Abstract
This study explores how thermal interaction can support emotional expression and regulation in socially anxious contexts. Using participatory and body-mapping methods, participants recalled and visualized temperature-related experiences of comfort, which were translated into six emotionally resonant thermal patterns. These insights informed the design of TempReso, a sleeve-type wearable that delivers dynamic thermal cues on the forearm. A series of design experiments examined how warmth and coolness evoke affective memories, redirect attention, and foster emotional comfort during public speaking. The study highlights temperature as an expressive and emotional material, revealing how embodied experiences can inform the design of affective haptic interfaces and contribute to understanding emotional resonance in interaction design. Reflections on the process discuss how bodily experience, material behaviour, and technology intertwine in shaping emotionally meaningful interactions.
Keywords
Thermal Interface, Emotional Resonance, Public Speaking Anxiety, Affective Haptics
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1011
Citation
Sun, G., Wang, W., and Zheng, R. (2026) Designing emotionally resonant thermal interactions for public speaking support, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1011
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Designing emotionally resonant thermal interactions for public speaking support
This study explores how thermal interaction can support emotional expression and regulation in socially anxious contexts. Using participatory and body-mapping methods, participants recalled and visualized temperature-related experiences of comfort, which were translated into six emotionally resonant thermal patterns. These insights informed the design of TempReso, a sleeve-type wearable that delivers dynamic thermal cues on the forearm. A series of design experiments examined how warmth and coolness evoke affective memories, redirect attention, and foster emotional comfort during public speaking. The study highlights temperature as an expressive and emotional material, revealing how embodied experiences can inform the design of affective haptic interfaces and contribute to understanding emotional resonance in interaction design. Reflections on the process discuss how bodily experience, material behaviour, and technology intertwine in shaping emotionally meaningful interactions.