Customizable Digital Nail Art Could Help You Quit Smoking
You know how we keep saying saying that more wearables need to be made with women in mind? We think we found some that blow your bulky bracelet out of the not-so-wearable water. Two MFA candidates at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California (who happen to be women, we might add) Kristina Ortega and Jenny Rodenhouse have created high tech nail art that track your stats and will buzz to notify you of an incoming text… or to say tsk tsk if you try to pick up that cigarette.
We’ve seen wearables of all shapes, sizes and styles but this is one of the first that wants to help you break your bad habits. And definitely in the most stylish way. To create the nail art for their “pop-up sensor nail salon,” Kristina and Jenny experimented with 3D printing, embedding nano pixels into the nail and spent research time at salons where they were inspired by the relationship (and intense negotiations!) between technician and client.
Their vision for the future of wearables are created in salons that would turn each manicure into a “bespoke” service, a true collaboration between you and your nail artist. You would be fitted with nails that not only suited your style, but your needs as well, choosing from digital sensors that provide bio feedback, behavior modification, notifications, haptic feedback and reminders.
Although some of the test runs feature some pretty ornate nail art (me-yow btw) that might not be your usual go-to, the goal is to hide sensors inside a layer of a gel manicure. This idea is a genius one, with a completely customizable vision for the future of smart beauty. Manicures become like modular phones, with each finger offering a different function. Maybe your ring finger buzzes if you take off your engagement ring so you never misplace it again. There could be a calorie tracker on your thumb, a camera on your middle finger and you could write texts and emails in the air with your pointer.
As Kristina puts it, wearables are often “designed by tech people for tech people.” We would say that we’re all tech people in some way (unless you’re reading this via Morse code or on a stone tablet) and our Bluetooth-connected, WiFI-enabled accessories should reflect that truth. With tech-sessories made more accessible and even more fashionable, they will simply become more useful. Kristina, Jenny, if y’all need guinea pigs, our bare nails are HURTIN’ for a good wearable mani ;)
Would you wear a digital manicure? What functions would you have your mani do for you?
(h/t Fast Company)
