Chapter 0 — Initial Direction

At the beginning of the module, we were invited to “envision a future where we collectively dream and discuss around round tables, creating novel realities.” Responding to this prompt, my initial exploration embraced a broad speculative scope. I imagined AI not merely as an instruction-following tool, but as a companion, co-creator, and emotional presence.

This early vision included multiple interconnected directions: AI as an emotional companion inspired by cultural narratives; communication beyond spoken language through biological and environmental signals; new modes of living shaped by digital co-existence; and a collective future where AI amplifies, rather than replaces, human imagination.

However, as the project progressed and through critical feedback, I began to recognize that this scope was too expansive to engage with meaningfully. While each direction was compelling, together they risked remaining abstract and disconnected from lived human experiences.

Chapter 1 — Listening Before Designing

After narrowing the project scope to focus on AI as a companion rather than merely a tool, I conducted a trilingual online survey to better understand how people currently relate to AI and how they imagine future human–AI relationships. The survey was available in English, German, and Mandarin, and collected 52 valid responses from participants across different age groups and professional backgrounds.

Rather than validating a predefined solution, the survey was designed to reveal emotional boundaries, levels of trust, and moments of hesitation around AI’s proactive behaviour.

https://forms.gle/mS17RLiriKnwufd38

Several patterns emerged.

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First, AI is already part of everyday life.

Approximately 69.2% of participants under the age of 45 reported interacting with AI tools on a weekly basis. Moreover, 67.3% agreed that AI could be more than a tool for answering questions. This suggested an openness toward expanded roles for AI beyond efficiency and task completion.

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However, this openness was paired with a strong desire for human primacy.

While participants were curious about emotionally responsive AI, many still described interaction with other humans as more “natural.” This revealed a tension: people were interested in AI companionship, yet simultaneously wished to maintain a clear distinction between human and machine. For some, making AI less human-like paradoxically increased trust, as it reduced fears of manipulation or emotional replacement.

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Trust was closely tied to familiarity and control.

Participants expressed ambivalence toward data collection in general, but acceptance increased significantly when AI systems were connected to devices they already used and trusted, such as smartwatches or home lighting. In contrast, nearly half of the respondents felt uncomfortable with unfamiliar devices directly recording sound or movement.

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When asked how AI should respond proactively, a clear preference for subtlety emerged.

Around half of the participants preferred that AI do nothing unless explicitly allowed. The most accepted forms of proactive response were environmental and non-verbal, such as adjusting lighting, sound, or offering gentle breathing or relaxation cues. In contrast, behaviours such as inviting interaction, emotional check-ins, or reminding users to contact friends were received far less positively.

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Open-ended responses further deepened these insights.

Many participants emphasised the importance of privacy, emotional boundaries, and avoiding over-dependence. AI was repeatedly described as a supportive presence, but not a substitute for human relationships or emotional authority. Notably, several respondents articulated a desire for AI to help reduce stress, especially during moments of emotional overload, rather than to analyse or solve personal problems.

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A recurring theme across responses was the experience of being “stuck.”

Participants described moments of overwhelm where reaching out to others felt burdensome, exposing, or emotionally costly. These moments were identified as the most delicate, yet potentially meaningful, entry points for AI support, not by replacing human connection, but by quietly holding space until reconnection becomes possible.

This research reframed the direction of the project.

Instead of designing AI that speaks more, understands more, or intervenes more, I began to explore how AI could step back, respond through atmosphere, and respect human vulnerability. This shift laid the foundation for Found52’s core interaction principle: letting the environment respond first, so that humans can remain human.

Chapter 2 — From Insights to Ideas

Based on the research insights, I began translating the abstract idea of AI as a companion into more tangible forms. Rather than searching for a single solution immediately, I explored three conceptual directions to test how non-verbal, non-intrusive companionship could be embodied through different scales: object, space, and system.

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Idea 1: A Linking Companion focused on integrating calmness into everyday life by connecting existing devices. 

In this concept, AI acts as a quiet mediator between wearables, lighting, and sound systems. Emotional signals such as heart rate or stress levels are not analysed verbally, but translated into subtle environmental adjustments. The intention was to test whether trust could be built through familiarity, by embedding AI into tools users already accept.

