Yaruki Switch Home
Jul 1, 2024
A motivation-switch device for home and personal use, designed to help users find a healthier relationship with their smartphones.
The device has an ON/OFF switch that embodies the idea of a "motivation switch."
The device links with a smartphone, and communication with the device is triggered when opening preconfigured apps. If the switch is ON, the app closes even when the user tries to open it. If it is OFF, the app can be used normally. By expressing one's intent through the ON/OFF state, the design aims to help users nudge themselves.
It helps users explore how to live with technology, rather than simply cutting it off.
Conventional tools such as iPhone Screen Time allow users to set daily limits for specific apps. However, app usage has become diverse: users may want limits for entertainment but not when researching something. In such cases, users can temporarily set the switch to OFF. When it is ON, even if they impulsively try to open an app, it closes, which can trigger reflection on the question, "What did I intend to use this app for right now?"
Because switching ON requires operating a physical device rather than software, intentions such as "I will not check my phone now" can be made visible to others. This is also intended to help users commit to their goals. Research on self-regulation and procrastination suggests that declaring intentions to others helps people act on long-term goals rather than short-term temptations. This is one reason the concept is implemented as a device rather than only software or an app.
By giving the device a design that blends into interior spaces, simply seeing it on a desk can remind users of how they relate to their smartphones, even without actively using the device.