A DESIGN METHODOLOGY OF MOVING AND MAKING STRANGE:
AN EMBODIED APPROACH TO MOVEMENT-BASED INTERACTION DESIGN
The emerging field of movement-based interaction design brings the moving body to the fore of the design process and, in doing so, requires a reexamination of existing approaches to designing interaction. Gestural and whole-body interaction is now possible with the currently available range of motion-sensing technologies that take human movement as input. Design approaches that incorporate an understanding and valuing of the moving body and felt, kinaesthetic experience can contribute to creating conditions for technology-mediated human experience anchored in the sensing, feeling, and moving body — an embodied approach that takes full account of the central role of the body and movement in lived cognition. The methodology is informed by theories of phenomenology and somaesthetic pragmatism, which provide a commitment and orientation to understanding the lived body in its world. The methodology draws on creative and analytic knowledge, strategies and techniques from dance, somatics and the social sciences, to provide a movement filter on the traditional human-centred design process.
The methodology offers designers a set of perspectives, principles, methods and tools, that provide resources for exploring, generating and testing design concepts and prototypes, grounded in sensory movement experiences. The three perspectives include the first-person experiential, the observer and the machine. The principle of making strange is fundamental to the methodology. Making strange is a tactic for disrupting habitual perceptions and ways of thinking. Or in this case, moving, sensing and feeling in order to open up new spaces for design. The general principles of the design methodology motivate a design approach that can easily be extended into other kinds of technologies and design contexts, not just movement-based interactive technologies. The design methodology can provide a general framework for conducting technology design and research, where the multiple perspectives of the first-person experiential, the observer and the machine are equally valued. It can be combined with existing interaction design approaches, thus extending the work of others to more fully incorporate the first-person perspective of those who use the technology.
The design methodology was developed and refined over 3 projects: Eyetoy, Bystander and Falling Into Dance during the period 2002-2008. It continues to evolve as new design contexts and conditions arise. Current projects applying and extending the methodology include:
The methodology has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.
AN EMBODIED APPROACH TO MOVEMENT-BASED INTERACTION DESIGN
The emerging field of movement-based interaction design brings the moving body to the fore of the design process and, in doing so, requires a reexamination of existing approaches to designing interaction. Gestural and whole-body interaction is now possible with the currently available range of motion-sensing technologies that take human movement as input. Design approaches that incorporate an understanding and valuing of the moving body and felt, kinaesthetic experience can contribute to creating conditions for technology-mediated human experience anchored in the sensing, feeling, and moving body — an embodied approach that takes full account of the central role of the body and movement in lived cognition. The methodology is informed by theories of phenomenology and somaesthetic pragmatism, which provide a commitment and orientation to understanding the lived body in its world. The methodology draws on creative and analytic knowledge, strategies and techniques from dance, somatics and the social sciences, to provide a movement filter on the traditional human-centred design process.
The methodology offers designers a set of perspectives, principles, methods and tools, that provide resources for exploring, generating and testing design concepts and prototypes, grounded in sensory movement experiences. The three perspectives include the first-person experiential, the observer and the machine. The principle of making strange is fundamental to the methodology. Making strange is a tactic for disrupting habitual perceptions and ways of thinking. Or in this case, moving, sensing and feeling in order to open up new spaces for design. The general principles of the design methodology motivate a design approach that can easily be extended into other kinds of technologies and design contexts, not just movement-based interactive technologies. The design methodology can provide a general framework for conducting technology design and research, where the multiple perspectives of the first-person experiential, the observer and the machine are equally valued. It can be combined with existing interaction design approaches, thus extending the work of others to more fully incorporate the first-person perspective of those who use the technology.
The design methodology was developed and refined over 3 projects: Eyetoy, Bystander and Falling Into Dance during the period 2002-2008. It continues to evolve as new design contexts and conditions arise. Current projects applying and extending the methodology include:
- Complex Bodies and Distributed Choreographies: a collaboration with architect Dr Dagmar Reinhardt, exploring the creation of novel spatial environments through programmed materiality. 2012 – present.
- Waking Up The Feet: the design of interactive objects for disrupting the habit-body and promoting creative agency, through the application of dance and somatics knowledge.
The methodology has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.
- Loke, L. and Robertson, T. (2013) Moving and Making Strange: An Embodied Approach to Movement-based Interaction Design. ACM Trans. Comput.-Hum. Interact. 20, 1, Article 7 (March 2013), 25 pages. Special issue on The Theory and Practice of Embodied Interaction in HCI and Interaction Design. http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/2442106.2442113
- Loke, L. and Robertson, T. (2010) Studies of dancers: Moving from experience to interaction design. International Journal of Design, 4(2), pp.39-54, Special Issue on Aesthetics of Interaction. http://www.ijdesign.org/ojs/index.php/IJDesign/article/view/714/302
- Loke, L. and Robertson, T. (2009) Design representations of moving bodies in interactive, immersive spaces, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 67 (4), pp.394-410.
- Robertson, T. and Loke, L. (2009) Designing Situations. In Proceedings of OZCHI 2009.
- Loke L. and Robertson T. (2008) Inventing and Devising Movement in the Design of Movement-based Interactive Systems. In Proceedings of OZCHI 2008, pp. 81-88.
- Loke, L., Robertson, T. (2007) Making Strange with the Falling Body in Interactive Technology Design. In Proceedings of Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM 2007), eds L. Feijs, S. Kyffin & B. Young, Newcastle, UK.
- Robertson, T., Mansfield, T., Loke, L. (2006) Designing an Immersive Environment for Public Use. In Proceedings PDC2006, Trento, Italy, 1-5 August, 2006.
- Loke, L., Robertson, T. and Mansfield, T. (2005) Moving Bodies, Social Selves: Movement-oriented Personas and Scenarios. In Proceedings of OZCHI 2005.
- Loke, L., Larssen, A. T. and Robertson, T. (2005) Labanotation for Design of Movement-Based Interaction. In Proceedings of Interactive Entertainment 2005.
- Robertson, T., Mansfield, T. and Loke, L. (2004) Human-Centred Design Issues For Immersive Media Spaces. In Proceedings of Future Ground 2004, the Design Research Society’s International Conference.
- Larssen, A. T., Loke, L., Robertson, T. & Edwards, J. (2004) Movement as Input for Interaction – A Study and Evaluation of two Eyetoy(TM) Games. In Proceedings of OZCHI 2004.
A practical form of the methodology is available in a set of resources. Please contact [email protected] for more information. As a starter, you can download 3 movement exercises. More resources are under development ...
| resources-mms-loke28aug12.pdf |