What's Your Pleasure?: Thesis Lo-fi Prototype
What’s Your Pleasure is a a personalized set of tools and instructions that encourages women to explore and curate their own pleasure system through the building of their own technological sensual object.
Sexuality and technology are two realms in which women have been told were not made for them; that we don’t belong in and cannot own. Through the research and building of my own interactive pleasure object, I acquired an overwhelming sense of empowerment, as a maker and a woman. I want to share this sense of empowerment by providing an accessible toolkit for women to cultivate power and ownership of their individual sexuality and pleasure, through the reinforcement of technological capabilities. My hope is to instill feminine confidence by crushing the shame and insecurities that have been conditioned to women in our patriarchal society.
IDEATION
I want this kit to be easy and accessible to all kinds of women who are interested in exploring different ways their bodies can feel, as well as customize their own tech gadget. My initial inspiration for the format of this kit is littleBits, which comprises of color-coded modular input, output, and power pieces that connect to each other magnetically. I like the ease, but can see this being very difficult for me to create within one semester. I also would like the form of this pleasure object to be more defined.
littleBits modular electronic kit
I consulted Tom Igoe, who suggested that I physically split up my inputs and outputs for ease of use. I can use some sort of LAN line with multiple pins to connect the inputs to outputs, for multiple functions. It would be like having a wired controller, or a telephone. I got particularly inspired by this 90’s style, transparent telephone with pops of bright colors. I think this aesthetic not only shows the users the components inside, giving them a better understanding of the electronic workings, it also conveys the theme of making women’s sexuality and sensuality more open and transparent. I really want to use a neon spiral phone cord in my kit!
90’s style telephone as my aesthetic inspo
I started by determining the output functions I want users to experience with this tool kit. Vibration is an obvious output, as most sex toys utilize this function for pleasure in tactile sensations. Fanning is another one I know I want to put in, as I have experimented with flicking magnetic actuators before for my Tittylator project last semester. The other two outputs that I narrowed down to are rotations and temperature controls. I thought since I would already be getting my hands on different kinds of motors for vibration, I might as well also see what I can do with its slower rotation motions to stimulate different parts of the body. Temperature is another interesting aspect of bodily pleasure that I haven’t seen explored much in sensual toys. I would imagine it’s not an easy feat, but I am determined to see what I can achieve within this realm.
As for the inputs, I sketched out a control box with holes for inputs to slot into. I was inspired by interesting electrical extension cords and other modular input systems.
For each output, I decided there would be up to three input options, including functions like on/off, speed range, strength range, temperature range, and rhythm options. Since it makes sense to only have one output option at a time, the maximum amount of inputs per use would be three.
Low Fidelity Prototype
The scope for this low fidelity prototype includes:
What kinds of components will go into the tool box?
What are the sizes of the different components?
I used cardboard paper, Lego pieces, playdough, and other miscellaneous items from the discount store that would give similar textures and scale to the outputs I want to ultimately achieve.
For my control box, I created a paper box that isn’t too big for my hand to hold, but still have enough room for three input controllers. The Lego pieces are substitute for things like push buttons, sliders, and knobs. I made a hole in the box and attached a spiral cord I have lying around at home. I imagine that users will be able to customize their own inputs for whatever output they choose.
I used a children’s toy handle as the base, which was in an ideal size, and attached different objects onto it to mimic my desired outputs, including the bulb, roller, silicone spikes, and feathers. I wanted the object to be easily held by one hand, but still big enough to successfully perform each output.
Vibrating bulb
Rotating silicone spikes
Temperature-controlled roller
Fanning feathers
I also looked into different textures I can use to customize the handle itself, for changeable tactile sensations on the user’s grip.
Website Mockup
I also created a rough website mockup for the full toolkit experience. The content includes:
An interactive game to educate users about their erogenous zones
A guide to building their own pleasure object
An erotic terminology archive to widen user’s perspective on sexuality and sensuality
I picked these colors to match the transparent casing with pops of bright colors of the physical components in the toolkit.
Homepage
A game that lets users choose stimulators (output functions within their toolkit) to use on different parts of the body, highlighted for user’s knowledge.