Abstract

Phubbing is the practice of ignoring one's companion or companions to pay attention to one's phone or other mobile device. What happens when phubbing occurs in situations such as eating with friends? Phubbing instantly stops the interaction, and this unconsciousness behavior may affect the mood of one’s companions, destroy the taste of one’s food, or ruin one’s relationships.

Using a phone while eating is not a bad practice. People often use their phones to record the moment, to capture the delicious food, or to share information with others.

The best way to deal with hurt caused by phubbing during dining is not to prohibit the use of smart devices, but instead to provide an appropriate manner to use them.

In this thesis, I've designed a dining table decoration that features phone storage. This design not only provides a safe location to keep phones clean, but also gathers phones into one location so that if a user receives a mobile notification, the decoration will attract his or her attention to it. In this way, no one is the first to stop group interaction. By gathering everyone’s phones at the center of the dining table, accessing one’s phone becomes a group action. By keeping the source of notifications ambiguous, phubbing becomes more fun, and generates fewer negative feelings about the use of mobile devices during meals.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Smartphones--Social aspects; Smartphones--Storage--Design; Table setting and decoration--Design; Dinners and dining--Social aspects

Publication Date

5-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Industrial Design (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

School of Design (CAD)

Advisor

Alex Lobos

Advisor/Committee Member

Mindy Magyar

Advisor/Committee Member

Josh Owen

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

IDDE-MFA

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