May 2025

šŸŽØ Phase III Complete – Imagining Together

Phase III has officially concluded, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible energy and imagination our participants brought to the table.

This phase was our most ambitious to date: we usedĀ custom-designed mock-up frameworksĀ that encouraged participants to express themselves not just through discussion, but also through drawing and writing. It was a bold shift in format and, I’ll be honest, quite a challenge. But the results exceeded expectations.

A total of 19 participantsĀ took part, demonstrating a strong and consistent level of engagement. Thank you to everyone who contributed so creatively!

šŸ‘‰ If you still have any mock-ups you forgot to send, you’re absolutely still in time, please feel free to share them.šŸ™‚

šŸ“± Prototype Development – Welcome Louis!

Behind the scenes, we’re now focusing on developing the prototype, and I’m excited to introduce a new collaborator:Ā Louis, an engineering student who joined us through a UWE-sponsored internship.

Louis first got in touch after a university presentation I gave few months ago. His sparkling curiosity and proactive spiritĀ stood out immediately. Since then, he’s been a fantastic addition to the team. Together, we’re shaping the technical foundation of our tool: from data collection and management to how the data will be analysed.

We’re drawing on existing resources from past research wherever possible, allowing us to concentrate on our core goal:Ā exploring if and how emotion recognition technology can meaningfully support mental health.

We’re currently developing aĀ mobile appĀ designed to connect withĀ smartwatches, with potential for aĀ web-based interfaceĀ to support data sharing and visualization with clinicians. A first iteration of the working prototype is expected by the end of 2025.

šŸ”„ Looking Ahead to Phase IV – Coming Soon

Next up is Phase IV, which will focus onĀ gathering feedbackĀ on an early demo of the tool we’re co-designing.

This stage will help us refineĀ how the tool should look and behave, and determineĀ whichĀ features should be prioritisedĀ for the prototype. Since we can’t build everything atĀ once, your input will be essential to help us focus on what matters most.

šŸ—“ļøĀ Workshops and interviewsĀ will take place in theĀ second half of July, and they’ll be held online to make participation as easy and flexible as possible.

Stay tuned,Ā more details will follow in the coming later this month.Ā We’re looking forward to opening this new phase with you!

🌐 Project Website – Now Live (Work in Progress!)

We’ve just launched a new website for the project! While it’s still a work in progress, we’ve decided to build in public, so you’ll be able to follow the project as it evolves.

Take a look, and check back regularly for updates:

šŸ‘‰Ā https://go.uwe.ac.uk/MEMOPADproject