Dezeen School Shows: a device placed in the ear to help treat sleep disorders and a project that examines how modern technology shapes beauty ideals are included in Dezeen's latest school show from students at Zurich University of the Arts.

Also featured is a project that documents floating litter in rivers in order to draw attention to the issue of water pollution and an interactive installation that helps people learn about the blockchain.

Zurich University of the Arts

School: Zurich University of the Arts
Courses: Industrial Design and Interaction Design
Tutors: Sandra Kaufmann, Lisa Ochsenbein, Susanne Marti, Hanspeter Wirth, Prof. Jürgen Späth, Paulina Zybinska, Ramon Marc, Karmen Franinović, Luke Franzke, Joëlle Bitton, Verena Ziegler and Stella Speziali

School statement:

"This year's Bachelor's and Master's show demonstrates that our Industrial Design and Interaction Design graduates have tackled previously unexplored, but socially, technically and ecologically highly relevant tasks with great commitment.

"Our 2022 graduates have embraced a range of pressing issues and found astonishing solutions by applying their acquired knowledge, skills and abilities to design."

REACT – don't be scared be safe by Ava Toyloy and Eileen Good

"When do you feel unsafe? Who protects you in public spaces? Does your safety come at a price?

"The REACT wearables measure your stress level and react as soon as you are harassed or threatened. REACT guarantees you absolute safety. Using the tools of speculative design, the project investigates the extent to which designed objects can solve social problems and stimulates reflection."

Student: Ava Toyloy and Eileen Good
Course: BA Diploma in Industrial Design
Tutors: Sandra Kaufmann and Hanspeter Wirth
Emails: eileen[at]toi.ch and avatoyloy[at]gmail.com

Air Lab – Didactic air measuring device by Elia Hvalič and Felix Walcher

"Bad air in the classroom? With the Air Lab, secondary school students measure CO2 content, temperature and humidity and learn what characterises good air.

"Graphs show changes in air quality and provide data for analysis. The approach is playful and experimental and a mascot indicates if it is time for a break."

Student: Elia Hvalič and Felix Walcher
Course: BA Diploma in Industrial Design
Tutors: Sandra Kaufmann and Hanspeter Wirth
Emails: elia.hvalic[at]gmail.com

Neurospot – Brain wave measuring device for the therapy of sleep disorders by Linus Maurmann and Janosch Imhof

"Neurospot is used to treat sleep disorders. The device is worn during rest and continuously measures energy potentials in the auditory canal triggered by brain activity.

"In this way, the course of sleep is reconstructed in real-time and, if necessary, corrected by acoustic stimulation. Neurospot observes, interprets and reacts."

Student: Linus Maurmann and Janosch Imhof
Course: BA Diploma in Industrial Design
Tutors: Lisa Ochsenbein und Susanne Marti
Email: linus[at]maurmann.ch

Bottlespotter – Monitoring of water pollution by Moritz Gysi and Joël Habersatter

"A research project at ETH Zurich is investigating the waste load of rivers. The Bottlespotter provides important data for it.

"With the help of image recognition software, it documents floating litter. The installation integrates information about the project and draws the attention of people passing by to the problem of water pollution."

Student: Moritz Gysi and Joël Habersatter
Course: BA Diploma in Industrial Design
Tutors: Lisa Ochsenbein und Susanne Marti
Email: moritzgysi[at]gmail.com

Out of Office – Where we will work in the future and how this will affect our living places by Alessa Rehmann

"The project designs workplaces outside the classic office and the home office.

"The networking at the intersection of users, companies and society generates tangible benefits for all parties involved with regard to forward-looking conversions for a limited period of time. Out of Office outlines the potential in three concrete future scenarios."

Student: Alessa Rehmann
Course: MA Diploma in Product Design
Tutor: Susanne Marti
Email: alessa_rehmann[at]hotmail.com

Block – Blockchain is Bitcoin, right? by Gian-Carlo Huber and Baran Güneysel

"While everyone has heard of blockchain, few people really know what it is. Are you one of the many people that want to learn about it but don't know how or where to start?

"We've brought together everything there is to know in one interactive installation. Block provides you with the knowledge you need to start your personal blockchain journey."

Student: Gian-Carlo Huber and Baran Güneysel
Course: BA Diploma in Interaction Design
Tutors: Professor Jürgen Späth, Paulina Zybinska and Ramon Marc
Email: b.gueneysel[at]protonmail.ch

Sonic Surfing – An auditory approach on how to create a feeling of connectedness in lonely moments by Kilian Ettlinger

"Sonic Surfing is an auditory tool that lets one tune into someone else's environment as an approach to overcoming loneliness and creating a feeling of connectedness in an immersive spatial sound space."

Student: Kilian Ettlinger
Course: BA Diploma in Interaction Design
Tutors: Karmen Franinović and Luke Franzke
Email: kilian.ettlinger[at]gmail.com

Durchzug – A tool to reflect on and deal with one's own emotions by Sonia Tao and David Wollschlegel with Radio-Oncology Department, Kantonsspital Aarau

"A cancer diagnosis changes one's life instantly and causes great emotional stress.

"The project Durchzug helps affected people to reflect on their own emotions and how to deal with them, as well as to develop a conscious coping strategy."

Student: Sonia Tao and David Wollschlegel with Radio-Oncology Department, Kantonsspital Aarau
Course: BA Diploma in Interaction Design
Tutors: Joëlle Bitton and Verena Ziegler
Emails: david[at]wollschlegel.com and sonia.tao[at]outlook.com

Pagoda.tmos – Translating ambient data into salient emotional design for individual and societal awareness and change by Jooin Shin

"Connecting to nature is a spiritual experience. Air is part of this experience, an invisible layer that breathes life. When invisible threats in our atmosphere grow, how can we recognise, contemplate and act on them?

"Pagoda.tmos are natural public interfaces that act as a place of connection for individuals and society to nature."

Student: Jooin Shin
Course: MA Diploma in Interaction Design
Tutors: Karmen Franinović and Joëlle Bitton
Email: jooinshin[at]gmail.com

SELF-ME – A critical and interactive exploration of self-optimisation by Lea Ermuth

"The project Self-Me examines how modern technology influences identity formation and shapes beauty ideals.

"The thesis is deliberately provocative and questions issues such as self-determination and self-optimisation."

Student: Lea Ermuth
Course: MA Diploma in Interaction Design
Tutors: Verena Ziegler and Stella Speziali
Email: L.ermuth[at]gmail.com