Environment interaction: character, challenges & implications for design

  • Authors:
  • Mikael Wiberg;Erik Stolterman

  • Affiliations:
  • Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;Indiana University, Bloomington

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia
  • Year:
  • 2008

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Abstract

With the current development towards completely interactive environments realized through ubiquitous computing technologies and new transmaterials, the interaction landscape is changing from consisting of separated computer environments and related human-computer interaction issues, to being more about interactive architecture and human- (digitally enhanced) environment interaction. Given this general shift it becomes important to examine the fundamental challenges, consequences, and implications for design facing interaction designers. In this paper we therefore set out to: 1) describe the general character of these future interactive environments, 2) discuss interaction design challenges related to fully interactive environments, and 3) point at some general implications for design given this new understanding. To exemplify this trend, we describe two ongoing research projects that illustrate some aspects of the changes of the physical environment and changes in the (traditional) relation between the physical environment and its habitants. Finally, we present some arguments for environment interaction theorizing as a fundamental approach to tackle this general and fundamental challenge for the field of human-computer interaction.