Pierre-Félix So, a product design graduate from DSAA LAAB in Rennes, France, has designed Push Revolution, a series of devices that explore the impact of push notifications in our lives by rethinking the way they notify us.
So used his knowledge of 3D printing and Arduino, an open-source electronic prototyping platform that allows the user to create interactive electronic objects, to create Push Revolution. His graduation project alters how we respond to social media notifications by using three objects that turn the virtual notifications into material responses.
The first of the three devices, named Ego, deals with what So calls “superficial” notifications, such as likes and tweets, but instead of alerting the social media user with sounds or vibrations, the device emits soap bubbles when a notification is received. The designer chose to use soap bubbles because they materialise for a few brief moments before popping in the same way that social media notifications such as likes and retweets are fleeting.
The second device is called Wow and it deals with more personal notifications such as messages, photos, and emails. The device is a small white stand that has a balloon attached to it. The balloon inflates every time you receive a notification. So wanted to enhance the excitement of receiving a message by using a balloon, an object associated with happiness, excitement, and fun.
The third device, Tac Pad resembles a small keypad. It is connected to your computer, and when the unmarked buttons are pressed they resemble the feeling of popping bubble wrap. So designed Tac Pad to associate the pleasure of popping bubble wrap with the pleasure of deleting notifications.
Push Revolution is open source, so anyone can create and 3D print Ego, Wow or Tac Pads.
