Peter Gall Krogh

Aesthetic interaction: a pragmatist's aesthetics of interactive systems

There is a growing interest in considering aesthetic aspects in the design of interactive systems. A set of approaches are emerging each representing different applications of the terminology as well as different inherent assumptions on the role of the user, designer and interaction ideals. In this paper, we use the concept of Pragmatist Aesthetics to provide a framework for distinguishing between different approaches to aesthetics. Moreover, we use our own design cases to illustrate how pragmatist aesthetics is a promising path to follow in the context of designing interactive systems, as it promotes aesthetics of use, rather than aesthetics of appearance. We coin this approach in the perspective of aesthetic interaction. Finally we make the point that aesthetics is not re-defining everything known about interactive systems. We provide a framework placing this perspective among other perspectives on interaction.

Collaborative augmented reality environments: integrating VR, working materials, and distributed work spaces

In this work, we present a new method for displaying stereo scenes, which speeds up the rendering time of complex geometry. We first discuss a scene splitting strategy, allowing us to partition objects to the distant background or the near foreground. Furthermore, wededuce a computation rule for positioning a cutting plane in the scene.

In formation: Support for flexibility, mobility, collaboration, and coherence

AbstractThis paper describes support for flexibility, mobility and collaboration in engaging with, and making sense of, information. Our focus lies on the transitions people make between different, dynamic configurations of digital and physical materials, technologies, people and spaces. The technologies we describe have been developed in partnership with landscape architects over the past two years. We show that appliances and people can come together in a way that creates scope for such transitions, collaboration, and the emergence of new ways of working.

Floor interaction HCI reaching new ground

Within architecture, there is a long tradition of careful design of floors. The design has been concerned with both decorating floors and designing floors to carry information. Ubiquitous computing technology offers new opportunities for designing interactive floors. This paper presents three different interactive floor concepts. Through an urban perspective it draws upon the experiences of floors in architecture, and provides a set of design issues for designing interactive floors.

Tactics for homing in mobile life: a fieldwalk study of extremely mobile people

For many people home making is an activity, which extends beyond a single house. We introduce the terminology of Homing as the act of home making, when in a primary home, secondary home or more temporary spaces. By point of departure in existing literature on home making and through ethnographic studies of extremely mobile people we identify general tactics for homing. We present the identified tactics and show how people deploy not only one but several tactics in their intention of making a homely feeling despite not being in their primary home. We review the mobile technologies currently in use and argue that several of the tactics identified are currently not well supported. We discuss how technology design can learn from this study through pointing to the potential in designing mobile technologies to better support these unsupported tactics. We consider the tactics as a tool for deeper understanding of mobile practices and thus informing the design of more relevant future technologies for people engaged in a mobile lifestyle.

Peephole experiences: field experiments with mixed reality hydroscopes in a marine center

This paper discusses the principle of Peepholes in the context of aesthetics of interaction. The idea of Peepholes is to stimulate curiosity, imagination, and exploration by allowing users access to only a small part of a larger universe. The paper discusses the development and first evaluation of a concrete instance of the Peephole principle for a marine centre, where Peepholes are designed as mixed reality Hydroscopes to study a digital ocean universe with fish and other undersea phenomena. The design and evaluation of the Hydroscope installation is discussed and issues for future design are outlined. Following this discussion, we move to consider the concept of Peepholes in relation to interaction design and aesthetics of interaction more generally and outline four central dimensions of peepholes: the senses, the social, the spatiality, and the tangibility.

Sensitizing Concepts for Socio-spatial Literacy in HCI

People inherently share spaces with other people. Congenitally, interactive technologies and ubiquitous environments shape our opportunities for enacting social relations. Proxemics and Spatial Sharing have been suggested as foundations for our understanding of the socio-spatial aspects of computing. By tandeming these theoretical perspectives in a set of cases in the office domain, we develop a contribution comprised of 3 key sensitizing concepts: Proxemic Malleability, Proxemic Threshold and Proxemic Gravity articulating socio-spatial qualities at the interplay between interactive systems, spaces, interior elements and co-located people. The sensitizing concepts qualify interaction designers in considering proxemic consequences of technology design; they serve both as analytic lenses and as generative instruments in a design process. The proposed sensitizing concepts and the theoretical work of the paper contribute to enhanced Socio-spatial literacy in HCI.

Ways of Drifting—Five Methods of Experimentation in Research Through Design

Design experiments are claimed to be a core means of inquiry in the research tradition of research-through-design. However, it is rarely articulated how the experiments were carried out in order to test a hypothesis, to begin a fruitful journey into unexplored design terrain or just gradually build knowledge. On the basis of the analysis of ten PhD theses we provide a typology comprised of five forms of design experiments in research-through-design. This provides a general outline of the characteristics which point to the methodological roles that design experiments and design work may acquire in research-through-design. Our typology of design experiments in research-through-design accounts both for relations between major cases and iterations embodied in detailed sketches and prototypes. The purpose of the typology is to provide an overview that respects and account for the less-than-ideal way design research actually happens: process-loops where hypothesis, experiments, and insights concurrently affect one another and result in a drift of research focus and continued adjustment of experiments to stabilize the research endeavour.

I'll knock you when I'm ready...: reflecting on media richness beyond bandwidth and imitation

Following the research field of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC), we explore and expand upon the notion of media richness. We consider the term outside its ordinary domain of conventional communication mediums, such as email, phone or video calls. We focus on minimal communication, and the qualities of suggestive interactions that mediate communication. We introduce Knock-Knock as a novel, shape-changing communication medium, and use it as a rhetorical tool to reflect upon the notion of media richness. In doing so, we highlight the value of meaning and language creation that suggestive communication mediums make possible. Finally, we propose three directions for the future evaluation of the richness experienced in communication, mediated by suggestive communication artefacts.

Proxemic Transitions: Designing Shape-Changing Furniture for Informal Meetings

The field of Shape-Changing Interfaces explores the qualities of physically dynamic artifacts. At furniture-scale, such artifacts have the potential of changing the ways we collaborate and engage with interiors and physical spaces. Informed by theories of proxemics, empirical studies of informal meetings and design work with shape-changing furniture, we develop the notion of proxemic transitions. We present three design aspects of proxemic transitions: transition speed, stepwise reconfiguration, and radical shifts. The design aspects focus on how to balance between physical and digital transformations in designing for proxemic transitions. Our contribution is three-fold: 1) the notion of proxemic transitions, 2) three design aspects to consider in designing for proxemic transitions, and 3) initial exploration of how these design aspects might generate designs of dynamic furniture. These contributions outline important aspects to consider when designing shape-changing furniture for informal workplace meetings.