Homie blanket

Abstract

Our society is changing! The isolation of people and social distancing are not only an actual problem, created by Covid19, but also a general issue in the era of digitalization. The term “being connected with someone” became a different meaning today and our relationships appear in countless different shapes. Through Design Research und User Testing in the field of “changing social environments” we found out, that the aspect we are missing the most, is the physical contact and the feeling of “really being connected” to someone. Additionally in this period of #stayhome, the lack of daylight and Vitamin D is challenging us. We feel like losing any sense of time and struggling with keeping up our daily rhythms. All together, the (unexpected and fast-paced) physical disconnection to our social environment, the loss of daily routines and the limited contact to nature, while being “locked-up” (alone) in our four-walls can overwhelm us. Depression, anxiety and a worse mental health are often the consequences.