Steps of Serenity
Embodied
Experience
Experience
Stress is a common occurrence in the workplace. Inspired by barefoot paths, Steps of Serenity offers a ritual to reduce stress. The experience consists of a walk across the mat and a moment of reflection. By focusing on the sensations under their feet, participants can shift their attention from their head to their body, providing a moment of mindfulness before they begin their journey home.
Experience Relaxation
Through Every Step Taken
Stress is a common occurrence in the workplace. Inspired by barefoot paths, Steps of Serenity offers a ritual to reduce stress. The experience consists of a walk across the mat and a moment of reflection. By focusing on the sensations under their feet, participants can shift their attention from their head to their body, providing a moment of mindfulness before they begin their journey home.
How does it work?
Reflexology is an alternative therapy that focuses on applying pressure to specific points on the feet. These points are believed to connect to different organs and body systems. Research suggests the treatment can reduce stress, improve sleep, boost circulation and relieve pain. While some people find it helpful for relaxation and overall well-being, scientific evidence for its effectiveness remains limited.
Iteration #01
Based on the believed theorie we created a lo-fi reflexology path. We invited students to experinece the path to collect their thoughts and feelings during the experience. What sensations were most/least pleasent? We collected the data on an experiment sheet
Iteration #02
We than implemented the data by creating a new prototype. We expended the amount of sensations and made the contrast of the stimulants much intenser. The overall feedback was that some sensations were too painfull which hindered the proces toward a relaxed state.
Some materials we used; computer keys, egg cartons, clothing tags, grind & pvc pipes.
Some materials we used; computer keys, egg cartons, clothing tags, grind & pvc pipes.
Conclusion
Based on the 2 prototypes we made some alterations for the final version. The main aspect was the additional steps to make it a ritual. This includes putting on a coat, slippers and taking a moment to reflect. We also wanted to give the subject more autonomy. They can decide how much they want to feel based on their own pain tolerance. And lastly, we made some adjustments to the materials to create a more comfortable experience.
Final Product
The final design consists of a wooden box that consists of two layers.
The first layer consists of the elements to stimulate the pressure points on the feet. We recycled some of the materials that had positive feedback and experimented with new textures as well. The structure of the layout is supposed to be organic so the transition between the sensations are more pleasent and natural.
The second layer is large yoga mat that is placed directly on the materials. We notices that the visual shock of the elements create much more vived sensations of pain. So, when the subject is only focussing on the stimulations instead of anticipating the potential pain risks they may experience, they actually reach a point of full relaxation.
The first layer consists of the elements to stimulate the pressure points on the feet. We recycled some of the materials that had positive feedback and experimented with new textures as well. The structure of the layout is supposed to be organic so the transition between the sensations are more pleasent and natural.
The second layer is large yoga mat that is placed directly on the materials. We notices that the visual shock of the elements create much more vived sensations of pain. So, when the subject is only focussing on the stimulations instead of anticipating the potential pain risks they may experience, they actually reach a point of full relaxation.
