Chaotic Timer

Reina Suyeon Mun

Chaotic Timer subverts the mechanism of a conventional timer through stress. Its goal is to break out of one's daily rhythmic flow, obsessed with perfectionism, daily tasks, and agendas.

The device takes in the user's stress level as input and asks the user to dial the duration of time to count down in minutes and seconds. The stress level is factored into the timer duration- the greater the stress level, the slower it countdown the time.

The idea is to use the stress level as an indicator of one's urge to break out of their current routine. The passage of time is indicated through the motion of the four oscillating modules.

Through the timer’s own system of time, the four modules algorithmically transition from a state of chaotic dynamics to an orderly state of synchronized motions. Over time, the timer manifests the coexistence of chaos and symmetry.

The timer breaks out of the element of precision a conventional timepiece embeds. It treats the act of breaking out of a routine as a required need of one’s daily rhythmic flow.

Reina Mun works in the field of design and new media art. Mainly through interactive objects, sophisticated devices, and speculative design, her works reimagine existing ideas and conceive alternate perceptions of what is accepted.

With playful design language and interactivity, her works aim to provide the user with space for reflections on topics ranging from social, techno-politics, and ubiquitous matters.

She is currently a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of…

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