PROJECT
Embedded Files
FigBuild 2026 3-day Design Challenge with Bárbara Maria Martins da Silva and Valeska Tan
BACKGROUND
The design challenge prompt for the hackathon was to design a tool that tracks, measures, visualizes, or quantifies an aspect of human sensory experience, while also providing ways to detect, enhance, or manipulate those same sensory inputs.
INSPIRATION
Resora started from a conversation within our team about our own social batteries. We are a diverse group with both extroverted and introverted personalities, yet we all realized we face challenges regulating our social energy. Sometimes we only notice we are exhausted after becoming overwhelmed, while other times we neglect our need for connection until we begin feeling isolated. Our concept was also inspired by the research “Social Battery as a Design Metaphor: Crafting Wearable Devices to Share the Willingness to Socialize” by Ana Gamez-Elizalde and Luiz A. Castro, which explores how wearable technology can help people communicate their willingness to socialize.
WHAT IT DOES
Resora is a smart ring and companion app that tracks and visualizes social energy in real time. By translating physiological signals into four states—engaged, available, overloaded, and recharging—the system helps users better understand their social limits and needs. The goal is to support social and emotional wellbeing by helping people balance time spent connecting with others and time spent recharging.
HOW WE BUILT
We designed Resora as a system composed of two main elements: A wearable ring that detects physiological signals and estimates social energy levels. A mobile app that visualizes this information and provides gentle insights or suggestions. To demonstrate how the system works in everyday life, we created three scenarios: a networking event where a user becomes overstimulated, a moment of isolation at home where a friend reaches out, and a work meeting where teammates adapt communication based on visible social energy.
CHALLENGES
A major challenge was ensuring that the system supports awareness without creating pressure. If social energy becomes visible, users might feel obligated to act on the feedback or worry about how others interpret their status. We also considered the complexity of social contexts, such as professional environments or first-time interactions, where displaying low social energy might feel uncomfortable or be misinterpreted.
KEY LEARNINGS
Through this project, we explored how design can make intangible human experiences more perceptible. We learned the importance of balancing technological insight with ethical and social considerations, especially when designing tools that influence interpersonal relationships. The process also reinforced how awareness tools should empower reflection rather than prescribe behavior.
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