If our jewellery could be imbued with special powers, what would we want those powers to be? This is the question asked by Hazel White, of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art at the University of Dundee, who has received an AHRC Small Grant in the Creative and Performing Arts.
As technology develops and becomes more pervasive, Hazel’s work investigates how interactive jewellery can be integrated into ou
r lives. Whilst most studies into wearable technology have focussed on how the technology can be miniaturised, the Charmed project looks into what exactly it is that users want from this technology – from storytelling to transportation devices to whatever else they may think of - and how it can be incorporated into users’ everyday wardrobes in a way that allows an emotional involvement of the sort we might associate with ‘ordinary’ jewellery.
In order to address the question, Hazel has developed a series of ‘charm’ jewellery incorporating bracelets, necklaces, pins, or even keyrings. The
se charms were then given to a variety of different participants – from technophobes to technophiles, and from jewellery wearers to non-wearers – along with a pack that allowed them to log their responses. The participants themselves were allowed to choose the type of jewellery they received and how it would be worn, leading to a greater engagement with the pack and the project.
Through interviews with the applicants, Hazel was able to demonstrate that a user centred approach - working closely with the people who would wear the jewellery and responding and adapting according to their observations, values and needs - can lead to suggestions for interactive jewellery which can be experienced on multiple levels: from cultural, social and personal resonances to the narrative carried by the object and the physical interaction with the jewellery.
Hazel will present the findings of the study at the International Conference on Design and Emotion in Hong Kong and is already investigating ways in which the results can be developed in different contexts, including healthcare and alternative communication.