Love in the modern world (Designing the social presence for long-distance couples)

Zhou, Hailun

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/78529 Copy

Description

Title

Love in the modern world (Designing the social presence for long-distance couples)

Author(s)

Zhou, Hailun

Issue Date

2015-04-29

Department of Study

Art & Design

Discipline

Art and Design

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.F.A.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• Long-distance relationship
• Design for couples
• User Interface
• User Experience
• Human Computer Interaction
• Relationship study
• Qualitative research
• Intimacy communication
• Couples communication
• Communication design
• Interaction Design

Abstract

One of the hallmarks of modern society is that there are increasing number of people who are geographically separated from their significant others. I was interested initially in how technology can help maintain long-distance relationships. This interest led me to conduct this project focusing on couples that are involved in long-distance relationships (LDRs). Long-distance couples have to experience more restricted communication than geographically close couples, which works to potentially hinder the couple’s ability to maintain intimacy in relationships. Due to emerging technologies, many individuals are able to stay in touch through the use of modern communication tools. But this communication between couples can be more complicated and deeper than everyday interpersonal communication. To understand these unique needs more deeply, interviews and observations were conducted to find novel design opportunities. Through a human-centered design approach, I designed a mobile application to enhance social presence over long distances. It helps LDR couples connect seamlessly on a daily basis, and to easily discover mutual topics, activities, and interests.

Graduation Semester

2015-5

Type of Resource

text

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/78529

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2015 Hailun Zhou

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