Problem

Anxiety Disorders are the most common mental health condition among adults, yet evaluation often relies on biased self-reporting. Combining biometric data—especially Heart Rate Variability—with contextual self-reporting enables more accurate detection of anxiety onset. Meanwhile, affective touch, such as hand-holding and stroking, has been shown to reduce anxiety. Yet during moments of heightened anxiety, physical touch may be unavailable.

Primary Research

We asked 17 volunteers: “How would you comfort someone close to you who is feeling anxious by interacting with their hand?”

User Flow

User Persona

Our research targets young women prone to anxiety with limited social support. We propose the following speculative narrative:

Adia longs for independence, but being away from loved ones triggers anxiety that can strike anytime. She finds comfort in the all-day knitted glove—it feels intimate and warm, like the way her loved ones would stroke her hand to ease her anxiety.

Initial Prototype

Simulating stroking sensations on back of the hand—the second most common affective touch during Primary Research.

User Testing

We asked 10 female participants to describe the sensation and choose the human touch it most resembled.

The most commonly mentioned adjectives for describing the SMA-spring-actuated sensation were warm, strange, and pleasant. Some described the tightening of the finger straps as "gripping," while others reported that the visual shape change of the glove influenced their perception.

Improved UI/UX

We used neutrals and dark cyan as the main colors, and orange as the accent for a calming, reassuring user experience with a hint of warmth.

check-in session and actuation screens

We pivoted the lens of accessing biometric data as intimacy and care. Through revised UX writing, we reframed biometric sensing as care from loved ones. We also switched to smaller-diameter SMA springs, reducing cooling time from nine to two seconds. The rhythmic actuation, paired with clenched-fist interaction, supports stroke patterns to unbuild users’ anxiety.

check-in session and actuation screens

Final Design

Takeaway

Rather than replacing human touch, Stroke Imprint glove intends to serve as a therapeutic tool that allows young women to self soothe anxiety and a reminder of the tangible presence of their support system in their absence. By framing biometric sensing as care from loved ones, privacy concerns may be softened.
‍
Future iterations will explore more localized actuation for personalized stroke patterns with varying rhythms, pressure, and locations. While further testing is needed to assess sustained calming effects, we see promising opportunities in anxiety regulation training through a bio-feedback loop that blends tactile memory, physiological sensing, and emotional design.

Special thanks to

Aashita Verma and Sindhu Kruttiventi for hand modeling; Ayodamola Okuseinde, Cathal Pratt, Danielle Jackson, and Yuanning Han for their feedback on writing and publication; Anothony Deen, Bobby Marcus, Harpreet Sareen, and Hossein Adeli Jelodar, for their feedback on prototypes
‍
This project would have been impossible without the unwavering support from Parsons DT community during user testing, as well as the generous support from our list of donors