Interaction design in a complex context: medical multi-disciplinary team meetings

In order to improve collaboration on, and visualisation of, patient information in medical multi-disciplinary team meetings, we have developed a system that presents information from different medical systems to be used as a support for the decision process. Based on field studies, we have implemented a high-fidelity prototype on tablet-sized displays, and tested it in a realistic setting. Our evaluation proved that more patient information can efficiently be displayed to all meeting participants, compared to the current situation. Interaction with the information, on the other hand, proved to be a complicated activity that needs careful design considerations; it should ultimately be based on what roles the meeting participants have, and what tasks they should complete. Medical decision-making is a complex area, and conducting interaction design in this area proved complex too. We foresee a great opportunity to improve medical work, by introducing collaborative tools and visualisation of medical data, but it requires that interaction design becomes a natural part of medical work.

NordiCHI '12 Proceedings of the 7th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Making Sense Through Design 

TOTA: a construction set for the impending apocalypse

Toys of the Apocalypse (TOTA) is a construction kit with an immersive narrative that allows children to create their own toys with simple components and homemade polymers. It gives children an entry point to electronics and programming that allows for complete creative control of both aesthetics and mechanics. The objective of TOTA is to introduce children to the basics of circuitry, programmed behavior, and mechanical engineering.

IDC '13 Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children 

Interaction-driven design: a new approach for interactive product development

As a new approach to interactive product development, we found possibilities in interactions themselves as the starting point of a product development, and propose a concept of interaction-driven design. We focused on the movements in interactions, such as users' input behaviors and feedback movements from the system's output. In this paper, design patterns and their characteristics for three different interactive product development approaches, including our newly proposed one, were examined through an ideation workshop: 1) user-driven product development, 2) technology-driven product development, and 3) interaction-driven product development. We were able to see that results for the development of interactive products differed depending on the combining order or the linking patterns of factors such as form, function, and interaction. Interaction-driven product development opens up a wider range of linking possibilities compared to the other two approaches.

DIS '12 Proceedings of the Designing Interactive Systems Conference 

The play grid

In this paper we propose The Play Grid, a model for systemizing different play types. The approach is psychological by nature and the actual Play Grid is based, therefore, on two pairs of fundamental and widely acknowledged distinguishing characteristics of the ego, namely: extraversion vs. introversion and agency vs. communion. The former pair concerns a person's orientation towards either inner or outer reality, while the latter has to do with orientation towards autonomy vs. being a part of something. When placing these pairs of characteristics on different axes and combining them, we arrive at the Play Grid. Thus, the model has four quadrants, each of them describing one of four play types: the Assembler, the Director, the Explorer, and the Improviser. It is our hope that the Play Grid can be a useful design tool for making entertainment products for children.

IDC '13 Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Interaction 

Exploring social interaction in co-located multiplayer games

Games have always been a social activity. Playing digital games affords spending time with people; helps build personal connections between individuals and helps to redefine the personality of the player while in play. Games also enable to build the concept of togetherness as a means to foster and enhance the concept of social connectedness, mutual dependencies, collaboration, community living and social interaction. We present a work in progress digital game installation to create multi-level social interactions between the player, the spatial game environment and the digital game. We discuss MagicDuel, a multiplayer digital game, where we are in the process of evaluating the socio-spatial contextual relationship between the players, the audience and gameplay elements for this specific digital game.

CHI EA '13 CHI '13 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems Pages 1119-1124 

The relationship between industrial design and interaction design in product development activities

This paper describes the relationship between industrial design and interaction design in product development activities based on a case study. The case study is grounded on a specific product's design and development activity. This study shows that the most intense collaboration takes place in early phases of the development activity such as concept generation and creation of design alternatives. This study also shows that there are differences in terms of methods, techniques and design languages in approaching the design problem, understanding users between industrial designers and interaction designers. Therefore conducting more case studies regarding this result might contribute to develop thriving techniques, design and representation languages.

