Supporting practitioner-patient communication in Chinese medicine consultations
Inner Flow is an interactive communication tool designed to support Traditional Chinese Medicine consultations. It explores how abstract ideas such as hot and cold imbalance, blocked flow, and bodily change can be made easier to understand through physical interaction and visual feedback.
The final artefact combines three key elements: a mouth-like input model, tangible tokens representing food properties, and an illuminated human figure that responds to practitioner input. During a consultation, the practitioner can demonstrate how different foods or conditions may affect the body by selecting areas of blockage and showing changes in flow through light. This helps patients see and discuss concepts that are usually invisible and difficult to explain in words alone.
Rather than diagnosing or giving medical advice, the project works as a communication bridge between practitioner and patient. It focuses on clarity, interaction, and accessibility, especially for people who are unfamiliar with Traditional Chinese Medicine or struggle to understand its language in a consultation setting.