Design and semantics of form and movement (DeSForM 2006)

Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM) grew from applied research exploring emerging design methods and practices to support new generation product and interface design. The products and interfaces are concerned with: the context of ubiquitous computing and ambient technologies and the need for greater empathy in the pre-programmed behaviour of the ‘machines’ that populate our lives. Such explorative research in the CfDR has been led by Young, supported by Kyffin, Visiting Professor from Philips Design and sponsored by Philips Design over a period of four years (research funding £87k). DeSForM1 was the first of a series of three conferences that enable the presentation and debate of international work within this field: • 1st European conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM1), Baltic, Gateshead, 2005, Feijs L., Kyffin S. & Young R.A. eds. • 2nd European conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM2), Evoluon, Eindhoven, 2006, Feijs L., Kyffin S. & Young R.A. eds. • 3rd European conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM3), New Design School Building, Newcastle, 2007, Feijs L., Kyffin S. & Young R.A. eds. Philips sponsorship of practice-based enquiry led to research by three teams of research students over three years and on-going sponsorship of research through the Northumbria University Design and Innovation Laboratory (nuDIL). Young has been invited on the steering panel of the UK Thinking Digital Conference concerning the latest developments in digital and media technologies. Informed by this research is the work of PhD student Yukie Nakano who examines new technologies in relation to eco-design textiles

An Integrating Framework for Mixed Systems

International audienceTechnological advances in hardware manufacturing led to an extended range of possibilities for designing physical-digital objects involved in a mixed system. Mixed systems can take various forms and include augmented reality, augmented virtuality, and tangible systems. In this very dynamic context, it is difficult to compare existing mixed systems and to systematically explore the design space. Addressing this design problem, this chapter presents a unified point of view on mixed systems by focusing on mixed objects involved in interaction, i.e. hybrid physical-digital objects straddling physical and digital worlds. Our integrating framework is made of two complementary facets of a mixed object: we define intrinsic characteristics of an object as well as extrinsic characteristics of an object by considering its role in the interaction. Such characteristics of an object are useful for comparing existing mixed systems at a fine-grain level. The taxonomic power of these characteristics is discussed in the context of existing mixed systems from the literature. Their generative power is illustrated by considering a system, Roam, which we designed and developed

An Integrating Framework for Mixed Systems

International audienceTechnological advances in hardware manufacturing led to an extended range of possibilities for designing physical-digital objects involved in a mixed system. Mixed systems can take various forms and include augmented reality, augmented virtuality, and tangible systems. In this very dynamic context, it is difficult to compare existing mixed systems and to systematically explore the design space. Addressing this design problem, this chapter presents a unified point of view on mixed systems by focusing on mixed objects involved in interaction, i.e. hybrid physical-digital objects straddling physical and digital worlds. Our integrating framework is made of two complementary facets of a mixed object: we define intrinsic characteristics of an object as well as extrinsic characteristics of an object by considering its role in the interaction. Such characteristics of an object are useful for comparing existing mixed systems at a fine-grain level. The taxonomic power of these characteristics is discussed in the context of existing mixed systems from the literature. Their generative power is illustrated by considering a system, Roam, which we designed and developed

Interactive sonification exploring emergent behavior applying models for biological information and listening

