sweetspot
A tabletop signal that lets solo studiers quietly say “you can sit here,” making it easier for groups to find space in a crowded library.
YEAR
2026
ROLE
Designer
SKILLS
UX Research, Physical Prototyping
TEAM
Class team project
The Problem
Finding a seat in Northeastern Snell Library is hard, and not only because it’s full. Solo studiers often spread out across large tables, leaving open seats that no one feels comfortable claiming. Groups end up circling floor after floor, and the space goes unused because the polite thing to do is not to ask.
The Solution
SweetSpot is a flippable tabletop object that signals whether a table is open to share. Green means “sit here.” Red means “reserved mode,” for solo focus or for saving seats for friends. Flipping it pours rice through the stem like a rain stick, so changing your status feels playful, and satisfying.
Observation
Over two days, we sat in a corner of Snell’s second floor and watched how student chose where to sit. We tracked whether they joined a table someone was already using, kept searching, or left the floor entirely. Right after each observation, we stopped some students for quick interviews to ask why they made that choice.
What students told us:
They weren’t against sharing, they just didn’t want to be the one to ask.
They were afraid of bothering someone.
They were open to sharing large tables, but not small ones.
Testing
We placed seven units in Snell and observed for 11 hours.
Outcome
With the prototype, 23.5% of students sat at a shared table, compared with 30% before. Every one of those students chose a larger table. The object drew strong reactions, from “stop, this is so cool” to “I would use this if I was really lonely,” but none of those reactions led someone to sit down.
Takeaways
Visibility wasn’t the main problem. Most people saw and understood the signal. A signal shows that a seat is open, but it doesn’t remove the awkwardness of sitting next to a stranger. Curiosity can backfire: some students treated the object as a toy instead of a tool.
Retrospective
Turn the green state into an invitation, with wording like “come say hi.” Use a question-style prompt like “looking for a seat?” to make the system faster to understand. Run the study for several days