Communication is everywhere. Whereas humans started talking face-to-face, messages are no longer bound to distance nor time. Well, at least a part of those messages. This is a problem. “Every communication has a content and relationship aspect such that the latter classifies the former and is therefore a meta-communication.” Paul Watzlawick A deliberate message is created in the mind of a person.

When talking face-to-face, the relationship aspect is covered by emphases, facial expression, simply the whole body. Modern communication, however, uses smartphones. Texting is the channel of choice. But what happens while texting? The message has to be encrypted using a few letters, maybe some numbers or smileys. Usually this way of encrypting only considers contents, since feelings are difficult to describe.

Without emotions the content becomes blurred and loses important information. However, smartphones are clever and collect all kind of data about their users. Why not use this data for easier communication? The Facial Action Coding System by Paul Ekman offers an analysis of microexpressions. Tiny visual movements in faces are analyzed and categorized and can therefore be used in Folded. The messages create a soft relation to each other without squeezing feelings into stiff numbers. Folded adds depth.

http://vimeo.com/150189950