Neoaltar: An interactive multimedia day of the dead experience

Technology has permeated many aspects of human life, from everyday events, entertainment, learning environments, festivities, even solemn ceremonies; such is the case of the century-old Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead. Altars or offerings as they are sometimes called, are a central part of this celebration; whether they are small homemade shrines or big public installations, they are a narrative medium to tell the life-story and honor the memory of a beloved or important individual. This paper presents the creation of a traditional and technologically enhanced offering dubbed Neoaltar, from the identification and classification of narrative elements found in traditional altars, the proposal of an interactive multimedia interface based on a user experience model, and the construction, installation, live demonstration and evaluation of the altar. The exhibition of the offering was done during the most important and publicly open Day of the Dead event in the Mexican city of Juárez; as part of this study a survey was created, and information gathered from 120 users is analyzed and presented. The Neoaltar strives to tell the life story of the departed by introducing a non-linear interactive multimedia narrative while keeping with tradition by using a non-invasive approach to technology inclusion

Circus, Play and Technology Probes

Physical training can be frustrating and hard, especially for those who experience additional challenges to access and control their proprioceptive senses. In the context of designing for children with Sensory-based Motor Disorder, we designed and deployed a series of Training Technology Probes to be used in circus training. Here we focus on how these were used, tested, and appropriated by children and instructors during a six-week circus training course. Through these explorations, we identified a range of potential benefits from using their functions in training. We present the Physical Training Technology Probes and the benefits they brought to training. We show how the technology functions helped children focus and provided feedback related to posture and balance. Furthermore, their open-ended designs and versatile options for use were crucial in exploring their contributions to training, and in how they helped foster creative engagement with technology and training. Our work contributes towards understanding the specific requirements when designing for the target group, and more generally contributes with design strategies for technology support for skill training.</p