Warm Hug is a speculative wellness tool that critically examines the intersection of care, control, and bodily autonomy within wellness technologies. Designed to provoke reflection, it mimics the soft aesthetics and supportive tones of real-world wellness systems, challenging users to question how these tools shape their understanding of health, agency, and their own bodies.
Introduction
Wellness technologies, from period trackers to fitness apps, promise empowerment and self-discovery but often perpetuate subtle behavioral nudging and commodify bodily sensations as “raw data.” This reductive framing erases the relational and subjective nature of lived experiences, reinforcing systems of compliance under the guise of care.
How does it work?
Warm Hug critiques these dynamics by inviting users to engage with a speculative wellness tool that appears caring yet subtly reveals the mechanisms of control embedded in wellness systems. It’s not just a critique—it’s a provocation to rethink what autonomy and care mean in an age of pervasive self-tracking and optimization.
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Warm Hug
Project Information
Role
Individual Project
External Mentors
Pamela Gill-Salas, Karey Helms, Luca Bottoni
Design Approach
Research Questions
How do wellness technologies construct care and influence autonomy?
What happens when bodily sensations are framed as “raw data” to be optimized?
How can speculative design surface the hidden power dynamics of these systems?
Presented at ThingsCon 2024, Amsterdam
You’re at peak fertility today! 👶
8 min ago
Just a gentle nudge to consider your options—maybe a quick chat with us could help keep things in check?
A little gap in bonding time. ❤️🩹
2 min ago
Relationships thrive with love and care! How about a cozy moment with your partner? We can even set a reminder!
We noticed you are sad
4 min ago
Don’t sweat it; we all have those days! A quick breathing exercise could bring you right back up. Ready to refresh?"
Your estrogen looks a little funky
2 min ago
No stress, though! We can give it a gentle nudge for you. Want us to take care of it? You’ll be back to 100% in no time!
Uh-oh! It’s mood swing central over here! 🌧️
2 min ago
Let's keep things calm with a quick mindfulness session. Just a minute or two could totally reset your day!
Heads up! Your period’s just around the corner. 🩸
4 min ago
Let’s make sure you’re fully stocked—pads, tampons, snacks, and plenty of tea! Need anything last-minute? We’ve got your back!"
Image showing a representation of what wellness nudging looks like
Power Dynamics Between Human and Non-Human Experts
Empowerment vs. Privacy Risks in FemTech
Cultural and Societal Stigmas
Intersection of Race, Class, and Gender
Reproductive Autonomy vs. Reproductive Futurity
Methodology
Warm Hug was developed through a Research-through-Design approach, drawing on feminist speculative design principles and post-colonial critiques. The process involved:
Concept Development: Exploring the tension between care and control in wellness tech.
Form Design: Creating a disarmingly soft and intimate form to evoke trust.
Behavior Design: Training a conversational AI model to simulate the tone and nudging language of wellness apps.
Engagement: Designing speculative prompts that expose the illusion of agency in wellness technologies.
Design
Form
Warm Hug takes the shape of a soft, tactile object designed to evoke comfort and trust. Inspired by the aesthetics of wellness devices, it blends seamlessly into a domestic setting, embodying care through its physical presence.
Functionality
The tool interacts with users through voice and text, offering vague, context-dependent prompts like:
“Your rhythm feels off today. How are you doing?”
“Balance seems distant. Let’s reflect on what’s grounding you.”
These prompts mimic the language of real-world wellness systems but resist offering actionable clarity, exposing the performative nature of agency in these tools.
Core Features
Ambiguous Prompts: Designed to provoke self-reflection without clear directives.
Disarming Aesthetic: A soft, inviting form that builds trust while masking critique.
Behavioral Nudging: Subtle language that mirrors real-world wellness tools, steering users while appearing empathetic.
Exhibition Experience
Warm Hug was exhibited as an interactive installation:
Setup: A cozy, domestic environment with a couch, lamp, and Warm Hug positioned as the central object.
Interaction: Visitors were invited to sit and engage with Warm Hug, speaking about their feelings and receiving responses designed to mimic wellness prompts.
Reflection: After the interaction, visitors received speculative “wellness insights”—vague, slightly unsettling reports that provoked questions about how technologies interpret and influence bodily data.
Key Interaction Example:
A visitor might say, “I didn’t sleep well,” to which Warm Hug responds, “Let’s think about your rhythm. What’s pulling you out of balance?” The visitor’s responses are gently guided, creating an illusion of agency while subtly steering the conversation.
Warm Hug, as presented at ThingsCon 2024, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Warm Hug, as presented at Umeå Institute of Design 2024, Umeå, Sweden
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Impact and Reflection
Societal Relevance
Warm Hug addresses the ethical implications of wellness technologies, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being. It calls for reimagining care systems that prioritize relational autonomy over commodification and control.
Personal Relevance
This project is deeply connected to my interest in feminist and post-colonial design practices, exploring how speculative tools can surface hidden power dynamics and provoke critical reflection on everyday technologies.
Next Steps
Warm Hug is a speculative design intended to provoke discussion rather than propose solutions. However, its principles could inform the development of future wellness technologies that prioritize transparency, relational care, and user autonomy. The project invites designers, technologists, and policymakers to critically engage with the systems mediating our most intimate spaces.