist was subcontracted in order to create digital software mock-ups.

Since the residency Werbner has continued their work on the In A Nutshell project. The project has recently been accepted onto the current Cambridge Wireless IOT accelerator programme which will hopefully address some of the miniaturisation issues they encountered. Additionally they have been put through to the second round of applicants of this season’s Nominet Trust Fund.