rem
for the moments that don't wait
- timeline
- mar 6 to 9, 2026
- role
- ui/ux designer
- team
- 4 people
- skills
- ui/ux design · figma design · figma make
Overview
I participated in Figma's annual designathon (FigBuild 2026) with 5,600+ participants to design a mobile app and contact lens interface that reads biometric signals to passively capture moments.
What I contributed:
Needfinding
- Conducted user research
- Created 3 use cases focused on storytelling and target audience
Product
- Designed, prototyped, and built a functioning 12-screen onboarding process, home page, profile, settings
Where we started
There's a well-documented phenomenon where the act of taking a photo actually impairs your memory of the thing you photographed.
Your brain outsources the remembering on technology and stops encoding the experience itself.
If camera is making memory worse,
What would a camera that didn't ask anything of you look like?
Moreover,
How might we reclaim our memories without compromising living in the present?
User research
78%
of 13 to 17-year-olds report checking their mobile devices at least hourly.
91%
of people rely on digital devices as an extension of their memory.
Social media is affecting our transactive memory (the way our brains divvy up and store information).
In the age of social media and smartphones, we know where to find information about or proof about the event, but don't retain as many details about the experience stored internally in our memory.
"..We have the added pressure of capturing a fleeting moment and concentrating on getting it right. Our brains are caught up helping us take that perfect photo instead of retaining that perfect memory." — Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D. Psychological Science at University of California, Irvine
Ideation
We used Figma Design to wireframe and layout the brand identity
We experience nostalgia only after time has passed, leaving us unable to recognize the moments we will one day miss.
Design
The user flow should feel natural
I lowered the barrier to entry by prioritizing a frictionless start, allowing users to engage with the product immediately.
Challenges
How can we tackle the major concern of safety and privacy?
We established the following user guidelines:
I. rem assumes no legal liability over footage recorded.
II. rem collects and processes biometric data, including pupil response and humidity, to trigger its recording function.
III. rem is not responsible for injury, irritation, infection, or vision impairment resulting from improper use, failure to follow fitting guidelines, or use by individuals who have been advised against contact lens wear by a medical professional.
Lens are designed on a 1 to 1 basis based on biometrics, and footage is designed to be accessed solely by its individual user. Users can opt out of recording at any time by pausing recording, and can toggle privacy modes for an added layer of protection all via the app. Users can also opt out of certain biometrics and detection triggers they do not wish to be tracked.
Safeguards:
- Face-blurring, to anonymize those in the background
- Visual cues
- Haptic cues: two very light taps, close together, almost like a small exhale, signaling the lens have started recording
Use cases
I created 3 different use cases to visualize how the product applies to our target audience
Jason, a 19-year-old college sophomore who struggles to balance classes and social life.
Jason and his friends are sitting on the grass outside their dorm after a long study session. They start laughing about the time earlier that afternoon when one of their friends tried to open the wrong dorm room door three times before realizing it wasn't theirs.
As Jason looks at his friends, the rem lens detects signals of emotional significance: prolonged eye contact, laughter, and increased pupil dilation. The lens gently signals that it has captured a short clip.
Over time, the app reveals a pattern: many of Jason's most meaningful memories come from unplanned late-night conversations with friends.
Rebecca, a 24-year-old young adult who has just entered the workforce, moving to NYC from a small town.
While Rebecca's excited about her new job, her days often feel repetitive: commuting to work and sitting in meetings. She misses her family and the familiar rhythms of life back home. One evening, Rebecca calls her mother while walking through the city after work. As they talk, she pauses on a quiet street corner while the sun sets between the buildings.
During the call, the rem lens detects subtle emotional signals: Rebecca's gaze on the skyline, changes in her voice tone, and heightened emotional response hearing her mother's laughter. The lens quietly captures the moment.
Looking at the app's insights, Rebecca realizes that the calls she makes to her family are some of the moments that ground her during this transitional time.
Audrey, a 22-year-old artist who spends long hours working and crafting in her studio.
Many of Audrey's days look similar: experimenting with materials, sketching, and starting over when something doesn't work. Because these routines feel ordinary, she rarely thinks to take photos of them. Yet months later, she often realizes that those nights in the studio were some of the moments she misses most.
One night, after hours of struggling with a sculpture, Audrey finally finds a form she loves. She leans back, feeling a sense of satisfaction. Her rem lens detects a pattern of signals (prolonged gaze and emotional relief) and records a short memory.
The app helps her visually document her artistic journey, helping her recognize that the process of creating is where she feels most fulfilled.
What I learned
How to design beyond the limitations of our current technology while also considering realistic issues and constraints
Special thanks to my amazing team Alina Qian, Matthew Yu, and Tiffany Zhang :)