Using sensors in design research

Elliott Hedman is the founder of the design consultancy mPath, where he’s pioneering a new approach to design research. It combines stress-testing sensors with traditional observational techniques. The idea is to uncover the tiny, often imperceptible emotional moments that shape our reaction to products and experiences.

It’s an infant, imperfect technique, but it has intriguing potential. In the future, sensors like these could help designers fine-tune user experiences to an unprecedented degree. Some day, they could even make for products that do the fine-tuning themselves.