Sparks: Marriage, Connection, and Design

All relationships require work, and the effort one puts into maintaining a marriage directly impacts its quality. Crystal Lo's thesis, Sparks: Marriage, Connection, and Design, presents solutions to improve satisfaction and rekindle passion in long-term marriages when couples feel their relationships are strained.

Maintaining intimacy requires intention, and learning methods to do so is essential for a healthy relationship. Using the knowledge of understanding why marriages fail, Crystal believes before couples decide to transition out of their marriage, they still have a wide range of options for working on their relationship—if they are willing to invest the time and energy. A good marriage impacts more than two people; it also influences their families, their children, and even the whole society where they reside. However, before it can have a positive influence, a relationship must be healthy.

Kuddle

Kuddle is a wireless phone charger that encourages couples to spend more meaningful time communicating face-to-face. The dock only charges when two phones are placed side-by-side. “If only one partner puts their phone down, the device won’t charge,” Crystal explains. “Like a metaphor of a relationship, the phones will only charge if the two are close together on the dock.”

“If only one partner puts their phone down, the device won’t charge. Like a metaphor of a relationship, the phones will only charge if the two are close together on the dock.”

Crystal says that the initial idea for Kuddle came from observations that “mobile phones come between couples—even making them physically turn their backs from one another.” In her research, she found that just having a phone out and present during a conversation (on the table between a couple, for instance) interferes with the sense of connection and the feelings of closeness experienced. Not surprisingly, this practice of ignoring companions to pay attention to one’s phone is so prevalent that it has even earned its own term—phubbing—a portmanteau of ‘phone’ and ‘snubbing’.

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According to a 2018 US study of 145 adults, phubbing decreases marital satisfaction, in part because it leads to conflict over phone use. The research suggests that 10% of couples have argued with a partner about excessive time spent on the devices. A follow-up study by Chinese scientists assessed 243 married adults with similar results. As researcher Meredith David wrote, “It is ironic that cell phones, originally designed as a communication tool, may actually hinder rather than foster interpersonal connectedness.”

The device is simple yet effective because it offers a reward for building a new shared habit. It also acknowledges the importance of prioritizing couple time without digital interference. As Crystal explains, “putting your phones down not only recharges the devices, but also the relationship itself.”

Wobbowl

Wobbowl is tableware designed to make mealtimes about a shared experience. Reminiscent of the planet Saturn, when people set the bowl on the table, it tilts toward one side. So if someone from the other side wants to take food, their partner has to hold the bowl up to make it stable enough for serving. This bold, innovative design prompts the couple to fully engage in mealtimes, elevating quality time above simple conversation.

According to the Marriage Foundation, a nonprofit focused on improving the quality of relationships, spouses who eat together are 15% more likely to report maximum happiness with their relationship. In their study, sixty-seven percent of the married couples who ate together said they were very satisfied with their relationship, compared to 58% of the married couples who did not eat together.

Couples who use their phone during meal times are 8% less likely to enjoy their meal. Those without distractions enjoyed their meal more than those who were multitasking (such as using their phones). This means having dinner together is better than eating alone. However, the satisfaction is still based on their partner’s engagement. Using this knowledge, Crystal played around with the idea of helping couples pay more attention to each other at mealtime—with the result of her exploration being Wobbowl.

Loveliday

Loveliday is a dating service to help couples continue dating even after marriage. Loveliday curates date nights for busy couples. Some couples maintain a strict work schedule, devoting most of their available time to children, making it very hard for them to access date night opportunities. Date nights offer couples a break from their daily routine, help rekindle passion, and allow them to learn new things about one another.

As an app, Loveliday is designed to be easy to use. First, a couple must pair with one another in the app. Next, they import their work schedules and choose preferred activities. Based on this information, Loveliday can curate a customized date night based on the ranking they assigned to specific activities and their availability.

After confirming the couples’ schedule, Loveliday helps reserve the places that require bookings in advance. This relieves stress on the pair when it comes to planning dates: All they have to do is show up to the location where Loveliday asks them to be. The vision of Loveliday is to help people reimagine date night, aiming to become the most reliable, trustworthy, and premier date night curation service for married couples.

Kiddokie

Kiddokie is a nanny service that helps married couples get the best nanny at night to maintain passion and intimacy. According to The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, forty-six percent of people report becoming less intimate with their partner following the birth of their first child. This dip in happiness doesn't go away until after children leave the nest. By providing a professional, trustworthy, trustworthy nanny, Kiddokie allows couples to take a break from being parents and have a stress-free date night.

Childcare can be a source of tension in a marriage. Finding child care is tough because couples need someone who meets all their standards, like flexible time, professional certification, and trust. The existing nanny services focus on daytime services and don't always require nanny certifications. As a result, many new parents struggle to find a trusted nanny at night.

Kiddokie works when couples are off work, and they need a break for themselves. Parents use the app to reach out to a night nanny to take care of their child before they sleep. Or they could choose to have an in-house overnight nanny, so they both could sleep well and through the night.

Kiddokie’s value proposition is based on a trustworthy community of nannies parents already know. Also, the INA (International Nanny Association) certification is required to help parents relax, knowing that their children are safe.

POPUPLUV

Creating surprises, showing appreciation often to your partner, and making your partner excited about new experiences with you are essential strategies for maintaining a happy marriage. To reach this goal, Crystal staged a public intervention, Popupluv, which includes a series of instructional posters in public spaces that guide couples to interact and have fun with one another.

Behind each of the poster covers, there are instructions for an activity. This intervention creates time and space for couples to examine their relationship with the opportunity to reclaim and revive the intimate moments they haven't had with each other for a long time.