CHI EA '12 CHI '12 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems 

Towards an Empowering Tangible Interaction Design for Diversity

The seven principles of Universal Design, such as ”4. Perceptible Information” and ”5.
Tolerance for errors”, are formulated from the design’s or system’s perspective. The
principles focus on the qualities of the system or design, not on the value of use, the
long time experience and use by many different people. Nor do the principles embrace a
cultural and social understanding of the value of things, designs and situations.
In this paper we argue for the necessity to broaden this narrow system or product design
perspective, when designing to empower diverse users. Our field of study is musical and
cross-media Tangible Interaction Design, where multimedia computer capabilities are
included in everyday objects. Our goal is to motivate social and musical co-creation for
families with disabled children to improve their health and quality of life. To extend our
design thinking, practice and understanding of a design’s value, meaning and
empowering potential, we build on a humanistic health approach, resource-oriented
thinking, Positive psychology and Empowerment philosophy. In the paper we present
and discuss how we design cross-media, interactive, tangible and musical things to
motivate and empower a variety of users in our on-going RHYME project.

Include Asia 2013: Global Challenges and Local Solutions in Inclusive Design, Hong Kong

The Role of Cultural Forms in Tangible Interaction Design

I suggest an approach to tangible interaction design that builds
on social and cultural foundations. Specifically, I propose that
designers can evoke cultural forms as a means to tap into users’
existing
cognitive,
physical,
and
emotional
resources.
The

emphasis
is
less
on
improving
the
usability
of
an
interface
and

more
on
improving
the
overall
experience
around
an
interactive
artifact
by
cueing
productive
patterns
of
social
activity.

My
use
of
the
term
cultural
form
is
derived
from
the
work
of

Geoffrey
Saxe
and
his
form-function
shift
framework.
This

framework describes a process through which individuals
appropriate cultural forms and restructure them to serve new
functions in light of shifting goals and expectations. I describe
Saxe’s framework and then illustrate the use of cultural forms
in design with three examples.

7th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction 

Magical Realities in Interaction Design

The field of interaction design is littered with examples of
artefacts, which seemingly do not adhere to well-known
physical causalities and our innate expectations of how
artefacts should behave in the world, thereby creating the
impression of a magic reality; where things can float in
mid-air, the usually inanimate TV can become animate, two
separate objects can become physically connected, and we
can move objects with our mind. The paper presents
Subbotsky’s [21] four types of magical causalities: mindover-matter
magic,
animation
magic,
nonpermanence
magic

and sympathetic magic, as a way to reflect upon the
magical realities constructed by technological artefacts.

7th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction 

Tangible user interface; Organic user interface; Natural user interface; Guides; Craftsmanship; Immateriality.

In this paper, we present the novel concept of ephemeral
user interfaces. Ephemeral user interfaces contain at least
one user interface (UI) element that is intentionally created
to last for a limited time only and typically incorporate materials

that evoke a rich and multisensory perception, such
as water, fire, soap bubbles or plants. We characterize the
term “ephemeral user interface” and, based on a review of
existing user interfaces that fall into this research area but
have not been discussed under one common term before,
we present a design space for ephemeral user interfaces
providing a terminology for (a) materials for ephemeral UI
elements, (b) interaction and (c) aspects of ephemerality.
This paper contributes to the ongoing research on materiality

of user interfaces as well as on conceptualizing visionary
interaction
styles
with
novel
materials.


7th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction 

Empowering Materiality: Inspiring the Design of Tangible Interactions

Tangible user interfaces utilize our ability to interact with
everyday objects in order to manipulate virtual data.
Designers and engineers usually follow the rule “form
follows function”, they support an existing interaction with
a purpose-built interface. Still, we do not fully exploit the
expressiveness of forms, materials and shapes of the non-
digital objects we interact with. Therefore, we propose to
invert the design process: we empower materiality to
inspire the implementation of tangible interactions. Glass
objects were chosen as an example of culturally and
structurally rich objects: in a three-month workshop, these
glass objects were transformed into interactive artefacts. In
the paper, we present three resulting contributions: First, we
describe our inverted design process as a tool for the
stimulation of multidisciplinary development. Second, we
derive a list of material-induced interactions. Third, we
suggest form-related interactions as a means of designing
future tangible interfaces. 

