Message Your Loved Ones
Physical Product
PREVIEW
MYLO is an intuitive communication device designed to help international students stay connected with their families despite time zone differences and busy schedules. With simple interactions and a playful design, MYLO fosters meaningful, frequent conversations without the hassle of scheduling calls.
With the demands of academic life and the challenge of coordinating across multiple time zones, international students often struggle to maintain regular communication with their families. Busy schedules make it difficult to find time for meaningful conversations, while concerns about causing undue worry can lead to hesitation in reaching out.
Simplified Interactions
Removed multiple buttons to reduce cognitive load and streamline user flow.
Repositioned Controls
Moved the control panel to the back of the base, keeping the front clean and focused on user interaction.
Compact Form Factor
Minimized the base size to make MYLO more space-efficient and easier to integrate into everyday environments.
Consistent Aesthetic
Retained the minimalist look inspired by our mood board—users appreciated its calming and approachable appearance.
We conducted competitive analysis, surveys, and interviews to identify key pain points.
HOW MYLO ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM
To further refine MYLO and enhance its impact, we plan to focus on the following areas:
User Testing → Conduct extensive usability testing to gather feedback and improve the device’s interactions.
Product Material → Explore sustainable and durable materials to enhance MYLO’s physical design and user experience.
Product Engineering → Work closely with engineers to optimize MYLO’s functionality and ensure seamless communication features.
Brand Reputation & Marketing → Develop a strong brand identity and marketing strategy to introduce MYLO to international students worldwide.
Annie Huang Nathan Do Oscar Shen Sawani Deshmukh Steven Heng
INSIGHTS
Time zone conflict
Initiation of contact
Communication platform
HOW MIGHT WE
ROLE
Product Designer
FINAL PRODUCT
TIMELINE
Oct 2023 - May 2024
TEAM
TOOLS
Figma, Adobe Illustrator
maintaining close connections with their families
There is a need for a comprehensive, user-friendly platform that supports effective communications and facilitates the connections between family members.
We conducted competitive analysis, surveys, and interviews to identify key pain points.
Control panel with buttons for ease of use
Need a low-effort, engaging, and emotionally connected communication method?
PROBLEM
IDEATION
Key Features
Final Direction
RESEARCH
Design a cross-platform communication solution that promotes regular interaction between international students and their families, accommodating varying time zones and busy schedules, while addressing concerns about causing undue worry, fostering emotional connection, and respecting the users' diverse lifestyles.
Exploration of Physical Concepts
We explored five categories of physical solutions—portable device, task-based, decoration, light, and digital frame—to identify approaches that felt intuitive, emotionally engaging, and easy to integrate into daily life.
Digital vs. Physical Solution
Our final concept was also guided by a moodboard emphasizing playful, comforting, and minimal aesthetics. We drew inspiration from soft shapes, warm colors, and approachable forms to ensure MYLO felt friendly in the user’s space.
Smiley face interface to visually reflect communication frequency and emotional states
An audio recorder allowing users to record personalized messages
Speaker to play messages received from family members
Soft-glow light to serve as a subtle notification, hinting when a message is waiting
After recognizing the limitations of existing digital tools, we shifted toward a physical solution that could foster a deeper emotional connection
ABOUT MYLO
Introducing, MYLO.
MYLO is an innovative communication device designed to help international students stay connected with their families, regardless of the distance. Featuring a simple smiley face, MYLO acts as a comforting presence in your home, symbolizing the warmth and positivity of family connections.
MYLO will alert you to incoming messages with a gentle glow, serving as a visually pleasing reminder that catches your eye without being distracting.
MYLO brightens your day by helping you stay connected with your parents! Frequent messages make MYLO happy, while infrequent communication cause MYLO a sad face and prompts a gentle reminder to send a message.
MYLO enables users to listen to and record messages with simple interactions. By picking up MYLO, users can listen to a message. When the light fades, they can start recording a response and send it by placing MYLO back on the station.
FUTURE STEPS
Desired outcomes
Communication barriers
Family dynamics
FIRST PROTOTYPE
Sketch
3D Model
3D Printed Model
USABILITY TEST
ITERATIONS