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MyMagnolia





Role
Visual Designer

Timeline
Spring 2025

Tools
Arduino, DALL-3, ChatGPT, 3D Printers, Soldering Metals, Pressure Sensors


Context

Developed at Wellesley College, I worked in a team of three to develop a tangible user interface to support the productivity and well-being of people who worked in mobile environments. I collaborated with my teammates to develop MyMagnolia, a flower-shaped TUI that provides multisensory feedback to help users manage stress in high-intensity remote spaces. In a time where we rely on screens, MyMagnolia helps users to pause from their work with meditative sounds, calming light features, and it serves as a floral friend. Throughout the semester, we applied an iterative process to the development of our novel tangible user interface.



Problem Statement

In a time where we rely on screens, how might we design a novel tangible user interface to support the productivity and well-being of people who work in mobile environments?
Our Solution

MyMagnolia is a flower-shaped TUI that provides multisensory feedback to help users manage stress in a remote work environment. MyMagnolia helps users to pause from their work with meditative sounds, calming light features, and serve as a floral friend.

First Designs






After considering our problem statement, we decided to ideate imagery for how our product would work, as well as how users would interact with MyMagnolia. We wanted a tangible user interface that increased positive attitudes in high stress environments, as well as looked aesthetically inviting. Originally, we wanted buttons that created actions; however, with some feedback, we decided to have a marble drop-in feature to increase the tangible aspects of our interface.


First Iterations

Marble Drop-In:
  • Users drop colored marbles into the plant
  • Each marble triggers corresponding colors and sounds based on weight

Voice Activation:
  • Activate the lamp by audibly stating “hi mymagnolia,” and deactivate the lamp by audibly stating “bye mymagnolia”
Pressure Activated Breathing Exercises:
  • Touching the leaves initiates a breathing exercise based on light
  • The flower responds with an audio message prompting the exercise





6Hats & DALL-3

With the help of AI Six Hats, we received feedback on how to best suit different personality type (eg. Green Hat is a creative personality, whereas blue hat is more technical).

Sensors & Soldering


After designing the low-fidelity prototype, it was time to add our sensors and create a high-fidelity prototype! We played around with pressure and weight sensors, as well as Arduino to produce sounds, 3D printing, and different materials to balance efficiency with aesthetics.
Final Presentations



Nature Sounds

Ocean Sounds



Pop Sounds
Breathing Practice

In these demonstrations of MyMagnolia, my team and I used Arduino programming and a pressure sensor to place different weighted marbles onto our interface. With the different weighted marbles, the sensor takes in the gram-weight, and using a small speaker inside of the 3D printed pot, MyMagnolia produces a sound associated with the color of the marble. For example, in the first video, the marble is green and weighs less than 5 grams. The speaker plays calming nature sounds as a result, which are meant to make a user feel comfortable and at ease from their work.



2026
NINA DAVALOS