ZENSCAPE - Biophilic Stress Relief Mat

Three questions to the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
The greatest UX challenge was creating an intuitive, engaging interaction without screens, instructions, or icons—delivering a truly passive experience that users could instinctively understand. We aimed to reduce cognitive load, not add to it. The design had to guide users subtly through tactile cues and sensory feedback alone. Balancing simplicity with perceptible responsiveness—vibrations, sounds, scents, and visual fading—was especially difficult without relying on conventional UI. The key was designing a ritual that felt natural, calming, and self-explanatory from the very first touch.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
The aha!-moment came when we discovered thermochromic ink. Initially, we explored high-tech options like glowing fabrics and pressure sensors to create visual feedback. But during a visit to a souvenir shop, a simple heat-reactive mug sparked a breakthrough—what if we used heat to leave a temporary visual trace? That insight allowed us to replace expensive, complex tech with a poetic, fading imprint that metaphorically represented stress dissolving. It was elegant, sustainable, and emotionally resonant—perfectly aligning with our vision.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
ZENSCAPE lays the foundation for a new category of screenless, sensory-based stress relief tools. In five years, we envision expanding into wellness, education, and therapeutic markets—with sets tailored for schools, clinics, and workspaces. We aim to collaborate with mental health professionals, educators, and biophilic design researchers to refine sensory outputs and measure impact. Personally, I aim to continue creating products that use experience design to elevate emotional well-being—whether by relieving stress, sparking joy, or provoking inspiration. My goal is to design with feeling at the center, redefining how interaction can touch the human spirit.