Uspace
Project in collaboration with Sarisa Leelayouthyotin and Maria Jose GaticaUspace is a personality-driven operating system specifically designed for individuals diagnosed with OCD, ADHD and anxiety. It uses data tracking in order to dynamically respond to the user’s phone usage. Uspace’s mission —in a society where phones heavily influence our daily lives, in positive but also negative ways— is to show that an operating system can be an asset if customizable to cater to the user’s needs.
The operating system can be easily installed on a smartphone through a plug-in, downloadable on the Uspace app. A simple quiz will help the operating system understand which of the Uspace features better fit the user. Once done, the operating system will identify possible triggers for the user through data tracking —such as specific words or content— and use the selected features to tackle the issue. Uspace is fully customizable: the users can add more features to the operating system and also change its look, choosing the visuals that fit them best.
Among the Uspace features for users who suffer from OCD, we can find Internet Control, through which the operating system will prevent the user from excessively researching certain topics. Our service will send alert notifications whenever the data show that the selected restricted content has been repetitively looked up. Our research has found that OCD users are more likely to doubt their grammar and communication skills. Our Text Assistance feature will analyse text and e-mails before they are sent, point out grammar mistakes and typos and reassure the users about their tone of voice.
Our Content Filter feature is specifically designed for ADHD users. Individuals with ADHD, who are more prone to distractions, can use this Uspace feature to filter content on all social media at the same time. All you have to do is type in which category you would like to hide from your platforms. The filtered content will be then censored and could only be manually unblocked through the app. ADHD users could also benefit from the Automatic Actions feature. Designed to minimize forgetfulness, this feature will set a timer for e-mails and texts that can’t really be left unsent.
We designed our Automated Response feature with individuals who suffer from anxiety in mind: if our users do not feel comfortable with speaking on the phone, all they have to do is set up a message on our feature. It will automatically sent to the caller to let them know they will be contacted soon via message or e-mail. Our Personal Companion feature will provide reassuring messages for those users in need, as well as updates on phone usage and customer support services. All this, as everything else on Uspace, with a single click.
