speculative technology supports conflict resolution
By facilitating users through emotionally charged conversations—whether in-person or online—Magic Conch provides a structured, empathetic framework that fosters understanding and effective resolution. With Magic Conch, users gain the tools and support needed to address conflicts constructively.
Conflict is emotional and the digital experience need to account for it. Each stage of the conflict resoluton process can incur a drastic change in the user's emotions.
The app's user flow is grounded in emotional design theory, drawing from three core theorists to ensure every interaction acknowledges the tension users bring to the resolution process.
Onboarding features acknowledge emotional strain and use structured prompts that help users express their emotions
Supporting Theory
“The problem comes when there’s a mismatch between the stated purpose of a design and the reality of who can use it.”
- Kat Holmes
Have users name their emotional states and disrupt these emotionally “sticky” cycles and create space for clarity.
Supporting Theory
Emotions stick to objects, to people, and to ideas shaping how users’ emotions enter and exist within the conflict-resolution process.
- Sara Ahmed
Onboarding features explicitly acknowledge emotional strain and provide structured prompts that help users translate internal tension into communicable language.
Supporting Theory
“The problem comes when there’s a mismatch between the stated purpose of a design and the reality of who can use it.”
- Kat Holmes
Fostering dialogue that allows everyone affected to contribute to repairing the harm and finding a constructive path forward. This process shifts punitive responses to healing and accountability (Restorative Justice Council).
Through reflection, interactive activities, and structured sessions, it encourages users to look inward and discover answers for themselves, fostering thoughtful and constructive engagement.
Scenario-mapping exercise was used to simulate preparing for a difficult conversation.
Too many choices too early felt overwhelming, undermining the emotional grounding the app was designed to provide. Leading to a redesigned onboarding built around gradual disclosure, prioritizing emotional validation before introducing guidance and options.
Positive emotions increase throughout user flow. Emotions like hope and optimism increased as users moved through the flow especially after expressing their needs and making commitments.
Anxiety decreases throughout user engagement.
Early stages felt uncertain, but later stages felt easier as users understood what to expect.
Sharing perspectives builds human connection. Moments designed for mutual expression strengthened collaboration and understanding between participants.
Structure and pacing reduces
emotional overload.
Guided prompts gave users a way to express themselves meaningfully without feeling lost or flooded.
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What the Project Became Through research, prototyping, and testing, the project evolved to address how I help people resolve conflict without making an app that replaces the emotional labor.
Emotional Desgin To resolve a highly emotional user process, emotional design theory centered on ethical technological use and to better understand the emotional state of the user flow.
Magic Conch taught how essential it is to implement emotional design in the creative process. When we use any digital interface, we go through a series of emotional states depending on the experience, and bettering understanding how to understand these states can lead to great design.