Hi, I'm HIMANK NAGPAL !
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Concept Note — LeaveWell
Awkwardness, in all its subtle forms, is a quiet emotional friction we carry through our everyday interactions. It is not dramatic like heartbreak, nor catastrophic like loss, yet it unsettles us in ways we rarely articulate. The uncertain pause in a conversation, the unsolicited advice offered with conviction, the suffocating closeness of an elevator ride, or the uneasy politeness shared with a politically charged cab driver — these are the mundane yet persistent spaces where our social selves falter. We navigate these moments with forced smiles, hurried nods, and an internal wish for escape, often left wondering why something so small feels so emotionally disproportionate.
LeaveWell emerges from this very tension — an imagined companion for the soft, invisible discomforts we often swallow rather than confront. While framed humorously, its underlying premise touches a deeper truth: the human longing for boundaries that are respected, exits that are graceful, and conversations that do not drain our emotional reserves. It acknowledges that not all discomfort is loud; sometimes it is the quiet “should you…” from a well-meaning relative, or the heavy silence after a poorly timed comment, that leaves us searching for an anchor. LeaveWell becomes that anchor — promising ease where we feel socially exposed, and offering dignity in moments where we often lose it.
In conceptualizing LeaveWell, I wanted to explore how design — even in its fictional form — can mediate the fragile spaces between intention and expression. The modes within the system, from Rishtedaar Mode to Face Saver Mode, act as playful metaphors for the boundaries we aspire to uphold. Through them, the project reflects a truth we rarely admit: we oscillate constantly between wanting to connect and wanting to withdraw, between honesty and politeness, between being present and protecting ourselves.
LeaveWell, in its essence, is a small tribute to this human oscillation — an attempt to imagine a world where exits are gentle resolutions and not escapes .
The making
Motivation
The motivation for this project traces back to a two-day workshop with Stephan Forseilles, an AI expert from Belgium, where we were challenged to create a fictional company that solves a specific problem. What began as a light-hearted exercise — I initially considered a subscription service for household chores — gradually unfolded into something richer once I allowed myself to look at the brief through the prism of speculative design. I found myself drawn to the emotional texture of awkwardness, that small but persistent discomfort that punctuates everyday life. From that feeling, the idea of LeaveWell emerged: a playful yet meaningful exploration of how one might exit conversations with grace rather than abruptness.
This project also stemmed from a deeper desire to expand my relationship with new media tools particularly AI. I felt the need to build something that challenged me technically and aesthetically. LeaveWell became that opportunity — a sandbox to confront my hesitation around complex AI-driven workflows while crafting something narratively engaging.
The making of this project was a layered journey across 5–7 AI tools. Midjourney served as the starting point, generating the initial visual language. Runway then animated those stills, breathing motion into imagined scenes. I recorded a short two-to-three-minute voice and video sample from a smartphone for ElevenLabs, allowing the system to clone my voice and body language and re-embody the narrative. ChatGPT helped me shape and refine the script, while Canva AI structured the presentation deck which was then worked upon using MS PowerPoint where the story lived visually and verbally. Finally, HeyGen brought all these fragments together — avatar, voice, visuals, and pacing — into a cohesive pitch film.
In that sense, LeaveWell became more than a fictional service; it became a personal attempt to understand how humor, emotion, and emerging technology can converge, and how speculative storytelling can enrich my practice as a new media designer.