Ylva Fernaeus

Finding design qualities in a tangible programming space

We reflect upon the process of developing a tangible space for childrens collaborative construction of screen-based systems. As in all design work, the design process involved continual refinements of initial ideas and their practical realisation. We discuss how some widely held assumptions often put forward with tangible interfaces were given up in favour of reaching overall goals of interaction. In particular our design involved a shift from a focus on persistent representation and readability of tangible code structures, to instead focus on achieving reusability of programming resources. On a general level, our results illustrate a view on tangibles as resources for action instead of only as alternative forms of data representation. Importantly, this view includes action directed towards the computer as well as off-line socially oriented action conducted with the tangible artefacts.

Towards a new set of ideals: consequences of the practice turn in tangible interaction

The practice-oriented turn in social sciences has implied a series of fundamental consequences and design challenges for HCI in general, and particularly in tangible interaction research. This could be interpreted as a move away from scientific ideals based on a modernist tradition, reflected in four contemporary themes in tangible interaction research. The first theme concerns a shift from an information centric to an action centric perspective on interaction. The second concerns a broadened focus from studying properties of the system, to instead aim at supporting qualities of the activity of using a system. The third concerns the general shift towards supporting sharable use, rather than primarily individual use settings. The last theme concerns the shift towards multiple and subjective interpretation of how to use new technological artefacts. We discuss how these themes are grounded in theoretical as well as more concrete technical developments in the area of tangible computing.

The material move how materials matter in interaction design research

The topic of Materials has recently surfaced as a major theme within the research field of interaction design. In this paper we further discuss the need for in-depth descriptions of specific design cases, by revisiting some of our own research-through-design efforts when working with new or not yet fully explored materials for mobile interaction. We outline a series of design challenges that we see commonly arising in this domain, divided into three general themes; 1) affordances of hardware and casings, 2) experiential properties of different software solution, and 3) material properties of sensors, radio-signals, and electricity. Our main conclusion is that research in interaction design needs an extended focus on how systems are crafted from and together with properties of digital materials, and how new knowledge gained from those processes can be shared.

Beyond representations : towards an action centric perspective on tangible interaction

In the light of theoretical as well as concrete technical development, we discuss a conceptual shift from an information-centric to an action-centric perspective on tangible interactive technology. We explicitly emphasise the qualities of shareable use, and the importance of designing tangibles that allow for meaningful manipulation and control of the digital material. This involves a broadened focus from studying properties of the interface, to instead aim for qualities of the activity of using a system, a general tendency towards designing for social and sharable use settings and an increased openness towards multiple and subjective interpretations. An effect of this is that tangibles are not designed as representations of data, but as resources for action. We discuss four ways that tangible artefacts work as resources for action: (1) for physical manipulation; (2) for referential, social and contextually oriented action; (3) for perception and sensory experience; (4) for digitally mediated action.

“Looking At the Computer but Doing It On Land”: Children’s Interactions in a Tangible Programming Space

We present a tangible programming space designed for children’s collaborative construction of screen-based interactive systems. The design is based on three goals for interaction and activity: supporting co-located collaborative activity, screen-based execution, and what we call behaviour-based programming. Further, we analyse the interactions within a group of 10 year olds who used the system to create a live fantasy world together. The results show how the tangible resources shaped the activity of programming so that bodily actions and positioning became prominent. This is conceptualized through the notion of embodied programming, which highlights how programming activity must be understood through its interlinking to external resources and context.

Interaction Design as a Bricolage Practice

With this paper we propose bricolage as an interaction design practice. We make the case that bricolage promotes design qualities that are specifically tuned to tangible and material computing practices in that it is highly sensible towards the unstable physical world and proposes a non-hierarchical negotiation of forms. We further show how bricolage can aid design results with strong and rich cultural and material grounding. Finally, we argue how bricolage and mythical thinking can be proponents for new ways of thinking and using technology.

Revisiting the jacquard loom: threads of history and current patterns in HCI

In the recent developments of human computer interaction, one central challenge has been to find and to explore alternatives to the legacy of the desktop computer paradigm for interaction design. To investigate this issue further we have conducted an analysis on a fascinating piece of machinery often referred to as one of the predecessors of the modern day computer, the Jacquard loom. In analysing the Jacquard loom we look at qualities in design and interaction from some different perspectives: how historical tools, crafts, and practices can inform interaction design, the role of physicality, materiality, and full-body interaction in order to rethink some current conceptions of interaction and design of computational devices.

Leather as a material for crafting interactive and physical artifacts

Leather is a material used for the making of artifacts ever since early human history, and which can be used also in contemporary design for various types of interactive and electronic products. In this paper, we present a series of small scale explorations of leather, first as skin close interfaces for physical engagement, and secondly in terms of crafting using hand tools and a laser cutter. We reflect on our experiences along these two strands and discuss future possibilities of leather as a rich material for providing new types of interactive experiences. By discussing emerging topics related to traditional crafting processes and contemporary rapid fabrication with this material, we find a great potential of merging such processes and tools for future interaction design settings.

In the hands of children: exploring the use of mobile phone functionality in casual play settings

We present the results of a study on how Swedish children aged 10--12 use their mobile phones in public indoor and outdoor settings, and in particular how these are taken into use in unsupervised social play. Through a combination of ethnographic observations and focus group interviews we report on how existing mobile phone functionalities were handled in these settings, as well as how the children themselves described their own and each others mobile phone usage. Our findings illustrate a general pattern of appropriating and utilising commonly available technical features to extend existing play activities, and also to invent new ones based on the functionalities that they discovered. An important observation was also the extensive sharing of media content, which played an essential role in social interactions.

Are we living in a robot cargo cult

We use the Cargo Cult metaphor to discuss visions, methods and communication of robot research. Essentially cargo cult involves performing of imitative rituals that are conducted without understanding the underlying cause of a phenomenon. We discuss how this is an ongoing challenge within the field of HRI, and what researchers could do to avoid contributing to a robotic cargo cult.