Abigayle.App

Design Challenge: How might the somatic and physical experiences of the body be captured digitally? 

Duration: 4 weeks 

Project Overview: Abigayle.App developed from a fascination in looking at information architecture and UX wireframes. I noticed how the shapes of information architecture looked very similar to the human body (a head with limbs branching off into fingers, toes). Similarly, the body is a vessel with information stowed in different holding spaces. After seeing these connections, I set out to create an app that digitized my body.

Abigayle.App uses my body as information architecture, allowing users to touch my digitized body to discover personal information.  From the central composite self, you can wander through different parts of me in detail both through somatic memories or sensory experiences, and through imagery and photography. There are also surprise pages that you stumble upon along the way. Viewers can touch my digitized body and learn intimate facts about me. But like WebSkin, this intimacy is mediated by the digital interface; they are touching me, but no one is touching me at all.

Tools: Sketch, Photoshop

Brainstorming

This project began with sketching my ideas for what some of the screens could look like, and how they would flow together. 

       

Iteration 1

After creating the general structure, I began working in sketch to prototype my ideas. 

Visual Research

However, I was unhappy with my first iteration, and decided to do some visual research to get a better sense of what the app should look and feel like. 





I was drawn to the aesthetics of April Greiman’s Design Quarterly poster. Her use of digital tools to create a self portrait seemed like a clear conceptual tie to my project. 

Iteration 2

Breaking my body down into component parts, I collaged myself backtogether, turning cut out body parts into clickable buttons. 



Using the body as information architecture, I created a page for each section of the body, and and narrative pages for every clickable link.

Final Prototype

Creating a working prototype allowed me to explore the questions of intimacy that come up when my digital body is touched by the user.