Sonder - Seeing the Inner Worlds of Identity

Inspiration

The idea for Sonder came from the realization that every person carries an internal world that others cannot see. The word sonder refers to the moment when you realize that every person around you has a life as vivid and complex as your own. For individuals living with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), this concept becomes even more profound because their inner world can contain multiple identities, emotions, and perspectives that coexist within one mind.

Despite how real these identities are for the person experiencing them, they remain largely invisible and difficult to explain to others. Many individuals with DID struggle to communicate what their internal identity system feels like, which can lead to misunderstanding, stigma, and isolation. We were inspired by the idea of creating a tool that could translate these invisible experiences into something perceptible and understandable, both for the individual and for trusted people in their lives.

Sonder explores a future where technology can help visualize and interpret internal psychological states. By turning internal identity signals into visual holographic representations, we wanted to imagine a system that helps people better understand themselves while also building empathy and awareness among others.

What We Learned

Through exploring this concept, we learned how complex and deeply personal the experience of identity can be. Mental health conditions like DID are often misunderstood because the internal experiences cannot easily be observed or measured. This project helped us think about how design and emerging technologies might help bridge that gap.

We also learned how the human sensory system extends far beyond the traditional five senses. Internal senses like interoception (awareness of internal body signals), chronoception (sense of time), and emotional perception can provide subtle clues about changes in mental states. By thinking about how these signals could be tracked and translated into visual feedback, we explored the idea of creating a new sensory interface; identity awareness.

Most importantly, we learned that design for mental health requires careful consideration of empathy, privacy, and emotional safety. Any system that visualizes internal experiences must prioritize user control and respectful representation.

How We Built Our Project

Sonder was designed as a speculative tool that combines behavioral sensing, artificial intelligence, and holographic visualization to translate internal identity signals into visual forms.

Within our prototype, we focused on several key components:

• Identity Detection: The system interprets physiological and behavioral signals such as stress levels, emotional shifts, speech cadence, and posture changes to detect potential identity transitions.
• Alter Visualization: Alters are represented as unique holographic avatars that reflect personality traits, emotional states, and energy levels.
• Inner World Map: The app displays a visual system of identities, showing which alter is active and how identities interact within the user’s internal landscape.
• Identity Timeline: Users can review patterns of identity activity and emotional triggers throughout their day.
• Sharing Mode: Users can optionally share visualizations with therapists or trusted individuals to improve communication and understanding.

We designed the prototype using Figma, creating a series of screens that simulate the core interactions of the app. These screens demonstrate how users would create identity representations, visualize their internal system, and interact with holographic projections that represent identity states.

Challenges We Faced

One of the biggest challenges was designing a concept that felt innovative and futuristic while still grounded in real human needs. Because the project is speculative, we had to imagine how future technologies might interpret complex mental signals while ensuring the concept remained believable and respectful.

Another challenge was representing identities visually without reinforcing stereotypes or implying that identities can be fully defined by appearance. To address this, we focused on user customization and abstract visual cues, allowing individuals to shape how their alters are represented.

We also had to carefully think about ethical considerations. Visualizing internal identities could potentially feel intrusive or overwhelming if not designed thoughtfully. As a result, we prioritized privacy controls, user consent, and the ability to disable or limit visualizations.

Finally, translating a complex psychological experience into a clear and intuitive interface required us to simplify information and focus on the most meaningful interactions.

Reflection

Sonder imagines a future where technology can help people better understand the complexity of human identity. By transforming invisible internal experiences into something that can be seen and shared, the project aims to promote self-awareness, empathy, and deeper human connection.

While the technology behind Sonder is speculative, the need it addresses is very real: helping people feel understood and giving individuals new ways to explore the inner worlds that shape who they are.

Built With

• figma
• figmamake