Kuddle: The Phone Charger that Fuels Interpersonal Connection

“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.”

Kuddle is a wireless phone charger that encourages couples to spend more meaningful time communicating face-to-face. Designed by second-year student Crystal Ching Yi Lo, 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.”

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’.

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’.

According to a US study of 145 adults, phubbing decreases marital satisfaction, in part because it leads to conflict over phone use. 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.” 

Crystal created Kuddle as part of her MFA thesis, which focuses on strengthening marital relationships through design interventions. The device is simple yet brilliant 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.”