Teabreak

Teabreak is a tangible communication kit which allows you to chat with a colleague on your break. The smart tea tray included a dial canvas in which you place your colleague’s unique 3 part code, and contacts your colleague when you lift your cup from it. The accompanying app confirms who you intend to chat with. The pieces that make up the code double up as tea making utensils.

Film

Grace is a Senior Consultant. After over a year of remote consultations and sitting in front of a screen, she misses being able to have a casual conversation with a work colleague beyond a scheduled meeting. Teabreak allows her to approach someone and her to be contacted in a playful manner.

Teabreak in situ

(Top left) Teabreak includes a manual, your smart tea tray and the tangible code set. (Top right) Teabreak prompts the app when someone is trying to chat with you. (Bottom right) The tangible code can be placed onto the dial canvas to contact colleagues. (Bottom left) You are provided with your identifiable code on a pin badge.

Project journal of insights

In light of Covid-19, cancer workers have been feeling isolated and digitally fatigued. With an increase of digital communications for the future, I was keen to explore off screen interactions. Tea-breaks are a constant during the working day and I was interested in enhancing these breaks to become moments of connectivity.

Develop

The experts in the cancer world were fundamental in my decision making and process. Gaining their feedback on ideas remotely, allowed me to constantly prototype responding to their feedback. Storyboarding specific moments within interactions proved the be the most intuitive way to connect with the experts as they were able to see the value in these moments.

Impact

Teabreak has the ability to connect cancer workers not only locally but on a global scale, building new connections. The communication device allows you to build a network through relationships being formed from short, convenient conversations over a cup of tea.