Indicate your team name

Age: 26

Occupation: Waitress of cat café

Income: HK$14000

Tech-Expertise: Moderate

Image of Mia:

https://user-gen-media-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/seedream_images/a87d5534-f5eb-4190-a1d4-7bb6c4f8db9f.png

Current Scenario:

Mia weaved carefully through the cat café, balancing a tray laden with steaming cups of coffee, delicate pastries, and customers’ phones. The café was filled with laughing patrons and curious cats darting around every corner. As she approached a table, one particularly mischievous cat leaped suddenly onto the counter. Startled, Mia stumbled, causing a cup to tip and a phone to slide dangerously close to the edge.

This was a familiar scene. Cats everywhere loved swatting at anything that moved—napkins, cups, even electronic devices left unattended. Patrons often complained about spilled drinks, dropped phones, and food crumbs scattered by playful paws. Mia found herself constantly tidying up messes and calming customers who feared their belongings might get ruined.

Carrying multiple items to tables was a balancing act. When she tripped slightly, her arms instinctively tried to steady the load, but the cups would still wobble. Customers tried to watch videos on their phones while eating, but without support, phones slid off makeshift holders and onto floors where cats could paw at them.

Potential Future Scenario:

Mia, a waitress at a cozy cat café, carefully carried a tray loaded with coffee, pastries, and customers’ phones. Playful cats prowled nearby, often knocking things over—something Mia dealt with daily. But today, her new tray held everything securely, its edges automatically adjusting to each item’s shape and folding up to stop anything from sliding off.

Mia sets her tray down for the customer and moves on to pick up another order. Meanwhile, the customer places their phone on the tray in front of them, where its surface immediately rises up to support the phone, letting them watch videos hands-free. When Mia stumbled over a loose mat, the tray sensed the movement and locked everything in place, preventing spills. At the table, a gentle pull released the items smoothly.

Later, Mia checks a tray to see lights below its surface flicker on to show an order number, allowing her to keep track of what orders are about to be ready. She also noticed colored lights glowing around hot and cold drinks, helping customers avoid burns or chills—a smart help in a bustling cafe. During quiet times, a customer's empty tray initiates a mini-game where it creates tiny bumps on its surface, beckoning the user to press down on them, which it creates more bumps as a response, entertaining the guest.

Age: 4

Location: Washroom

A mother of a four-year-old daughter wanted her daughter to bathe independently. She hoped to foster her independence while also allowing her more time to focus on household chores and rest. However, she was deeply concerned, especially recalling the difficulties and mishaps she encountered during her own bathing experience, such as frequently mixing up shampoo and shower gel and even slipping. This made it difficult for her to let her daughter shower on her own.

Despite her concerns, the mother was determined to give her daughter the opportunity to bathe independently and patiently guided her. Every day, the mother accompanied her daughter to the washroom, reminding her to distinguish between shampoo and shower gel and reminding her not to play with bubbles constantly and to remember to rinse thoroughly. However, her daughter was often distracted, preoccupied with playing with the bubbles, causing a lot of splashing. Once, her daughter slipped and landed on the washroom floor, but fortunately, she escaped injury. Over time, the mother's patience wore thin, and she occasionally scolded her, but this only made her daughter more anxious, and she ended up failing to complete even the most basic "wash thoroughly" step.

After repeated setbacks, the mother began to wonder if her daughter was ready to bathe independently. Fortunately, her father, sensing her mother's stress, stepped in, together came up with a solution. They decided to though gamified tasks to teach her, rewarding her with snacks after completing each step. They designed a clear step-by-step guide with cute illustrations showing how to use shampoo and body wash, demonstrating how to lather and rinse hair also reminded their daughter to be careful and cautious on the slippery washroom floor. The father also bought a cut non-slip mat for the washroom that significantly reduces safety concerns, so they only needed to check it after the shower.

Although the guide was detailed, the daughter still had occasional hiccups, but this approach made the process more effective. Therefore, they plan to introduce smart products that combine safety monitoring with interactive instruction to help their daughter learn independently and stay safe while showering.

