Selective elective course (6 ECTS). Highly recommended: Design for Interactive and Social Media Environments

The Tangible Interactions course embraces the paradigm shift in interaction design brought about by recent developments in physical computing and sensor technologies, to consider physical space and everyday objects (embedded with switches, sensors and microcontrollers) as interfaces for controlling digitally mediated experiences.

This relatively new field has vast creative potential and freedom that students are encouraged to explore. The course focuses on how humans interact with such everyday objects, the environment and networked objects. It gives the students the possibility to take part in the exploration of new social interaction patterns, to conceptualise and design demonstrators and working prototypes that address a unique set of design problems.

Tangible Interactions is a practice-led course, beginning with a series of short workshops dealing with a range of physical interaction technologies and approaches that lead into two larger projects. The practical aspects of the course will be complemented by a series of lectures and talks by a range of practitioners and specialists in the field.

The course tasks will focus on a particular area of application for tangible interaction (in the past, this has included exhibitions, and RFID-based products and toys).

AHO has a rich history of specialism in tangible interactions and physical computing, including a three year research project on RFID embedded in physical objects, Touch. (more details at www.nearfield.org)

Students will

• explore connections between interaction design and industrial design
• get an overview of research and projects within the field of physical computing and the history of tangible interactions; the approaches, issues and problems faced by designers in the field
• Gain an understanding of historical and current technologies and practical applications, and envisage future trends and possibilties.
• Explore and practice interaction design methodology, innovation processes, embodied interaction and social computing in a physical context.
• Develop a critical framework and approach to the analysis and discussion of work in the field
• Understand the possibilities of working with interaction design within specific contexts;
• Design interactive installations with a focus on engaging experiences for communication, education and play.

All students will be taught methods and tools to make working physical prototypes, and gain basic practical abilities with electronics. Students will have the opportunity to work with RFID, microcontrollers and a broad range of sensors for prototyping and design-testing.

The course is based upon hands-on learning through doing by experimenting with physical interaction: using sensors, processing data, and creating feedback and responses. The course starts with a series of weekly workshops that will give students an understanding of tangible interactions and the practicalities of electronics, sensors and actuators. The remainder of the semester will comprise two major assignments.

In workshops, the course encourages experimentation and reflection. Students are encouraged to play with interactive prototypes using both physical materials and digital programming. The goal is to re-evaluate tradition and develop novel, yet natural and appropriate solutions.

Areas covered:

• Designing tangible interactions and novel ways of using them.
• Using a range of interface technologies.
• Using different senses for interaction, like sound or movement.
• Incorporating sensors into objects, environments and structures.
• Designing systems that range in size from the hand, to the body to the scale of buildings or cities.
• Design methodologies for interaction design and physical computing.

The practical aspects of the course will be complemented by a series of lectures and talks by leading exponents and practitioners in the field, covering a wide range of issues associated with tangible interactions.

Evaluation will be based on the following elements in percentage:

• 80% Design projects, presentations, minor deliverables, workshops and appropriate presentation material for the end of term AHO-works exhibition. Projects will be assessed for their creativity, expression, innovation, usability and appropriateness of design.
• 20% Evaluative report

The semester has an 80% mandatory general attendance and a 90% attendance at lectures and workshops.

The course will be assessed by an external sensor/examiner.

Tentative dates for project deadlines and evaluation criterias will be distributed at course start.

The course is assessed as pass/fail, subject to the Regulations for Master’s degree programmes at Oslo School of Architecture and Design, § 6-14.

Mandatory reading

Banzi, Massimo (2009). Getting started with Arduino. Make Books.

Dourish, P. (2001). Where the action is: the foundations of embodied interaction. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

Freyer, C., Noel, S., & Rucki, E. (2008). Digital by design: crafting technology for products and environments. London: Thames & Hudson

Greenfield, A. (2006). Everyware: the dawning age of ubiquitous computing. Berkeley, Calif.: New Riders.

Igoe, T. (2007). Making things talk: [practical methods for connecting physical objects]. Beijing: O'Reilly.

Sterling, B., & Wild, L. (2005). Shaping things. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

Thackara, J. (2005). In the bubble: designing in a complex world. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

And in addition a compendium will be handed out at course start.

Recommended reading:

Troika (2008). Digital by Design: Crafting Technology for Products and Environments. London: Thames and Hudson.