HUM

Translating Emotion into Urban Atmosphere

VISUALIZATION

Berlin · Spandau · Pankow — each district feels different.

HUM introduces itself

cities feel,

and now you can too.

Designed by Merve Kartal · Experience Design MA · Berlin, 2026

Cities have moods, but we don't see them.

WHAT WE MEASURE

TEMPERATURE: 23°C

NOISE LEVEL: 65 dB

LOCATION: Mitte, Berlin

POPULATION DENSITY: 13,000/km²

How It Works

Step 1 — Free Expression

Users share how they feel — by voice or text, in whatever words come naturally.


Step 2 — AI Interpretation

HUM's AI distills the input into a 1–2 word emotional tag. Original entry never stored.


Step 3 — Collective Atmosphere

The tag maps to the user's location and merges with others — building a living city mood.

Each neighbourhood

has its own emotional

signature.

The blob speaks before

words do.

Colour, shape, and motion

carry the emotional weight

of a place.

Each neighbourhood

has its own emotional

signature.

Key Takeaways

Designing for collective, not individual

Most UX focuses on personal journeys. HUM required thinking about groups without exposing individuals.


Abstraction as a UX tool

The orb communicates more than a chart ever could.


Ethics built into the system

Anonymity wasn't a feature — it was the foundation of every design decision.

CONCEPT

HUM - A shared emotional layer of the city

Anonymous

Emotional inputs are shared
without history, or traceability.

Collective

Individual expressions are

never shown on their own.

AI aggregates inputs into

a shared emotional atmosphere.

Abstract

Emotions are translated into

abstract forms and sound,

avoiding literal labels.

Anonymous

Emotional inputs are shared without history, or traceability.

Collective

Individual expressions are

never shown on their own. AI aggregates inputs into a shared emotional atmosphere.

Abstract

Emotions are translated into abstract forms and sound, avoiding literal labels.

How It Works

Step 1 — Free Expression

Users share how they feel — by voice or text, in whatever words come naturally.


Step 2 — AI Interpretation

HUM's AI distills the input into a 1–2 word emotional tag. Original entry never stored.


Step 3 — Collective Atmosphere

The tag maps to the user's location and merges with others — building a living city mood.

HUM introduces itself cities feel, and now you can too.

HUM introduces itself cities feel, and now you can too.

HUM introduces itself cities feel, and now you can too.

HUM introduces itself cities feel, and now you can too.