Abridge is a response to a quiet, familiar tension: the growing emotional distance between students and their parents. As young adults navigate newfound independence, maintaining regular, meaningful contact with family often becomes inconsistent—not due to a lack of care, but because of time, guilt, or emotional overwhelm. Parents, meanwhile, seek small signals of connection, often left waiting in silence.

Recognizing this gap, Abridge sets out to reimagine how families stay emotionally present in each other’s lives—without the pressure of constant conversation. Our approach combined observational research, stakeholder conversations, and generative design methods to explore the subtle, often invisible dynamics of communication between generations.

Through this journey, we sought interventions that feel light yet meaningful—something that acknowledges each other without demanding too much. The result is a concept that leverages small digital gestures, emotional context, and ambient presence to help bridge the space between families. Abridge supports the quiet maintenance of relationships. By lowering the emotional and logistical effort of checking in, it helps students and parents feel closer, even when they’re apart.

Studio Instructor
Juanli Carrion

Designers
Vani Jayasankar