This experience strengthened the parent-child bond and taught the mother that independence is a gradual process of companionship, tolerance for failure, and continuous progress.

Settings:

It is late at night in a small, dimly lit bedroom. The only source of light is the glow of a phone screen. The room is quiet, and Tommy, a 21-year-old university student, lies in bed after a long and tiring day.

Actions and Events:

Tommy lies in bed after a long day, holding his phone close as he scrolls through messages and social media. At first, his intention is simple — to relax for a few minutes before sleeping. He checks a few notifications, laughs at a funny video, and replies to a friend. But soon, more updates appear, and one post leads to another. The light from the screen reflects on his face as time quietly slips away.

Each time Tommy decides to stop, something new catches his attention — a new message, a trending video, or a suggested post. His thoughts begin to shift; instead of resting, he feels the need to stay connected, afraid of missing out. The quiet room fades into the background as his focus narrows to the glowing screen. What started as a brief moment of relaxation becomes an automatic routine. By the time he finally puts his phone down, nearly an hour has passed, and he feels both tired and dissatisfied, realizing his goal has completely changed.

Identity: College student

Income: -$160,000

Story 1

Grace always arrived early for engineering class and personally took her photo of her attendance card. She never missed class, rolling up her sleeves during practical sessions, letting the cold tools leave tiny scratches on her hands. She learned how to tighten screws by feel and memorized the subtlest noises of the machine. At the end of the semester, she passed the course assessment with her hands covered in small scars and a wealth of experience.

Story 2

Grace never showed up for engineering class to take her card all semester, leaving her record blank in the attendance system. But she pored over and over at home, polishing every online exercise to perfection. Her knowledge was evident in clear program logic and theoretical reasoning. Ultimately, with a near-perfect score on her assignment, she convinced the professor that she had mastered the essentials and earned the passing grade.

Future Scenario

Grace's schedule was very regular: On mornings with classes, she would go to the classroom, check in, and play with the components. On afternoons without classes, she would go to the library and complete all the online exercises, referring to her notes. Her hands would occasionally get stained with machine oil, and her theory textbook was always by her keyboard. At the end of the semester, she wasn't nervous about either the practical exam or the report submission, as she had a firm grasp of both.

Age: 21

Location: Dorm Room, University Campus

Before Adaptesk: Late-Night Struggles

Aysu, a design student, battles tough classes and tight presentation deadlines. Her midnight study sessions start strong—sketching on her laptop with energy drinks—but by 1 AM, she's exhausted. Slouching numbs her hands and legs; mini-naps ruin work with drool and stress. Loud alarms break her focus, spike stress, and kill productivity. She wakes foggy, grades dropping in a tiring cycle.

Discovering Adaptesk: A Game-Changer

One night on design marketplace forums, Aysu finds Adaptesk—a smart desk mat that changes shape. She unrolls it, taps to start, and sets preferences. It detects tiredness and fixes posture gently.

Potential Future Scenario for Adaptesk: Easy Focus

Late nights now feel simple. Adaptesk lifts her laptop to eye level when she wants it to be elevated and tracks heart rate quietly while she is working. At 1:30 AM as she feel exhausted, soft ripples wake her gently—no shocks—while elbow vibes prompt stretches. Stress cushions massage for quick creative breaks. A shelf pops out for water; ripple alerts remind her to rest.

By 3 AM, Aysu works sharp, no slumps. At mornings she now feels refreshed, with app stats showing less sleepiness and better focus. Her presentations was a success—burnout turns to productivity.

Identity: University student

Location: Hall

Scenario

Susan had difficulty waking up. Even though she set multiple alarms every night and checked repeatedly to make sure they were working, she was usually too deep in sleep to hear them, resulting in lateness, which was exceedingly upsetting. Bedtime became a regular bet for her: Will I wake up on time tomorrow?

She noticed that she was insensitive to sound when sleeping; even loud noises around her did not disturb her sleep. Almost every morning, her roommate would wake her up. She felt awful about constantly waking her roommate, but she didn't know what to do.

