“I originally set out to have WellHouse for us to have a place to visualize things we could not… For us it’s actually a house.”
– Yoky Matsuoka
– Yoky Matsuoka
Panasonic Well develops novel health and wellness solutions by connecting hardware, software and services through industry-leading, responsible AI.
Leading to the launch of their Wellness Coach, Umi, they needed a space that encapsulated everyday living to test products and services, while also convincing stakeholders and partners of their value and future potential.
We leveraged immersive theater tactics to create a believable narrative-driven world where designers, engineers and visitors can test and experience cohabitating with products firsthand.
We created two homes inhabited by a fictional, but familiar family dynamic reflecting an aging population in Japan and North America. One home belonged to a recently widowed grandmother and the other her adult daughter and their young family.
We researched and identified how a wellness assistant could enhance the family’ well-being through connection, care, and coordination while still maintaining privacy, dignity and individual freedoms.
We created scenarios to showcase the potential of a wellness assistant and assess how families would embrace the service. One moment shows how the assistant assesses a medical emergency and steps in to connect the family, alleviating a stressful situation. Another shows how it helps to coordinate their family time, like a weekday meal, stepping back once they have everything they need to enjoy the moments that bring them closer together.
Working with voice actors and sound designers we developed an immersive world with spatial audio. Family members would appear on interfaces when in communication with each other, while being heard from where their physical location would be in the space. Soundscapes created the feeling of being in a peaceful Saitama neighborhood in late spring or the bustle of lively Setagaya streets.
Each family member, including the assistant, had a developed backstory and personality. Their preferences, activities and behaviors were carefully researched to be relatable and realistic. These details were integrated throughout both homes from the consistency of the family photographs to ephemera like children’s homework, toys, dad’s favorite whiskey, or neighborhood flyers and family recipes.