Hugging, when the hearts are pressed together, heals sickness, disease, loneliness, depression, anxiety and stress. I have always wondered why hugs feel so good? Why do some of people like me like sleeping with heavy blankets? Why do people need massages after a long working day? Why my Chinese grandparents always squeeze my hands while they are talking to me? I decided to explore sensory wellness to find out the connection between pressure and wellness in order to discover the non-digital way to relief stress with applied pressure.I intended to inspire people to pay more attention to physical interactions rather than focusing solely on their digital lifestyle.

Applied pressure

Ever since we were babies we have learnt to calm down when mothers swaddle us. When we were young children, we squeezed stuffed animals to gain courage to overcome fears of ghost and monsters at night. Calming ourselves and others through the application of pressure is deeply seated in our subconscious.

couch

Growing up in a city without heater I always sneakily put my cold feet and hands in between sofa seats at home. Until today I sometimes unconsciously try to put my feet in sofa gaps especially when I am home watching TV by myself, not to mention when I am watching horror movies. I am designing this hugging sofa which when you sit down the stuffing of the sofa will be squished into shapes that apply gentle pressure to your body mimicking hugging you.  

The sofa is made of ultra suede and poly pellet. The ultra suede is soft, smooth, and stretchy. Making a sofa with poly pellet inside keeps audiences cool. Poly pellets are the material I am exploring with. The material is odorless, non-toxic, and food grade. Since I am designing outerwear and furniture that will touch users skin directly, I found Poly pellet the most suitable for my project.

Hugging jacketFeature 3

 I am fascinated by the fact that most people hug themselves while they are walking in a windy winter day to stay warmer. The existing pockets on our outerwear seems not be the most helpful items when it comes to keeping warm. I am exploring the best way to make jackets that hug us on the cold days.  I made a jacket with pockets on the sleeve. Audience who are wearing my jackets and putting their hands in the pocket stop them from walking in a windy day checking on their phone constantly. The pressure they apply to their arms aim to remind them to take a break from digital world and focus the pressure they give themselves on the arms.