7th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction 

FireFlies: Physical Peripheral Interaction Design for the Everyday Routine of Primary School Teachers

This paper presents a research-through-design study into
interactive systems for a primary school setting to support
teachers’ everyday tasks. We developed an open-ended
interactive system called FireFlies, which is intended to be
interacted with in the periphery of the teacher’s attention and
thereby become an integral part of everyday routines. FireFlies
uses light-objects and audio as a (background) information
display. Furthermore, teachers can manipulate the light and
audio through physical interaction. A working prototype of
FireFlies was deployed in four different classrooms for six
weeks. Qualitative results reveal that all teachers found a
relevant way of working with FireFlies, which they applied
every day of the evaluation. After the study had ended and
the systems were removed from the schools, the teachers kept
reaching for the devices and mentioned they missed FireFlies,
which shows that it had become part of their everyday routine

7th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction 

An Event Not to Remember: The Psychological Dimensions of Designing for Transparent Experience

This paper is intended to highlight the theoretical psychological concerns of designing for transparent experience in embodied design interaction. To illustrate the discussion a study of elevator user experience is referred to. The study was undertaken in two of Adelaide’s (Australia) tallest office buildings and methods involved included field observations and interviewing. The results of 50 short interviews (maximum five minutes) are discussed in connection to observed design and aesthetic factors. Emphasis is placed on theories of conscious and unconscious experience, in addition to embodiment, intentionality and representation. The nature of elevators and elevator design interaction is used as an example in which the extremity of embodiment means that positive user experience is that of sensory perception which remains unrepresented. The user is situated in a network of physical and psychological relationships comprising elements of physical vulnerability, trust, and social engineering (conscious and unconscious). The desired outcome of which is flow – flow in movement, as well as in thought and social engagement. While elevator travel may be made fun in some user contexts, in environments such as office buildings successful elevator usage is that which goes relatively unnoticed.

8th International Conference on Design Principles and Practices

NON-DIRECTIVE EXPERIENCE DESIGN

How do we design ambiguous and non-directive  interactive artefacts that offer multiple ways of engagement? This article presents the initial thoughts on the form-giving of tangible interactive prototypes for practices that demand nonauthoritative designs without specific functionality.  In a project designing for children with profound cognitive disabilities, we adopt a shift towards a holistic user understanding and material and expressional explorations as key strategies for addressing their emotions and senses, rather than focusing on cognitive advances. The result was two exploratory interactive sensory pillows with a variety of different expressions and modes of interaction. We propose how design for nondirective practices can be framed by initial  articulations of the desired experiences, emotions  and senses, based on empathic insights of the  users. From these, we suggest to experiment with  various materials to explore potential forms for  ambiguous designs that allow for a multiplicity of ways of interacting with them. 

Nordic Design Research Conference 2013

Oris: Bonding through maternal scent

In this paper, we discuss the conceptual design of an intimate garment worn by mothers of prematurely born babies that supports the early and continuous bonding between the two of them by exposing the baby to her unique maternal scent. Scientific literature as well as outcomes from interviews with a mother of prematurely born baby and neonatal nurses refers to positive impacts of maternal scent on the psychological bonding between a mother and her child as well as positive physiological impacts on the baby’s wellbeing. These outcomes led us to develop a concept called Oris, which through its interactions and functionalities promotes the bonding through maternal scent. Further, we discuss the semantic interaction design applied to the concept as well as metaphorical meaning of a difficultly envisioned human scent. Further, we propose the application of smart textile materials for collection, sustaining and diffusion of a human scent in different environments. Lastly, we discuss the semantic analysis of the conceptual design.