Her roommate also had issues with her. They were in different courses with varying academic schedules. Susan's continuous alarm would wake her up every morning, but when she looked over, she was still deep in sleep. She attempted to ignore the alarm, but it was too bothersome, so she had to wake Susan each time before going back to sleep. This hampered her sleep quality and left her psychologically and physically fatigued.

Sleep mask

They accidentally saw a sleep mask online that could mimic the action of touching a sleeping person by changing its shape, waking them up without making any sound.

Potential Future Scenario

Susan no longer has to set and check her alarm every day, or worry about being late because she is unable to get up. Every day, the mask changes shape at the appropriate time, allowing Susan to wake up naturally, and she has never been late since.

Susan's roommate is likewise quite happy. She no longer has to accidently wake up with Susan's alarm thanks to the eye mask, which has significantly improved her sleep quality and made her feel more rested.

Identity: College Graduate who still lives with his parents

Chore: Washing dishes

Albert is a 25-year old individual who still lives with his parents in a small house in the suburbs. After college, one of his struggles was looking for stable work, which is why he spends most of his days at home with the interest of tracking stock trends and doing freelance graphic work that barely pays and is not good enough to afford his own place. 

While his parents handle almost all of the chores, from cooking to doing laundry, he is assigned to be responsible for washing the dishes. But for Albert, this single task feels like a mountain. The sink becomes a daunting reminder of stress after every meal. He finds the process disgusting, considering the slimy leftovers, the oily water, and even the smell of damp sponges. And the smell of the dirty dishes also stuck to his hand when he tried hard cleaning his hand after the dishes were washed. Interestingly, his parents refuse to buy a dishwasher. They believe that machines cannot possibly clean the dishes properly, and that doing this chore manually can build his discipline. Most of the time, he tries to delay the task as he leaves the plates piled up until his mother notices and becomes impatient.

Each time he needs to finally drag himself to the sink to wash, frustration creeps up. Their small sink leaves little to no space for organizing the dishes before, while, and after washing. The greasy water coats his fingers, and bits of food stick to the sponge no matter how hard he tries it not to. The smell of leftover sauce makes him want to vomit at times. Sometimes the water is too cold, and sometimes it is too hot. Standing while washing also strains his lower back as he constantly bends over the sink. A normal occurrence is for him to splash water on his shirt and the floor, creating more mess than usual. What irritates him the most is how endless the whole process feels, like a neverending chore. Strangely, he doesn’t notice most of these when he is doing this chore while his favorite show on TV is playing. However, the sense of repetition is draining to him, making it feel like a punishment rather than contribution. Deep down, Albert feels guilty for resenting it as he does want to help his parents and feels bad for staying with them without any compensation, but is also trapped by the routine.

The situation emphasizes tension between tradition and modern convenience, as Albert’s parents grew up believing that efforts equal to cleanliness, while he values efficiency and hygiene through emerging technology. Physically, Albert experiences discomfort, where his back and shoulders ache after bending and standing for the whole duration of it while doing it half-heartedly. Mentally, he feels like it is a waste of time, keeping him from doing other things that could have been more helpful for his career path. Emotionally, he feels resentment. Albert is not against cleanliness, but he just wishes that it did not have to be tedious and repetitive.

Identity: University Student

Location: Home Kitchen

Elsa is a 20-year-old university student who has an interest in cooking. One day, she saw an IG reel about making braised pork and decided to try cooking it for her family during the upcoming holiday. When the holiday comes, she heads to the downtown market to buy all the necessary ingredients. After shopping, she starts preparing the dish.

The first step is to chop the pork belly to prepare it for curing. At the same time, Elsa washes the chopping board and begins thinking about how to divide the meat into four portions. Before starting to chop, she decides to cut the meat into four pieces randomly, but the pieces don’t separate nicely. Elsa struggles to move the knife back and forth, making only clean cuts.

