Expanding the design space for intimacy

The design space for intimate partners has largely been populated with technologies that support distant partners via abstracted presence. We seek to expand the design space to include a wider range of potential users and designs. To this end, we present findings from qualitative interviews with Family Studies experts in the form of a stage-based model of couple connection---Re-pattern, Reflect, Re-story, Reconnect. From this analysis, we identify two new regions in the couples design space, local partners and deep interpersonal sharing. Finally, we share the design of a technology that sits at the intersection of these regions. These findings present new opportunities for designers of intimate collaborative technologies.