The Crock of Shh: A Whispering Water Interface for Reshaping Reality
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Waylan Ables, Brandon. “The Crock of Shh: A Whispering Water Interface for Reshaping Reality.” Proceedings of the 27th International Conference on Multimodal Interaction (New York, NY, USA), ICMI ’25, Association for Computing Machinery, October 12, 2025, 772–74. https://doi.org/10.1145/3716553.3757088.
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Abstract
The Crock of Shh is a water dispenser interface designed for typing messages to water. Instead of dispensing water quickly, users must press the nozzle repeatedly to scroll through whispered positive words representing letters of the alphabet. Each short press releases a small amount of water, slowing the process and creating time for reflection. Users listen to the whispered words by placing their ear near the water tank, which resonates the sounds through an audio exciter. Four buttons on the interface allow users to scroll forward or backward through the spelling alphabet, select letters, insert spaces, and print messages on a Dymo label printer. The printed labels, in black ink on transparent material, can be attached to a water cup or the dispenser jug. The printed labels transmit positive messages, fostering a connection between the user and the water. The work builds on ideas of slow technology, embodied interaction, and placebo effects.