Enrique Encinas, Cynthia Bravo, Maria Karida, Jeanette Kilt Jensen

Southern Denmark University

Kolding, Denmark

The Moogs: Fostering Intersubjectivity Through Tangible

Interaction
A great deal of evidence supports the use of talking therapies, such as
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, to treat mental disorders in general and
depression in particular. However, talking involves the straightforward
verbalization of meaning, a process that may prove elusive when the
notions to convey are abstract or lie behind a complex emotional curtain,
as it is the case when depression is experienced.
Tangible materials might prove extremely valuable in this regard. From a
Phenomenological perspective the world and the individual are in
permanent interaction with each other, hence, cognition arises as a
temporal stability in a self organized process [1] nourished by an
arrangement of bodily (brain chemistry, muscular-skeletal constrains,
homeostatic levels) and physical (materials, objects) elements in
continuous interaction within a social, cultural and political context [2].
Extensive research investigates how physical interaction with different
elements (objects, artefacts or mere materials) in a social context might
foster intersubjectivity and contribute to novel business and design ideas
[3][4]. However, how can tangibility and materiality help patients in
conveying verbally fruitful insights (for other patients, doctors or relatives)
is a topic to be further explored.
In this paper we describe the design process and outcome resulting from
the ideation, design and construction of a set of tools (the mood jugs or
Moogs) to be used by mental health patients as an aid for verbally
expressing their mood state.
This research is supported by DepressionsForeningen, the major
depression association in Denmark, and EnAfOs, a Danish governmental
initiative to de-stigmatize mental illness. This circumstance, coupled with
the research approach devised ensured that patients formed an integral
part of the research process. Specifically, we employed a combination of
two methods: action research [4] in which the experiential (personal,
social and cultural) reality of those studied is described through
intervention in practice (a workshop was organized in the context of a
support group meeting for patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder), and
research-through-design, where insights gained serve as constructive
input for the design of prototypes that evolve when informed by patients
feedback. Additionally, a set of cultural probes (collections of evocative
tasks meant to elicit inspirational responses from people not so much
comprehensive information about them, but fragmentary clues about their
lives and thoughts [5]) was designed and sent to a group of patients to
gain a better understanding of how mood is perceived and acted upon
when bipolar disorder is present in everyday life.
Results from the participatory activities described above (Figures 1 shows
patients material representation of aspects of their illness during
workshops, and figure 2 illustrates the material gathered from the cultural
probes) informed the design of a set of coffee cups (The Moogs, or mood

jugs, Figure 3) to be available to patients attending a support group. The

Moogs are designed to act as unobtrusive, inspirational tools that might
aid patients in relating and reflecting on their mood in an embodied and
interactive manner rather than through a strict mental processing and
externalization, and naturally, enjoy their weekly coffee among other
patients.

[1] Kelso, J. A. Scott (1995) Dynamic Patterns: The Self-organization of Brain and Behavior, Cambridge,
MA: MIT Press.
[2] Dourish P. (2001) Where the Action Is. The Foundations of Embodied Interaction. MIT Press.
[3] Mitchell, R. and Buur, J. (2010) Tangible business model sketches to support participatory
innovation. Desire Conference 10, Aarhus, Denmark, pp.29-33
[4] Ehn, P. & Kyng M. (1991) Cardboar Computers: Mocking-it-up or Hands-on the Future. In
J.Greenbaum & M.Kyng (Eds)Design at Work. Hillsdale, NJ:LEA pp. 169-195
[5] Gaver, W., Dunne, T. and Pacenti, E., (1999) Cultural Probes. ACM Interactions, 6, 21 29.

Figure 1 Patients Material Representations of Aspects of Bipolar Disorder

Figure 2 Materials Received From Cultural Probes

Figure 3 The Moogs (mood jugs)