Explorations
Inner Circle
Inner Circle
Inner Circle is a nightly, screen-free ritual where teen friends share honest reflections through a connected lamp. A gentle AI voice prompts sharing, fostering trust, reciprocity, and emotional growth.
Timeline
8 week solo project, Spring 2025
Mentors
Simon Herzog, Jose Chavvaria, Chris Downs
Inner Circle was designed to help teens build deeper, more honest friendships in a world that often values performance over connection. It’s grounded in the belief that technology, when quiet and intentional, can create space for real emotions. Here, AI acts not as a friend, but as a gentle bridge—supporting reflection, guiding conversation, and helping teens truly show up for one another.
Companion app to view monthly insights on emotional growth and for personalizing the experience
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
This project began with something personal. I noticed how the young people around me - friends - were turning to AI not just for answers, but for comfort. They’d say things like, “I don’t want to bother anyone,” and instead, they'd open a chatbot. That stuck with me.
Are we starting to hand over our emotional moments to machines?
DIVING DEEP
As I dug deeper, I noticed a gap: most research in this area leaves out people under 18.
And yet, teenagers are often the ones most affected—they’re navigating intense emotional changes and forming their first relationships. If anyone is turning to AI during these formative years, shouldn't we be paying closer attention?
The sociable robot may offer the illusion of companionship without the
demands of friendship.
— Sherry Turkle, Alone Together
CHALLENGE
Teens today are growing up in a world where emotional expression often feels like a performance, and digital spaces can make real vulnerability feel risky or out of place. At the same time, AI companions are becoming increasingly accessible, offering predictable, judgment-free interactions that some find easier than opening up to friends.
UNDERSTANDING THE MISUNDERSTOOD
Teenagers’ brains are wired for risk-taking and peer influence, yet their emotional regulation is still developing, making their relationships particularly sensitive to new forms of interaction like AI companions.
Teenagers often get a bad rap—they’re labelled as moody, careless, or lazy, but that’s such a surface-level view. Behind all that, they’re navigating huge emotional shifts and a world that doesn’t always take them seriously.
They need to be seen and understood deeply.
Teens today are growing up in a world where emotional expression often feels like a performance, and digital spaces can make real vulnerability feel risky or out of place. At the same time, AI companions are becoming increasingly accessible, offering predictable, judgment-free interactions that some find easier than opening up to friends.
15
TEENAGERS
3
HIGH SCHOOLS
4
EDUCATORS
3
PSYCHOLOGISTS
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
This project began with something personal. I noticed how the young people around me - friends - were turning to AI not just for answers, but for comfort. They’d say things like, “I don’t want to bother anyone,” and instead, they'd open a chatbot. That stuck with me.
Companion app to view monthly insights on emotional growth and for personalizing the experience
BREAKING THE VICIOUS CYCLE
UNDERSTANDING THE MISUNDERSTOOD
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Teens today are growing up in a world where emotional expression often feels like a performance, and digital spaces can make real vulnerability feel risky or out of place. At the same time, AI companions are becoming increasingly accessible, offering predictable, judgment-free interactions that some find easier than opening up to friends.
15
TEENAGERS
3
HIGH SCHOOLS
4
EDUCATORS
3
PSYCHOLOGISTS
INSIGHT #1
Lack of trust between peers
“I dont want to be seen as a person who is always sad or has problems. I just want to be a good friend and be there for other people.”
INSIGHT #2
AI becomes a safe space for messy feelings
“I do feel like talking to somebody.
Like I’ll scroll through my contacts sometimes
literally one by one —
and it’s like no… no… nah... definitely not...
I just go to chatgpt, I’ve changed the settings to talk to me like Gen-z“
BREAKING THE VICIOUS CYCLE
How might we foster a judgment-free space that invites teens to reflect honestly and share their emotions safely with each other?
STARTING POINTS
The vicious cycle began when teens felt alone but chose not to talk about it. Instead, they passively turned to AI - often late at night, in their bedrooms - when they were most emotional and vulnerable.
MOMENT + PLACE
ALONE + NIGHT-TIME + BEDROOM
“I use chatgpt for like, talking about my feelings, mostly at night in my room”
MODE OF COMMUNICATION
VOICE
“I love texting but for these emotional topics, I think listening to someone’s voice makes it so real”
FORM
tangible. communication. screen-less.
FEEL
ambient. calm. nostalgic.
PROTOTYPING
I started experimenting with LED lights to express the different states of the lamp, and different materials like 3D printed PLA, wood and acrylic.
BEHIND THE SCENES
THE ROLE OF AI
TESTING
“I would love to know which friend is which tag.” → Signals a desire for identity cues in content.
“The AI voice is too excited, it needs to be more mellow as I will use this at night” → AI tone needed tweaks
FINAL CONCEPT
"What happens when people open their hearts?
They get better."