Reverse alarm clock: a research through design example of designing for the self

This paper documents a first attempt at "designing for the self", an approach to designing products intended to help people move closer to their idealized sense of self as they perform a specific role through the interaction with a product. This work follows a research through design approach, applying theory from consumer behavior research to address the needs of dual-income parents with young children. The clock, called the reverse alarm clock attempts to meet the goal of "Design for the Self" in four ways. First, the clock communicates information about time in a form children can understand, and so help children learn to become more responsible. Second, it gives parents more control over their lives by allowing them in absentia to relatively control the expression of time to their children. Third, the interaction with the clock has been placed within the intimate bedtime ritual parents and children share. Fourth, by keeping young children from waking their parents in the middle of the night, the clock increases parents' emotional reserve to deal with the morning rush. This paper details the design process and evaluation of the reverse alarm clock and provides our insights on designing for the self through the reflection of our process.