Sonification is an open-ended design task to construct sound informing a listener of data. Understanding application context is critical for shaping design requirements for data translation into sound. Sonification requires methodology to maintain reproducibility when data sources exhibit non-linear properties of self-organization and emergent behavior. This research formalizes interactive sonification in an extensible model to support reproducibility when data exhibits emergent behavior. In the absence of sonification theory, extensibility demonstrates relevant methods across case studies. The interactive sonification framework foregrounds three factors: reproducible system implementation for generating sonification; interactive mechanisms enhancing a listener's multisensory observations; and reproducible data from models that characterize emergent behavior. Supramodal attention research suggests interactive exploration with auditory feedback can generate context for recognizing irregular patterns and transient dynamics. The sonification framework provides circular causality as a signal pathway for modeling a listener interacting with emergent behavior. The extensible sonification model adopts a data acquisition pathway to formalize functional symmetry across three subsystems: Experimental Data Source, Sound Generation, and Guided Exploration. To differentiate time criticality and dimensionality of emerging dynamics, are applied between subsystems to maintain scale and symmetry of concurrent processes and temporal dynamics. Tuning functions accommodate sonification design strategies that yield order parameter values to render emerging patterns discoverable as well as , to reproduce desired instances for clinical listeners. Case studies are implemented with two computational models, Chua's circuit and Swarm Chemistry social agent simulation, generating data in real-time that exhibits emergent behavior. is introduced as an informal model of a listener's clinical attention to data sonification through multisensory interaction in a context of structured inquiry. Three methods are introduced to assess the proposed sonification framework: Listening Scenario classification, data flow Attunement, and Sonification Design Patterns to classify sound control. Case study implementations are assessed against these methods comparing levels of abstraction between experimental data and sound generation. Outcomes demonstrate the framework performance as a reference model for representing experimental implementations, also for identifying common sonification structures having different experimental implementations, identifying common functions implemented in different subsystems, and comparing impact of affordances across multiple implementations of listening scenarios

Interface design of educational games for middle school students

The purpose of this report is to identify interface design elements in educational games for a middle school audience. The four games in this report were selected based on their availability to the general public and their reputable developers. The purpose in undertaking this research is to determine interface and interaction conventions in educational games for 11-14 year olds in order to make recommendations to designers and developers. This report identifies the ways each game approaches important features such as art direction, providing feedback, portraying significant events, indicating clickable items, and event timing. It discusses the games’ techniques to guide gameplay. This report also addresses how interface design supports pedagogical goals.Curriculum and Instructio

Multi-Level Sensory Interpretation and Adaptation in a Mobile Cube

Signals from sensors are often analyzed in a sequence of steps, starting with the raw sensor data and eventually ending up with a classification or abstraction of these data. This paper will give a practical example of how the same information can be trained and used to initiate multiple interpretations of the same data on different, application-oriented levels. Crucially, the focus is on expanding embedded analysis software, rather than adding more powerful, but possibly resource-hungry, sensors. Our illustration of this approach involves a tangible input device the shape of a cube that relies exclusively on lowcost accelerometers. The cube supports calibration with user supervision, it can tell which of its sides is on top, give an estimate of its orientation relative to the user, and recognize basic gestures

Insomnia : the affordance of hybrid media in visualising a sleep disorder

The integration of visual and numerical abstraction in contemporary audio-visual communication has become increasingly prevalent. This increase reflects the evolution of computational machines from simple data processors. Computation and interface have augmented our senses and converged algorithmic logic with cultural techniques to form hybrid channels of communication. These channels are fluid and mutable, allowing creatives to explore and disseminate knowledge through iterative media practice. Insomnia is an auto-ethnographic case study that examines the affordance of merging Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) and node- based programming software (TouchDesigner), as a hybrid media system (McMullan, 2020). As a system, Insomnia compiles my archived brain activity data and processes it through a custom designed generative visualisation interface. Documenting and ‘processing’ a sleep disorder is filtered through key concepts of media archaeology, cultural techniques, and practice-led research allowing Insomnia to inform discussion of the affordance of hybrid media. Insomnia is presented as a virtual exhibition with a supporting exegesis. The methodology and outcomes of the project form a framework that bridges science communication and creative practice and points to continued development for interactive installation design

Form as an abstraction of mechanism

There is an emergent body of research linking the nature of form to design, functionality and user experience. This paper builds on these recent studies to propose a new approach connecting conceptual-design with advanced manufacturing techniques. Using the properties of work materials and advanced forming manufacturing processes, radical approaches to design and production could be open to designers and engineers, offering novel modes of user experience. By firstly reviewing the literature on product form and its bond with the concepts within the fields of user interaction and user experience, a number of “functional mechanisms” are introduced that could potentially be integrated into this new and more homogeneous manufacturing framework