After a long rally, the meat suddenly slips and flies off the chopping board. Elsa freezes, unsure of what to do with the dropped piece. If she picks it up, washes it, and cures it, she worries it might breed bacteria. She could only decide to throw away that part, knowing it’s the safest choice.

After discarding the dropped portion, Elsa gathers herself and continues. She carefully chops the remaining meat into even pieces, taking extra care to avoid another mishap. Next, she prepares the marinade by mixing soy sauce, sugar, cooking wine, and spices like star anise and cinnamon. She massages the marinade into the pork, ensuring every piece is well-coated.

Once the meat is cured, she heats a wok with a bit of oil and stir-fries the pork until it turns golden brown. The fragrant aroma fills the kitchen, and Elsa feels a spark of excitement. She then transfers the browned pork into a pot, adds water, and pours in the remaining marinade.

As the pork simmers over low heat, it becomes tender. The hours of effort pay off as the braised pork develops a rich, glossy sauce and a tender texture. When everything is ready, she serves the dish to her family, who eagerly gather around the dining table.

Her family praises the meal, complimenting the flavor and the care she put into making it. Elsa feels proud of herself for persevering.

Identity: Design Student

Location: at home

As midnight crept past, Harry sat slouched at his desk, desperately trying to remain alert while working on his design assignments. With deadlines piling up, he forced himself to keep going, plagued by the exhaustion of a week spent staying up late and waking early. Each night blurred into the next, the routine always the same: Harry guzzled coffee, the bitterness barely masking his fatigue; he pumped up the volume on his favorite playlist, hoping the pounding rhythms would shock his brain into wakefulness; he splashed cold water on his face in the bathroom every hour and even tried stretching in his cramped bedroom, searching for relief.

But none of these tricks truly worked. The coffee brought only a fleeting buzz, soon replaced by heavy eyelids and a jittery feeling. The loud music sometimes distracted him from his tasks, but not from sleepiness, and blasts of cold water or frantic stretches gave only temporary refreshment, fading as weariness set in again. No matter how much Harry tried, he inevitably drifted off—head drooping toward the desk, mind blank and restless, work unfinished. He awoke confused, frustrated, and still hopelessly fatigued, aware that he had lost precious time and his assignments remained incomplete.

Night after night, Harry questioned what else he could do. The usual methods proved ineffective, offering short-lived energy bursts but no real change in his ability to concentrate. He realized that more coffee, more noise, and more movement would not break the cycle. He needed to find something truly effective—a way to reset his mind and body and restore actual alertness.

Harry began researching better ways to fight off sleep while working late. He discovered strategies recommended by students and experts: taking short power naps, working in a brightly lit room, moving away from the bedroom desk, staying hydrated, eating small healthy snacks instead of junk food, and switching tasks or using the Pomodoro Technique to break up work into manageable intervals. Harry learned that sometimes the most effective way to stay awake isn’t to fight exhaustion head-on but to prevent it from building up—by resting well, managing time, and adopting healthier study routines

Faced with another endless night, Harry decided to try these new techniques. Instead of more coffee, he drank a glass of cold water and took a brief walk to stretch his legs and clear his mind. Rather than blasting music, he worked under bright lights and kept his space well-ventilated. He vowed to take short breaks every half hour and not push himself past exhaustion. However, the new method wasn’t effective enough for Harry to stay awake, so Harry is still in the loophole...

Identity: University Student

Location: Home

On the day after the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is a holiday, with her father working late due to unexpected company matters, Anit resolved to spend the entire day gaming, while mother went about her usual routine of preparing meals in the kitchen. After switching on her computer, Anit interacted with her mouse pad pet during the boot-up time. Once the system was up, she began playing a light-hearted mini-game. Every half hour, the mouse pad would gently tap her wrist, prompting her to take a break. Meanwhile, her father had not yet fully immersed himself in his work, and the mouse pad's timed vibrations served as a gentle reminder for him to pause and rest. However, as time passed, Anit became increasingly engrossed in her game, while her father grew more focused on his tasks. This subtle method of prompting gradually lost its effectiveness. When Anit grew overly excited during gameplay and slammed the mouse, the mouse pad responded with a ripple-like light effect. As her father primarily worked using the keyboard, the mouse pad detected no mouse movement, displaying only the mouse pad pet floating animation.

