Jinnie Hyojin Bae
← Work
FAMILYJAR
FamilyJar explores how digital sharing could help families feel closer while respecting each person's privacy. Developed for Alpha Telefónica, the concept gives family members control over what and when they share through a curated Family Feed. The project was shortlisted by Alpha.
ROLE Service Designer INDUSTRY Telecommunications / Family Technology DURATION 2018
Service Design User Research Journey Mapping Prototyping
01 / THE CHALLENGE
Being connected is not the same as feeling connected
Being digitally connected does not necessarily mean feeling connected to family. The project explored the tension between young people's independent digital lives and parents' desire to remain involved.
An illustrative scenario brought this tension into focus: Sam, a 17-year-old, enjoys his digital life but shares little of it with his mother, Tina. She wants to understand his experiences, while he wants space and independence.
The design challenge was to create opportunities for connection that both could choose to participate in.
How might we help family members build closer relationships while respecting their digital independence?
02 / UNDERSTANDING MEANINGFUL CONNECTION
Three principles that guided the research direction
Our research direction focused on empathy, emotional recognition and the quality of close relationships.
Make room for different perspectives Family members may have different expectations of closeness and privacy. The service needed to accommodate these differences.
Encourage understanding Recognising another person's feelings and interests can provide a starting point for meaningful interaction. Sharing needed to create opportunities to understand one another.
Prioritise the quality of connection The opportunity was to make everyday exchanges feel relevant and personal. A small glimpse into someone's interests could become an invitation to connect.
03 / FROM INSIGHTS TO DESIGN DECISIONS
Three decisions that shaped the concept
The concept centred on three design decisions.
Give each person control Each family member chooses what to share and when. This made individual agency a central part of the proposed experience.
Start with everyday interests A favourite song, an interesting article or a photo of a meal offers an accessible starting point for sharing. These familiar forms of content let people reveal something about their day without requiring a deeply personal conversation.
Make shared content relevant The concept proposed using machine learning to encourage relevant sharing and support a curated Family Feed. Its intended role was to help surface content family members might find engaging, alongside each person's control over sharing.
04 / INTRODUCING FAMILYJAR
A shared space built around individual choice
FamilyJar is a shared digital space where family members can bring selected parts of their individual digital lives together.
Choose something to share A family member selects content they want others to see, such as music, an article or a photograph.
Share on their own terms They decide what to contribute and when, retaining control over how they participate.
Discover one another's interests Shared content comes together in the Family Feed, creating opportunities to notice interests, understand everyday experiences and begin conversations.
The proposed experience uses small, voluntary exchanges to support ongoing family connection.
05 / DEVELOPING AND COMMUNICATING THE CONCEPT
From research to prototype
The project combined user research, ideation, journey mapping and prototyping to explore the proposed family-sharing experience.
My contribution spanned these activities, helping translate the relationship challenge into a service concept and prototype.
The resulting proposition brought together individual sharing choices, a shared Family Feed and proposed machine-learning support for relevant content. FamilyJar was shortlisted by Alpha.
06 / REFLECTION AND NEXT STEPS
Balancing closeness and autonomy
The central design consideration was the relationship between closeness and autonomy. FamilyJar placed each person's choice at the centre of participation, recognising that family members may want different levels of involvement.
Further development would need to test whether the experience felt useful and comfortable for both younger and older family members. It would also need to examine whether suggestions encouraged sharing without creating pressure.
Privacy controls, consent and the handling of shared content would require further definition. The concept's effect on family relationships would need to be evaluated through use over time.
Jinnie Hyojin Bae
← Work
FAMILYJAR
FamilyJar explores how digital sharing could help families feel closer while respecting each person's privacy. Developed for Alpha Telefónica, the concept gives family members control over what and when they share through a curated Family Feed. The project was shortlisted by Alpha.
ROLE Service Designer INDUSTRY Telecommunications / Family Technology DURATION 2018
Service Design User Research Journey Mapping Prototyping
01 / THE CHALLENGE
Being connected is not the same as feeling connected
Being digitally connected does not necessarily mean feeling connected to family. The project explored the tension between young people's independent digital lives and parents' desire to remain involved.
An illustrative scenario brought this tension into focus: Sam, a 17-year-old, enjoys his digital life but shares little of it with his mother, Tina. She wants to understand his experiences, while he wants space and independence.
The design challenge was to create opportunities for connection that both could choose to participate in.
How might we help family members build closer relationships while respecting their digital independence?
02 / UNDERSTANDING MEANINGFUL CONNECTION
Three principles that guided the research direction
Our research direction focused on empathy, emotional recognition and the quality of close relationships.
Make room for different perspectives Family members may have different expectations of closeness and privacy. The service needed to accommodate these differences.
Encourage understanding Recognising another person's feelings and interests can provide a starting point for meaningful interaction. Sharing needed to create opportunities to understand one another.
Prioritise the quality of connection The opportunity was to make everyday exchanges feel relevant and personal. A small glimpse into someone's interests could become an invitation to connect.
03 / FROM INSIGHTS TO DESIGN DECISIONS
Three decisions that shaped the concept
The concept centred on three design decisions.
Give each person control Each family member chooses what to share and when. This made individual agency a central part of the proposed experience.
Start with everyday interests A favourite song, an interesting article or a photo of a meal offers an accessible starting point for sharing. These familiar forms of content let people reveal something about their day without requiring a deeply personal conversation.
Make shared content relevant The concept proposed using machine learning to encourage relevant sharing and support a curated Family Feed. Its intended role was to help surface content family members might find engaging, alongside each person's control over sharing.
04 / INTRODUCING FAMILYJAR
A shared space built around individual choice
FamilyJar is a shared digital space where family members can bring selected parts of their individual digital lives together.
Choose something to share A family member selects content they want others to see, such as music, an article or a photograph.
Share on their own terms They decide what to contribute and when, retaining control over how they participate.
Discover one another's interests Shared content comes together in the Family Feed, creating opportunities to notice interests, understand everyday experiences and begin conversations.
The proposed experience uses small, voluntary exchanges to support ongoing family connection.
05 / DEVELOPING AND COMMUNICATING THE CONCEPT
From research to prototype
The project combined user research, ideation, journey mapping and prototyping to explore the proposed family-sharing experience.
My contribution spanned these activities, helping translate the relationship challenge into a service concept and prototype.
The resulting proposition brought together individual sharing choices, a shared Family Feed and proposed machine-learning support for relevant content. FamilyJar was shortlisted by Alpha.
06 / REFLECTION AND NEXT STEPS
Balancing closeness and autonomy
The central design consideration was the relationship between closeness and autonomy. FamilyJar placed each person's choice at the centre of participation, recognising that family members may want different levels of involvement.
Further development would need to test whether the experience felt useful and comfortable for both younger and older family members. It would also need to examine whether suggestions encouraged sharing without creating pressure.
Privacy controls, consent and the handling of shared content would require further definition. The concept's effect on family relationships would need to be evaluated through use over time.