Public displays are used a variety of contexts, from utility
driven information displays to playful entertainment displays.
Spherical displays offer new opportunities for interaction
in public spaces, allowing users to face each other
during interaction and explore content from a variety of
angles and perspectives. This paper presents a playful installation
that places a spherical display at the centre of a
playful environment embedded with interactive elements.
The installation, called Enter the Circle, involves eight
chair-sized boxes filled with interactive lights that can be
controlled by touching the spherical display. The boxes are
placed in a ring around the display, and passers-by must
“enter the circle” to explore and play with the installation.
We evaluated this installation in a pedestrianized walkway
for three hours over an evening, collecting on-screen logs
and video data. This paper presents a novel evaluation of a
spherical display in a public space, discusses an experimental
design concept that blends displays with embedded
interaction, and analyses real world interaction with the
installation