There seems to be a danger to carelessly replace routine tasks in homes through automation with IoT-technology. But since routines such as watering houseplants also have positive influences on inhabitants' wellbeing, they should be transformed through carefully performed designs. To this end, an attempt to use technology for augmenting a set of houseplants' nonverbal communication capabilities is presented. First, we describe in detail how implicit interactions have been designed to support inhabitants in watering their plants through meaningful interactions. Then, we report on a field study with 24 participants, comparing two alternative design implementations based on contrasting embodied interaction technologies (i.e., augmented reality and embedded computing technology). The study results highlight shortcomings of today's smartphone mediated augmented reality compared to physical interface alternatives, considering measurements of perceived attractiveness and expected effects on determinants of wellbeing, and discusses potentials of combining both modalities for future solutions.

We report on the design process and evaluation of Pen-Pen, which is a design combining a neck-cushion, a mobile app, and a multi-modal feedback loop to help commuters relax and rest during commuting hours. The design process of Pen-Pen includes a series of inquiries, which identified "support for relaxation" and "location based arrival notification" as desires of commuters, and "mindfulness" and feelings of "autonomy" as relevant determinants of commuters' wellbeing. We evaluated Pen-Pen in the field with five commuters, and through an online survey with 68 participants. Our results indicate that using Pen-Pen has the potential to increase feelings of rest and autonomy, and to foster mindfulness through the feedback loop which feeds back spatial audio based on user location and finger touch. Especially commuters who reported to be less mindful and easily stressed anticipate Pen-Pen to be useful for them. CCS CONCEPTS • Human-centered computing → Auditory feedback; Field studies;

Digital drawing experiences are not only fused by the flexibility of digital materials but also influenced by the availability of interaction space. In this paper, we first present a prototype, which implements a method to turn the (mid-air) space above and aside a drawing screen in a desktop setting dynamically into sensory space for gestural and spatial input. Then we report on a user study exploring how participants experience digital drawing when the additional interaction space above and aside a screen is exploited for exemplary proxemic input techniques for zooming and panning a drawing. Our results show that the new multimodal input techniques are perceived as significantly more attractive than a baseline drawing condition which only utilizes touch based input. We conclude by discussing implications and limitations of our findings and input above and aside a drawing screen in general. CCS Concepts •Human-centered computing → Interaction techniques;

Commuting by car can be stressful, especially unexpected traffic jams may result in feelings of loss of control and social disconnectedness. In this paper, we present Traeddy, a teddy bear augmented with embedded technology, which serves as a wellbeing companion for car commuters in case of traffic jams. Traeddy is capable to help, for example by notifying relevant contacts about traffic jams and potential delays. We describe in detail the design process, including 20 contextual inquiries and report the evaluation of Traeddy through an online survey with 102 participants and a field study evaluating Traeddy with three commuters and two contacts in the field. The results of the field study indicate that Traeddy has a positive impact on the relationship between the commuter and the notified contact. Furthermore, the majority of the online participants anticipated Traeddy to be useful and to support their wellbeing in traffic jams.

The number of commuters has been increasing for many years and the negative effects on wellbeing are therefore affecting more and more people. Following a user centered design process that focuses on known wellbeing determinants, such as relatedness and empathy, we developed the Honeypot socializing app. The app allows commuters to find other travelers to chat with and meet in person to enhance their wellbeing through fostering meaningful and contextual social interactions. First, we describe the development of the idea and the design of the app. Then, we report on a field study with 16 participants, which we carried out on trains. The study results show that the app helps to get in contact with fellow travelers and that it has the potential to promote the wellbeing of commuters in the long term.