Design and semantics of form and movement DeSForM 2013

Smart interactions for home healthcare: A semantic shift

A semantic shift is happening in the health industry. Healthcare is moving ever more towards home recovery and care, while time spent at hospital keeps reducing. This is beneficial for patients with faster recovery times and for the health industry through reduced costs. Home healthcare means that medical devices that assist people to look after themselves now need to establish an appropriate communication loop with the patient. There is no longer a focus on the medical device communicating with the medical practitioner through mainly only denotation of meaning. We suggest that the new communication loop implies that the medical device can sense information from the patient’s body, it can react to the data gathered and it can communicate back to the patient through denotation and connotation of meaning: making the information relevant for people’s everyday lives, addressing pragmatic and hedonic aspects, and not only through the display of data. This paper analyses a number of medical devices for home healthcare. We suggest a set of criteria that designers can use when designing smart interactions  for empowering patients to take care of their health. We present a number of designs from the School of Design, Victoria University of Wellington and assess them according to our suggested criteria.

Design and semantics of form and movement DeSForM 2013

Project Loci: Haptic Interactions Influence Situational Awareness

Today, technology functions primarily as a means to  provide access or give form to information. Personal electronic devices allow us to access this information from almost any place, at any time, yet the most common way to access this information is through screen-based interfaces. Project Loci demonstrates the feasibility of using haptics as a method to convey more complex information – in this case, using a locationaware backpack that provides tactile feedback to the  user to indicate the relative safety level of their location.  This project demonstrates how integrated haptic technology allows people to receive information in a more  intuitive, physical manner beyond the screen.

Design and semantics of form and movement DeSForM 2013

Underground stations, while offering necessary access points to public transportation service facilities, offer great opportunities of urban dinamization. The paper presents the results of a design project aimed to improve the travel experience of passengers in the local transportation system. The design activities were based on ethnographic research on field, demonstrating that the quality of social interaction is a relevant component of the travel experience, also influencing emotions and psychological wellbeing of passengers; the design solutions were provided in terms of innovative collaborative services and produced a variety of suggestions about the potential role of non tangible solutions in the creative improvement of public spaces. The paper presents the results of the ethnographic investigation, outlines the design methodology employed, and reports some designed solutions.

Underground stations, while offering necessary access points to public transportation service facilities, offer great opportunities of urban dinamization. The paper presents the results of a design project aimed to improve the travel experience of passengers in the local transportation system. The design activities were based on ethnographic research on field, demonstrating that the quality of social interaction is a relevant component of the travel experience, also influencing emotions and psychological wellbeing of passengers; the design solutions were provided in terms of innovative collaborative services and produced a variety of suggestions about the potential role of non tangible solutions in the creative improvement of public spaces. The paper presents the results of the ethnographic investigation, outlines the design methodology employed, and reports some designed solutions.

ICDC2012 Glasgow

EMPLOYING RANDOM PROCESSES AND STORYTELLING FOR DESIGN CREATIVITY

This paper describes and demonstrates teaching methods and results from seminars that employed random processes and combinatorics in the ideation phase, and storytelling for concept development purposes. The seminars where focussed on multi-touch software applications, but the processes and methods can as well be transferred to other areas of design. With the help of random based creativity techniques, a huge number of ideas were generated in a limited time. In a second step, promising ideas were further evolved with a storytelling approach, ensuring a user-centred view. The resulting stories then were used as a source for use case descriptions and the design of activity-diagrams.

ICDC2012 Glasgow

AN IMPROVEMENT IN METHOD: FROM USER STUDY FIRST TO FAST CONCEPT DESIGN FIRST

The most common design process in the interaction design industry is user research-concept design-prototype testing. This process can help designers to identify target users, design products, and services. However many students have trouble applying the results of user research to improve their design using this process. The Hunan Univ.-Nokia joint curriculum aims to improve this by combining fast concept design and user research into a single process. This new process features immersive teaching and individual-team alternating iterative method, which solves the problem without sacrificing the creativity of the student.

ICDC2012 Glasgow