Looking for a way to overcome the social inertia, I began with the hypothesis that subtler signals of availability might feel less like an explicit invitation, and lower the pressure of reaching out.
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I prototyped ideas like a gentle knock, a motion-activated wind chime, a WhatsApp group for location sharing (above), and a cord (below) that you pull when you're up for company.
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None of these felt right: they were either too vague to prompt action, or introduced new forms of disappointment. If you pull the cord and nobody pulls back, it still feels a lot like being ghosted.

On an advisor’s suggestion, I stepped away from typical conversational models like one-to-one or one-to-many and considered alternate frameworks like “pass it along” or “third party.”
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This led to the Egg, a shared object, cared for among friends. It would get restless and message the group to be passed to someone new. This lifted the burden of initiation and created accountability for regular, casual meetups.

The idea of a character that reaches out for you made everyone smile. People especially loved it once I added a motor and it started to jiggle with excitement or agitation. Still, the egg felt a bit simplistic, so I decided to carry its spirit forward and build from there.

I decided that it didn't have to be just one thing. A family of creatures tells a richer story, and represents the range of scenarios from my research.

Narrowing them down became a mix of storyboarding scenarios, thinking through each animal mentor’s traits and personality, and modeling them in styrofoam to see how their simplified forms might invite the kinds of interactions I wanted.

To make the creatures feel embodied and responsive, I gave each one a small mechanical movement to accompany its messages. Using simple materials like plywood, hot glue, and rubber bands made it easy to explore different forms and mechanisms.
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They are meant to be playful yet still feel like objects you’d want in your home, so I used 3D printer filament with wood fibers for a warm, natural finish.

The recurring theme of fear of rejection reflects a culture that pressures us to perform busy-ness, while offering tools of convenience that lead us toward solitude and insecurity.

I began this project thinking about friction, and how we might divert the path of least resistance toward togetherness instead of isolation. One nuance I picked up along the way was that, in addition to adding or removing friction, design has the power to provide traction.

People aren't just static objects, sliding along some imaginary slope. We have agency to do what's important to us, but our contexts can make it harder or easier. By taking the first step, Social Creatures provide a foothold toward human connection.

That said, my main hope for this project is that it starts conversations. For me, it has already been an opportunity to connect with lovely people, talking about their values and frustrations, and celebrating the time we spend together.