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Idea 2: A Breathing Home shifted the focus from devices to space. 

Instead of placing AI inside a screen, this concept imagined AI as part of the room itself. Emotional states are mirrored through rhythm: light pulses slow down, air circulation softens, and ambient sound responds gently to the user’s presence. The space does not ask questions or demand interaction; it simply “breathes together” with the person inside it.

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Idea 3: An Emotion Co-Creator explored companionship through resonance rather than response. 

This concept proposed an interface where users could express emotions through voice, drawing, or sound, while AI responded only with visual or auditory echoes. By avoiding interpretation or feedback, the system aimed to create a sense of being held emotionally without being analysed.

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Across these three directions, a common question emerged: 

How can AI be present without becoming intrusive?

After exploring three directions, feedback suggested focusing on Idea 2 but integrating with an app and existing devices, the interaction extends beyond a single object, subtly transforming the space into a „Breathing Room.“ Light, sound, and air shift in sync with emotional rhythms, creating a quiet, supportive presence without words. 

This integration crystallizes the project’s essence: interaction begins with permission, but companionship lives within the environment.

Chapter 3 — In Depth Research

① User Research ：In which situations are people „most likely to feel stressed/stuck but not ask for help“?

② Case & Technology Research : To examine how current market products achieve „emotion detection“ and „response.“

After came up with this system map that demonstrates the product logic

I summarised the main functions of the equipment I want to create and demonstrated it in one graphic.

Chapter 4 — User Journey & Scenarios

Level 1 — Found Self

A young international student navigates a new country, new pressures, and a blurry sense of self. Feeling out of sync with her surroundings, she gradually learns to hear her own frequency through Found52, discovering confidence, clarity, and a place she can call home.

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Level 2 — Found Each Other

A thirty-something professional bears the weight of work, future, and expectations. Strong on the outside but overwhelmed inside, he struggles to show vulnerability. Found52 becomes the space where he can put his armor down, reconnect with himself, and help his partner truly understand him.

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Level 3 — Found Harmony

A loving family growing distant—parents exhausted, a teenager closing off, everyone speaking on different wavelengths. Found52 helps them tune into one another again, softening the noise and rebuilding connection, warmth, and shared rhythm.

Chapter 5 — Visual & Physical Design

To bring Found52 closer to the life and emotional needs of the scenarios, I began designing the product’s physical and visual form. The design aims to embody subtlety, presence without intrusion, and emotional resonance, so that the experience aligns with the journey of finding self, connecting with others, and restoring harmony.

The product materializes as a gentle, ambient object that integrates seamlessly into daily life. Its form and aesthetics are inspired by natural rhythms, soft light, and minimal gestures, reflecting the quiet yet perceptible presence of Found52. It's a companion that “listens” and “responds” without words, helping users feel seen and supported in their own environment.

Chapter 6 — The First Pitch

Chapter 7 — The Refined Pitch

Chapter 8 — Pitch to Video

Chapter 9 — Closing Thought

Presenting Found52 felt less like explaining a product, and more like opening a private inner room to others.

What surprised me most was not that the concept was understood, but that it was felt.

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Several clear directions for refinement emerged:

1. Strengthening Found52’s Independence

Future iterations should avoid direct comparison with mainstream AI brands. Instead, the narrative will emphasize Found52 as a dedicated, local, and emotionally safe system. A system that listens without sending, remembers without exposing.

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2. Trust as a Tangible Design Feature

The idea that “the whale keeps your secrets” opens a strong path forward.

Making data locality, privacy, and non-recording visible within the experience. Not as technical explanations, but as felt reassurance—will deepen user trust.

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3. Expanding the Spirit Animal Language

The spirit-animal system holds potential beyond the whale.

Future exploration could examine how different emotional archetypes translate into different forms of presence, while preserving the same ethical core.

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Found52 is not finished.

It is a beginning, a quiet prototype of how technology might learn to step back, so humans can step forward into themselves.

In a world full of noise, this project chooses to listen; and maybe that is already enough to start changing something.