As six o'clock approached, her mother knocked on the door to call them for dinner. However, her father and Anit, engrossed in work and gaming respectively, remained oblivious to her prompt. Mother sent a message via her mobile, triggering the mouse pad's notification. Father saw the message and reminded Anit to come out for dinner, but as his code debugging wasn't complete, he refocused on his work. However, Anit, wearing noise-cancelling headphones, didn't hear and made no further move. Mother then decided to set a five-minute timer and used a mobile app to switch the mouse pad's alert mode to a more intense wave pattern. After some time, as Anit's gaming session prolonged, the mouse pad activated its automatic combat mode and began vibrating upward to alert her. Her game interrupted, she paused, noticed the steady light in the mouse pad's top-right corner, and checked the notification: her mother urging them to come out for dinner. She opened the door and stepped out of the room, while her father remained engrossed in his work. At precisely six o'clock, the mouse pad activated its wave-like fish-hole mechanism, flinging the mouse off the pad with a loud clatter. Her father ceased his work and went to eat.

One day, his back spin hurt a lot to an extent that he couldn’t focus on his work. He had no choice but to see a doctor. After checking his body, his physiotherapist warned him: “Your posture is terrible. You’re developing anterior head carriage, and your spine is constantly flexed. If you don’t change something, this will only get worse.” He gave him a list of exercises: shoulder blade squeezes, wall angels, and stretches to do every hour. He also showed him how to set up his desk properly: monitor at eye level, feel flat on the floor, and back support. These exercises he learned from the clinic helped temporarily, but after an hour of sitting back down, Alex would unconsciously slide forward, cross his legs, and crane his neck toward his monitor.

Everything changed when his company introduced the new cushion interface system, a shape changing fabric that molds and response to body positioning in real-time. When Alex is trying to lean forward the interface senses that the user is in a wrong posture, the device than gently push forward and slowly lift upwards to avoid wrong posture when he is working in long period. The first week with this cushion interface, his body fought against the cushion’s corrections because he’s used to his bad habits. Three days later, he wanted to give up, he thought that this isn’t working. But his co-worker noticed something and said “You’re sitting straighter than usual today.” So Alex keep using it. Two weeks later, although the pain isn’t completely gone, but the pain has become less frequent. That evening, he stood up from his desk without bracing himself first. Without that moment of dread. He packed up his things and headed home, his body moving the way a 23-year-old's body should move. The pain hadn't vanished overnight. It had left quietly, gradually, taking weeks to fade. But it was gone, and that was what mattered.

Identity: University student

Setting: On the MTR

It was a normal morning on the MTR. The train was crowded, people standing shoulder to shoulder, half awake, half scrolling on their phones. The air smelled faintly of perfume and metal.

Mira stood near the middle. She wanted to hold the vertical handrail, but a man was leaning against it. She hesitated, then decided to balance on her own. When the train turned sharply, he moved, and she quickly grabbed the rail. It felt slightly warm — someone else must have held it just before.

A moment later, their hands brushed. “Sorry,” he murmured. Mira nodded, pretending it was fine, though she could still feel the touch.

Then someone sneezed behind her, loud and careless. She frowned, staring at the rail again. The warmth no longer felt human — just dirty.

At Mong Kok Station, a student leaned her cheek on the same handrail. Mira looked away. When her stop came, she let go. The rail was still warm — a quiet reminder of strangers, shared space, and the city moving endlessly together.

Future scenario:

It was another crowded morning on the MTR. People stood so close that Mira could feel someone’s breath on her neck. She wanted to hold the vertical handrail, but a man was leaning against it, so she tried to balance on her own.

When the train turned, he moved slightly, and Mira finally grabbed the rail. It wasn’t metal anymore — MTR had replaced it with soft, flexible fabric. It felt warm, almost like skin. Sensors inside could tell when two hands touched, gently pushing them apart with a small vibration.

