The Highly Sensitive People/D.O.E.S. Concept
Cheryl (Ruichen) Ma
This thesis explores the experience of Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) through interactive systems that convert sensitive perception into tangible forms. The projects, which are based on Dr. Elaine Aron's D.O.E.S. concept—Depth of Processing, Overstimulation, Emotional Intensity, and Sensing the Subtle—and inspired by her book The Highly Sensitive People, which reinterprets sensitivity as a strength of awareness, empathy, and introspection rather than a weakness.
The work encourages participants to engage with emotional and sensational experiences in many ways through a series of interactive projects, including as a card game, journaling books, a website, and sensory installations. From reflection and self-directed prompts to immersive and physical experiences, each media offers a unique kind of engagement. Instead of portraying sensitivity as something that has to be fixed, these experiences give users the opportunity to investigate, analyze, and understand their feelings while recognizing sensitivity as a meaningful and valuable way of perceiving the world.