Challenge 

(1) Create a wearable technology that prompts a social narrative, (2) Reduce the instances of sexual harassment without endangering the victim, (3) Integrate arduino and bluefruit devices into a wearable form, and (4) Create a unisex design that is provocative but not conspicuous. 

The Conversation that Inspired SPARK 

The use case for SPARK was inspired by an observation. Over a casual conversation one day, I mentioned to one of my male friends that I had been out with a friend who experienced a great deal of sexual harassment, and how annoying it had been that men followed us down the street, shouting lewd comments. This casual comment changed my male friend's entire perspective on how women move through the world. He had no idea how common sexual harassment was, or what nasty forms it could take. As a tall, broad-shouldered man, sleazy men on the street respected his space and wouldn't harass any women my friend might be walking with. He had never seen it happen before. When he told his other similarly tall, broad-shouldered friends about this discovery, they didn't believe him! With SPARK, people who experience seuxal harassment can share their experiences with the half of society that has no idea it exists, with the hope that this awareness will promote action. 

Context 

65% of women surveyed in the United States say they have been sexually harassed before. On the UC Berkeley campus, it’s an even bigger problem. We set out to create better conditions in the community for students who are harassed often, but found after extensive interviewing and research that nothing short of weaponry would serve as a deterrent. Instead, we decided to focus on the root of the problem, and work on raising awareness for the problem. In cases where the disenfranchised are suffering invisible problems from those who have greater privilege in an area, raising awareness is a useful tool to spark social change, which is what Spark is all about. Spark is wearable tech integrated into a unisex scarf. It has two modes: recording mode, and playback mode. In recording mode, the wearer can discretely mark locations where they have been harassed by pressing a button under the scarf that then records the location via bluetooth and phone locationing. In playback mode, the scarf owner can pass the scarf to a friend, family member, or peer who doesn’t experience sexual harassment. The scarf will light up when the wearer passes near a location where an instance of sexual harassment was previously recorded, in order to alert the wearer and passersby. The scarf also houses a peltier, which causes a cold sensation on the back of the neck and recreates the unease sexual harassment can cause by triggering a chill down the wearer’s spine. Spark creates an immersive experience for those who don’t experience sexual assault, and servers to spark the conversation about this and other social issues.

Inspiration 

Initial Concept 

Fabrication 

Collaborators and Role 

SPARK was a collaborative final project for a class titled Critical Making.

MY ROLE:  Fabrication, sourcing, graphic design, UIUX design, research and concept

COLLABORATORS:

Siqi Wang: fabrication, 3D modeling, graphic design, UIUX design

Shana Hu: Electronics and wiring, fabrication, graphic design

Ethan Chiou: electronics and wiring, sourcing

Christie Dierk: Fabrication, video editing, electronics and wiring