Burnout haunts our modern world, its shadow lengthening as work bleeds into every corner of our lives. We juggle endless digital demands and society's relentless expectations. Though researchers have mapped its terrain extensively, we still struggle to recognize our own descent into its depths.
Running on Empty brings burnout to life through an immersive first-person experience. The installation translates Leiter & Maslach's five burnout profiles into tangible, walkable journeys using augmented reality and physical spaces.
This project combines Research through Design (RTD) with Critical Design approaches, weaving narrative-driven interactions with Augmented Reality overlays that simulate digital stressors in real environments. The concept of storytelling aiding people with recognizing their own burnout symptoms has been validated through multiple prototypes and a comprehensive evaluation method. The approach teaches through embodied experience, showing how burnout evolves from eager engagement to hollow exhaustion.
The project demonstrates how augmented reality, narrative, and spatial design can combine as
powerful tools for experiential learning about mental health and well-being.