In preliminary research with incarcerated youth, I’ve been working with Nokia Bell Labs to reduce social isolation in juvenile detention centers through a project titled Warming Wall. We are working to transform physical walls into interfaces that bridge incarcerated youth anonymously with the outside world through the sensation of warmth. Leveraging how warmth is associated with human connection across cultures, we aim to create an anonymous sense of presence and generosity between the incarcerated youth and the surrounding community.

Illustrations by Shannon Yeung.