Resora — Making Social Energy Visible

A wearable jewelry interface for tracking and visualizing social states

Inspiration

Resora started from a conversation within our team about our own social batteries. We are a diverse group with both extroverted and introverted personalities, yet we all realized we face challenges regulating our social energy. Sometimes we only notice we are exhausted after becoming overwhelmed, while other times we neglect our need for connection until we begin feeling isolated.

Our concept was also inspired by the research “Social Battery as a Design Metaphor: Crafting Wearable Devices to Share the Willingness to Socialize” by Ana Gamez-Elizalde and Luiz A. Castro, which explores how wearable technology can help people communicate their willingness to socialize.

What it does

Resora is a smart ring and companion app that tracks and visualizes social energy in real time. By translating physiological signals into four states—engaged, available, overloaded, and recharging—the system helps users better understand their social limits and needs.

The goal is to support social and emotional wellbeing by helping people balance time spent connecting with others and time spent recharging.

How we built it

We designed Resora as a system composed of two main elements:

A wearable ring that detects physiological signals and estimates social energy levels.

A mobile app that visualizes this information and provides gentle insights or suggestions.

To demonstrate how the system works in everyday life, we created three scenarios: a networking event where a user becomes overstimulated, a moment of isolation at home where a friend reaches out, and a work meeting where teammates adapt communication based on visible social energy.

Challenges we ran into

A major challenge was ensuring that the system supports awareness without creating pressure. If social energy becomes visible, users might feel obligated to act on the feedback or worry about how others interpret their status. We also considered the complexity of social contexts, such as professional environments or first-time interactions, where displaying low social energy might feel uncomfortable or be misinterpreted.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of developing a concept that externalizes an internal and often invisible experience. By translating social energy into a simple visual language, Resora creates a shared understanding that can help people respect boundaries and support one another. We also built a cohesive design system—including the ring interaction, app interface, and real-life scenarios—that demonstrates how the idea could function across different social contexts.

What we learned

Through this project, we explored how design can make intangible human experiences more perceptible. We learned the importance of balancing technological insight with ethical and social considerations, especially when designing tools that influence interpersonal relationships. The process also reinforced how awareness tools should empower reflection rather than prescribe behavior.

What's next for Resora — Making Social Energy Visible

Next, we would explore how Resora could integrate adaptive and context-aware features, allowing users to customize when and how their status is shared. Future work could also investigate more accurate sensing models, improved visualization of social patterns over time, and deeper research on how shared awareness of social energy could strengthen empathy, communication, and wellbeing within communities.