This thesis focuses on exploring the potential of tangible objects to support emotional awareness and comprehension in everyday life. The central research question is: “How can tangible artifacts be designed and utilized to enhance individuals’ emotional awareness through physical interaction?” This question is further explored through user interaction, the impact of physicality, and their effects on emotional self-awareness.

This research is motivated by individuals' challenges in recognizing, interpreting, and expressing their emotions. This thesis builds on the existing concept of ShelterFeels, a tangible object designed to facilitate daily emotional reflection and expand emotional vocabulary. The existing prototype incorporates voice recording, software for processing input, and light-based feedback.

Following a Human-Centered Design (HCD) approach, this thesis will include professional advice, iterative prototyping, and a user experience questionnaire to refine ShelterFeels. The planned steps are to improve keyword generation, refine data collection methods, improve user guidance, and integrate a data visualization interface.

The study contributes to the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) field by investigating how physical interfaces, such as tangible and interactive objects, can support emotional comprehension. The findings aim to provide information on the design of interactive tools that support mental well-being, potentially forming future applications in therapy, education, and self-care.