Expressive

Messaging

The project shows how chats feel more alive with gestures and playful interactions. Actions like pressing, shaking, or holding add richer expression than emojis.

Problem

Digital chats often lack nuance and feel flat. The challenge was to design interactions that add depth without overloading the interface.

In collaboration with

Jannes Daur and Leon Burg

Process

1. First Touchpoints:

Reflected on personal communication challenges and identified memories as key to deeper conversations.

2. Benchmarking:

Analyzed existing messaging apps and found limited options for nuanced emotional expression.

3. Framing the Challenge:

Defined our goal to make emotions in chats clearer, more natural, and easier to share.

4. Emotional Research:

Explored scientific models like Ekman, Plutchik, and “How We Feel” to map emotions.

5. Emotion Selection:

Filtered and structured a broad emotion set using context-based evaluation matrices.

6. Prototyping:

Developed and iterated concepts to create features that bring more emotional depth to messaging.

Solution

We designed and prototyped seven distinct features, each tailored to a specific emotion. By combining simple interactions with expressive behaviors, the features make emotional states more tangible and engaging in chat. The result is a richer, more playful communication experience beyond emojis.

Romance

Affection and intimacy, tender or passionate.

Anger

Affection and intimacy, tender or passionate.

Joy

Moments of happiness and success, from gentle to ecstatic.

Sarcasm

Irony and hidden critique, playful or biting.

© 2025 Luke Caporelli

© 2025 Luke Caporelli

The project shows how chats feel more alive with gestures and playful interactions. Actions like pressing, shaking, or holding add richer expression than emojis.

Expressive

Messaging

In collaboration with

Jannes Daur and Leon Burg

We designed and prototyped seven distinct features, each tailored to a specific emotion. By combining simple interactions with expressive behaviors, the features make emotional states more tangible and engaging in chat. The result is a richer, more playful communication experience beyond emojis.

Solution

Digital chats often lack nuance and feel flat. The challenge was to design interactions that add depth without overloading the interface.

Problem

Process

1. First Touchpoints:

Reflected on personal communication challenges and identified memories as key to deeper conversations.

2. Benchmarking:

Analyzed existing messaging apps and found limited options for nuanced emotional expression.

3. Framing the Challenge:

Defined our goal to make emotions in chats clearer, more natural, and easier to share.

4. Emotional Research:

Explored scientific models like Ekman, Plutchik, and “How We Feel” to map emotions.

5. Emotion Selection:

Filtered and structured a broad emotion set using context-based evaluation matrices.

6. Prototyping:

Developed and iterated concepts to create features that bring more emotional depth to messaging.

Anger

Affection and intimacy, tender or passionate.

Romance

Affection and intimacy, tender or passionate.

Joy

Moments of happiness and success, from gentle to ecstatic.

Sarcasm

Irony and hidden critique, playful or biting.