Cartograph — Max Bock-Aronson

Cartograph is a smart self-reflection device for helping people practice and build vital cognitive restructuring and resilience skills for addiction recovery. The device works by combining proven journaling methods with a unique visual-physical logging method that helps the practice stick over longer periods of time. Cartograph was developed for my design thesis work at Harvard.

Cartograph is motivated as a response to the unfolding mental health crisis and the adjacent rise of Problematic Internet Use (PIU) as a maladaptive coping strategy. It asks the question: how do we prioritize our relationship with ourselves and protect and preserve our identities in a technology environment that demands our constant attention and assimilation.

Process

Google Trends

Initial Observations

In 2022-23, I developed an awareness of how my own Problematic Internet Use (PIU), was undermining my psychological wellbeing. I started looking for solutions that would help me build grounding practices and didn't rely on the Internet.

Discovery Research + Mapping

I interviewed dozens of people (including mental health experts) to better understand the complex relationship between wellbeing and Internet use. I mapped these conversations and identified several potential areas for design intervention.

Initial Hypothesis + Concept Sketching

Based on the findings, my initial hypothesis was that PIU accelerated mental health deterioration through an erosion of personal identity. I started exploring concepts for using structured self-reflection to help individuals recover and build personal narratives that would support their broader psychological wellbeing.

Prototyping

I leveraged laser cutting and CNC machining to start physicalizing these concepts and explore different resolutions (day, week, month) for creating personal narrative blocks.

Physical Computing Prototypes

As the concept evolved, I leveraged Arduino, capacitive sensing, and voice recording to developed an interactive system for affective labeling.

Renders + Concept Evolution

I worked in Solidworks CAD, Keyshot, and Photoshop to generate concept renders which were used to facilitate UI/UX validation studies.

Digital UI/UX

Using Figma, I prototyped UI/UX iteractions to test different features, including searchability and trend or word analysis.

Final Prototyping

I leveraged CNC Machining, 3D printing (FDM, SLA), and RFID-enabled prompt cards to embody a multi-facted design intervention for building an evidence-based self reflection practice.

A physical-digital self reflection device for supporting people in technology addiction recovery.