Illustration of Reemo’s different emotional states, labeled Natural, Listening, Greeting, Processing, Speaking, and Failure.
Illustration of Reemo’s different emotional states, labeled Natural, Listening, Greeting, Processing, Speaking, and Failure.
Illustration of Reemo’s different emotional states, labeled Natural, Listening, Greeting, Processing, Speaking, and Failure.

Visual representation of Reemo's status indicators, showing how it shifts in response to user interaction.

Project Overview

Reemo is a speculative Conversational User Interface (CUI) concept designed to support creative writers by offering emotionally attuned, dynamic feedback during writing sessions. Unlike grammar tools, Reemo doesn't fix syntax. It responds to emotional context, promoting healthy writing habits through music suggestions, voice interaction, and tailored affirmations.

Born from a fast-paced graduate design sprint, Reemo is envisioned as a co-writing companion — a worm-like assistant that integrates with tools like Google Docs. It listens, supports, and adapts to the writer's needs. Whether whispering encouragement, suggesting a playlist, or offering silence, Reemo's goal is to reduce cognitive friction and foster flow.

❓ Problem Space

Creative writers often struggle with emotional blockers: doubt, fatigue, loss of momentum, especially in structured, collaborative tools not built for creative freedom. Conventional writing tools emphasize correctness over well-being.

Core Question: How might we design emotion-aware, adaptive writing companions that respond to the emotional dynamics of writing, rather than just technical errors?

🎨 My Role

I led this independent speculative design sprint, responsible for:

  • Designing CUI interaction patterns based on emotional regulation and co-regulation

  • Exploring anthropomorphism in UX to create trust and personality

  • Developing Reemo's identity, tone, and feedback styles

  • Prototyping Reemo's UI and states in Figma and Framer

  • Integrating conceptual API behaviors (Spotify, Google Docs)

Tools

Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Google Suite

DialogFlow

Reemo introduces themselves to the user.
Reemo introduces themselves to the user.
Reemo introduces themselves to the user.
Reemo suggests playing music to help the user focus during writing.
Reemo suggests playing music to help the user focus during writing.
Reemo suggests playing music to help the user focus during writing.
Reemo listens to the user talk to them as they continue to type, allowing the user to hands free collaborate.
Reemo listens to the user talk to them as they continue to type, allowing the user to hands free collaborate.
Reemo listens to the user talk to them as they continue to type, allowing the user to hands free collaborate.
Reemo listens as the user types, offering encouragement.
Reemo listens as the user types, offering encouragement.
Reemo listens as the user types, offering encouragement.

Reemo's real-time interactions in a speculative Google Docs overlay, balancing support and autonomy.

Design Process Highlights

  • Companion Role Research: Investigated how writers relate to tools under pressure. Compared Reemo's potential to virtual pets, music apps, and AI assistants, focusing on trust and emotional safety.

  • Sketching & Iterating Fast: Through quick 30-minute sprints, I explored Reemo's form and personality. The final worm-like assistant was chosen for its non-threatening, abstract feel — capable of movement and expression without overwhelming the user.

  • Feedback System & Agency: Peer critiques led to deeper exploration of Reemo's agency vs. tool role:

    • “Would a playlist help you focus?”

    • “You're doing great — save this idea for later?”

    • Could Reemo read aloud to assist in reflection?

  • Multi-Modal Input: When allowed, Reemo allows typed or voice interactions, adapting to the user's preferred cognitive load. Envisioned integration with APIs like Spotify for mood setting.

  • Peer Feedback Influence: Collaborative critique sessions with peers and professional designers (e.g., from IBM, Fidelity) shaped Reemo's ethics, interaction boundaries, and conceptual scaling.

Collection of early Reemo sketches showing avatar shapes, speech bubbles, and user interface prototypes in chat form.
Collection of early Reemo sketches showing avatar shapes, speech bubbles, and user interface prototypes in chat form.
Collection of early Reemo sketches showing avatar shapes, speech bubbles, and user interface prototypes in chat form.
Early conversational study of a small CUI agent.
Early conversational study of a small CUI agent.
Early conversational study of a small CUI agent.
Three mockups showing chat interface layouts with varied feedback methods from Reemo, designed to be intuitive and minimal.
Three mockups showing chat interface layouts with varied feedback methods from Reemo, designed to be intuitive and minimal.
Three mockups showing chat interface layouts with varied feedback methods from Reemo, designed to be intuitive and minimal.

Ideation sketches exploring Reemo's form, function, and ways of interacting through dialogue and visual feedback.

✅ What I Learned

  • Support-first CUIs require unique logic structures, prioritizing emotional resonance over task completion.

  • Anthropomorphism in UX can build trust, especially for neurodivergent users seeking accountability (like body-doubling).

  • Emotional feedback can be as valid as productivity-focused UX.

  • Fast prototyping sharpens communication and design articulation, even in abstract projects.

🌱 Impact & Application

While speculative, Reemo offers insights into:

  • Designing emotionally aware, trauma-sensitive UX

  • Creating low-stimulation, adaptive interfaces that work with, not over, the user

  • The role of co-regulation in digital tools for sustained creative focus

Reemo could evolve into a real-world tool through:

  • Customizable interaction modes (set your own comfort levels, visual/audio cues)

  • Privacy-first integrations, allowing opt-in to workspace analysis or collaboration

  • Accessibility for speech-to-text users or neurodivergent individuals needing adjustable engagement

  • Support for collaborative writing, adapting behavior when multiple users are present

  • Partnerships with educational frameworks, helping students scaffold their thoughts emotionally and cognitively

Key Insight: Emotional UX isn't about cuteness — it's about credibility, consent, and choice. Reemo shows that design doesn't need to push users; sometimes, it's enough to listen, suggest, and support.

Core Competencies

Adaptive UI Systems

Anthropomorphic UX

Brainstorming & Ideation

Conceptual UI Design

Conversational Interface Design

Creative Coding (Light Prototyping)

Dialogue Writing

Emotional UX

Flowchart Creation

Information Architecture

Interaction Design

Rapid Prototyping

Visual Systems Thinking

Writing Tool Design