Designing tangible artefacts for playful interactions and dialogues

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on the design process and iterative development of two tangible artefacts that aim to encourage and explore playful interactions and dialogues between grandchildren and grandparents living at separate locations. These designed prototypes respond to the Magic Box which is a cultural probe specifically created to explore playful activity at-a-distance in a non-electronic way. This paper reports on the process of project definition, technical design requirements, scenario creation and iterative prototype development. We interpret the ethnographic data from the Magic Box research; we develop activity scenarios to describe potential activities; and we design and develop working interaction prototypes to be tested in the field in future studies.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  A. General Literature
  A.0 GENERAL

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)

Keywords:
design, interaction design, intergenerational communication, ludic activity, phatic technologies, playful interaction