Over the Xmas break, I reached out to my network for web developer recommendations to help build the initial ThoughtCounter website. My thinking has evolved to launching a working version in order to gather real user feedback and iterate from there.
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How to get 200+ people to participate in a research project
I’m developing ThoughtCounter into a collaborative investigation into our thoughts. I’m asking people to participate, contribute their data, and help build something – but I’m not paying them.
So the value exchange needs to be crystal clear in terms of what participants actually get in return. I researched four successful projects that faced the same challenge:
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When the data doesn’t exist: A research pivot
I’ve been wrestling with how to frame ThoughtCounter. Initially, there were two threads – creating a direct contemplative experience and critiquing wellness capitalism. But when I drafted the first deck, something felt off.
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Sottsass yantra sculptures
I came across Sottsass’s Yantra series from the late 1960s. I’m inspired by his simple geometric forms which were functional (to some degree) but primarily spiritual objects. He described the design process itself as meditation.
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What actually matters
I’m wondering now if the idea of creating a product is burying the core experience of getting people to notice their thoughts and having a genuine insight about the nature of their own mind.
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Leaning into ambiguity
The more I think about it, the more I wonder if ThoughtCounter could be something genuinely useful rather than just a parody. And perhaps the ambiguity of that is the point.
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Stoicism, Greece & ThoughtCounter
I’ve just finished reading Boris Becker’s book about his time in prison. In it, he describes attending Stoicism classes that had a profound impact on how he managed his thoughts during his time inside.
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Visualising ThoughtCounter
I’m going to visualise each element of ThoughtCounter – the space, the display, and the product itself. What’s interesting is that sketches and work from earlier in the course are suddenly relevant again. There’s a body of work that can tie in.
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“Brand as art” references
Three artists who use branding/advertising aesthetics as their medium and message, and why I’m leaning into this approach.
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What if ThoughtCounter was a product?
I was looking at products for inspiration for the ‘clicker’ and came across Surplus Research headphones. Their branding execution is on point and the promo video is brilliant; I loved the retro vibe with the colour grading and vintage iPod. They use a password-protected purchase link to crank up demand and hype. A really interesting new brand with great marketing.
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