I proposed misophonia as the condition we would explore. Through digital ethnography, our group researched what people with misophonia struggle with and identified possible design opportunities.

This research became the starting point for our group’s brainstorming. We wanted to create something that could help people without misophonia better understand the experiences described in the research.

During brainstorming, I suggested creating a game or experience for people without misophonia. My main contribution was conceptualising the idea and thinking through its purpose and overall experience.

The research and development were group work. I did not code the whole game; my role centred on developing the concept and helping shape the direction of the project.

In Tune It Out, the player is a student trying to type an essay before a deadline. Chewing, pen clicking, foot tapping and sniffing interrupt the task.

During each trigger, typing is temporarily blocked. As the game’s stress level rises, the sound intensifies and visual distortion makes the text harder to read. The interface tracks essay progress, interruptions, time remaining and overstimulation.

The game ends when the essay is finished, the deadline passes or the character becomes overwhelmed. Each ending shows the player’s results and closes with a message encouraging them to believe people with misophonia, ask what helps and avoid deliberately triggering them.

I learned that when designing around a condition and experiences that are deeply personal, one game cannot represent everyone. Recognising that was an important part of this project.

If I could improve the game, I would focus on representing misophonia more specifically. I feel that the current prototype stays at a surface level: its sounds communicate general annoyance, rather than convincingly representing the specific triggers experienced by people with misophonia.

The project with Amsterdam Police explored how citizens could act more independently during emergencies. Our group focused on social resilience during prolonged power outages.

The design challenge was to help neighbours communicate their status and needs when electricity and digital infrastructure were unavailable. The essential system had to remain usable without power.

The concept used physical green, orange and red status cards in an apartment building, alongside a central community board or hub. Residents could communicate their situation, making it easier to identify who needed help and who could offer support.

The interaction was intended to be simple and intuitive in a stressful situation, encouraging cooperation, trust and mutual aid. Any optional digital features would support the system when power was available, while the essential communication remained independent of electricity.

I handled all client contact with Amsterdam Police and presented our final prototype to them, including to a senior representative within the organisation.

Alongside communication, I worked on the prototype’s hardware and developed the idea for the final prototype in collaboration with my teammates. The final result was a shared group effort, with my contribution combining concept development, practical hardware work and client communication.

Presenting the final prototype to the client was part of my role. It brought the group’s design work back to the organisation whose brief had started the project.

The prototype explored a way to support communication and cooperation during a blackout. Its intended benefits are design goals, rather than demonstrated outcomes from a real emergency.

Through the Resilience project, I learned how important it is to maintain regular, clear communication with a client. Good client contact means staying in touch throughout the process, sharing progress and making sure we understand each other’s expectations.