Her hand brushed against the man’s; the rail moved softly between them. It was polite, but oddly cold. A light blinked as it disinfected itself, the surface cooling with a quiet hum.

At Mong Kok Station, a student leaned her head on the rail. It adjusted its temperature, keeping her comfortable but clean.

Character: Thomas

Thomas sat at a wooden table, hunched over his textbooks, cramming for final exams. His phone lay buried under messy notes, his backpack stuffed under the chair.

Thomas struggled to focus. His mind wandered to his phone, doodles in his notebook, or the basketball game outside. Exams loomed, but he couldn’t stay on track. He’d read a page, only to realize he remembered nothing. His grades were slipping, and his parents kept saying, “Focus, Thomas.” The library, meant for studying, felt like a trap of distractions.

One day, wrestling with a math problem, frustration took over. He dropped his pencil, earning a glare from the librarian. He mumbled an apology, slumping in defeat.

A week later, Thomas entered the library with confidence. He opened his textbook and worked two hours without touching his phone. His grades weren’t fixed yet, but the fog of distraction was clearing. Packing up, Thomas smiled, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed to class, feeling lighter than he had in weeks.

Identity: 4-year-old Daughter

Character: Mother

Location: Washroom

Exposition:

A mother is determined to help her four-year-old daughter learn to shower independently. She wishes to foster her daughter's independence while managing her own household chores. However, she recalls her own childhood challenges with bathing, which made her anxious about the process.

Rising Action:

The mother supports her daughter daily, guiding her to distinguish between shampoo and shower gel and reminding her not to play with bubbles. Despite her guidance, the daughter often gets distracted, leading to splashes and a slip on the wet floor. The mother's patience wears thin, and occasional scolding only increases her daughter's anxiety.

Climax:

After repeated challenges, the mother questions if her daughter is ready for independence. Feeling overwhelmed, she is relieved when her husband steps in. Together, they brainstorm a new approach to make bathing fun and safe.

Falling Action:

They gamify the bathing tasks, rewarding the daughter with snacks for completing each step. They create a step-by-step guide with illustrations and purchase a non-slip mat for safety. Although there are still occasional hiccups, this method proves more effective.

Denouement:

Through this journey, the mother learns that fostering independence is a gradual process that requires companionship, tolerance for failure, and consistent progress. The bond between parent and child strengthens as they navigate this challenge together.

Possible Scenarios

Scenario 1: Interactive Shower System

Description:

Introduce a smart shower system that provides interactive guidance through voice prompts and visual cues on a screen. This system can monitor safety and offer encouragement.

Strengths:

Engages the child and provides real-time feedback. Increases safety through monitoring.

Issues:

Potential over-reliance on technology.

Missed Opportunities:

Lack of personal touch; may not address emotional support.

Scenario 2: Role-Playing Games

Description:

Incorporate role-playing games where the mother and daughter act out washing techniques and safety practices, making it a fun and engaging experience.

Strengths:

Enhances learning through play; reinforces safety and technique.

Issues:

Requires consistent involvement from the mother.

Missed Opportunities:

May not prepare the daughter for showering alone.

Scenario 3: Peer Learning

Description:

Organize playdates with other children where they learn to shower independently together, fostering a sense of community and shared experience.

Strengths:

Encourages social learning; reduces anxiety through peer support.

Issues:

May require coordination with other parents.

Missed Opportunities:

Varies between children; not all kids may be ready at the same time.

Next Steps :

1. Developing a Design Fiction:

   • Create narrative scenarios that explore how each solution could evolve over time. Consider implications for technology, emotional support, and the dynamics of parent-child interactions.

2. Visualizing the Scenarios:

   • Create visual representations (e.g., storyboards or infographics) to illustrate each scenario. Include key moments, user interactions, and potential outcomes to communicate the ideas better.

3. Prototype Testing:

   • Develop low-fidelity prototypes for the interactive shower system or role-playing games to gather feedback from parents and children on usability and engagement.