Waffle

Waffle is a paired back app free of like buttons, photographs, comments and most of all free of judgement. We wanted to help diminish the impact that covid has had on people. From our research we found people want to be heard, to be connected and to give value to their lives. This is hugely important for mental health and to combat isolation and boredom. We realised we were getting this value every day in our group, through conversation. This exchange is fundamental and it was this thought process that led us to Waffle, an app that is simply a conduit for conversation.

HSE Design on the Frontline winner 2021.
Irish Health awards runner up 2021.
The Specific Problem: We want to help diminish the impact that covid has had on people over the past year. It has been a challenging time, however, it has been harder on people with amplified needs. Now more than ever, people need a sense of life satisfaction and purpose, as well as belonging within a community. We surveyed 400 people and found 48% of people suffer from loneliness on a monthly basis all, of which are daily social media users. We're being asked to maintain physical distance, but we still need these social ties for our well-being, even for our health. People who are prone to boredom have an increased risk of depression and anxiety, we aim to tackle this problem head-on.
The Process: There are endless ways to communicate today, such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and text. What we found to be missing was voice, tone and personality. The one apparatus that perfectly conveys this is the old fashioned telephone and for hundreds of years it has connected people. We need the companionship of others to thrive in life, and the strength of our connections has a huge impact on our mental health and happiness. Being socially connected to others can ease stress, anxiety, and depression, boost self-worth, provide comfort and joy, prevent loneliness, and even add years to your life.
The Driving Insights: A University of Texas study which compared texting to phone calls says, people too often opt to send text messages when a phone call is more likely to produce the feelings of connectedness they crave. In the UK the Royal Society for Public Health surveyed 1,500 teens and young adults about their social media habits. They found that Instagram and other social networks are associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying and a "fear of missing out." They can also foster a negative body image. Text messaging doesn't satisfy human connection. This is according to the JAMA Psychiatry survey published in September 2020, it shows that telephone calls could reduce feelings of depression, and anxiety.
-Designers- Federico Tussaciu, Gareth Byrne, Sinead Spring, Ava White, Tadhg O'Connell
-Design Lead- Tadhg O'Connell