A Life-Synchronized Product for Reflective and Sustainable Living

Unpublished

Co-Author

Despite growing interest in artifacts that can positively impact both human life and the environment, there remains a lack of tangible design cases that foster a lifelong commitment to sustainable living practices. This paper introduces the ’LO’ oven, a speculative design example of a life-synchronized, one-and-only product designed to evoke reflection on life’s finiteness and promote mindful consumption. The ’LO’ oven was realized through a combination of a semi-functional prototype, a design fiction video, and a product microsite, and its potential influences were critically evaluated through in-depth interviews with 10 design experts. The findings indicated that the ’LO’ oven would establish a deep emotional connection with users, fostering reflective thinking for well-being and encouraging sustainable lifetime consumption. Finally, we discuss the broader implications on feasibility and viability of life-synchronized products, offering insights for designing reflective living and sustainable futures within the field of HCI.

Life-synchronized Product, Reflective Product, Sustainable Future, Speculative Design