What is interaction?

Interaction includes varieties of human behaviors. It is a process that people act and react to those around them — exchange of opinion and ideas, competition when there is shared goal but only one can attain , collaboration when a group of individuals work together to achieve shared objective , and so on.

Even though modern interactivity has been automated, modified and re-modified in so many ways, there are two things remain unchanged: 1) people design rules. Systems and symbols are created to communicate ideas and achieve expectations. 2) The need for interactivity, especially social interactivity doesn’t really start with online social media. But with social media platform such as Facebook or Twitter, the older channels like websites, blogs or emails are becoming the new norms. Why? Interactive content matters.

The In-class fantasy device we made last week went beyond the older norms- the traditional washing machine, and here is the thinking process we went through–

Kaini and I both hated doing laundry. So we wanted to invent something/someone that comes to rescue. In the first picture, you can see we started the functionality and space diagram with the device.  Is it going to something stay in the same place? or something mobile?  In the end, we want to make it mobile, so this device would conveniently come to us, not the other way around.

Next, to eschew conventional cold and non-human appearance, I came up with the concept that we should make this device somewhat of human, and most of all, sound-controllable by voice or clapping hands, so there is two-way interaction.  We then started assigning different spaces with functionality and how it behaves when working and walking around. I suggested that this device should play music when doing laundry.

However, Kaini thought the idea of robot is a tad cheesy, and suggested THE EGG would be more interesting and fun. She also came up that this device should be rechargeable, like a young bird going back to its nest to restore. We both think this device should be able to move around and picking up dirty laundry. When not working, it will stay out of everyone’s way by resting at the corner.  We also want the owners of this device should be able to use it when they are away on vacation or business trip. So this device can also be activated and controlled through mobile interface such as a smartphone.

The only downside in the whole process was that, we were so excited about thinkging about what it can do and how it will interact with owner, we simply forgot the first and the most important element when doing laundry, where does water and detergent go? That is simply a major design flaw, to say the least :).

Through this exercie, I learned that the key to build a quality interaction is being to listen and listen well, and not being distracted by other non-core advantages, which is reiterated and reaffirmed by  “The art of interactive design”, and certainly something I will try to keep in mind going forward.