Abstract

The focus of this dissertation, The Interface and Us, explores two separate methodologies, Rich Interaction and Emotional Durability, as collaborators in the creation of an experience in which the product and the user feel understood by one another. The dissertation uses a qualitative approach with a constructivist directive. A series of iterative prototypes are created, imbuing theory strongly into practice, with all major design decisions informed by the above methodologies. 

Rich Interaction methodology focuses on reconsidering tangible interfaces from a human perspective, drawing inspiration for the associations and expectations we as users hold toward product typologies. Emotional durability focuses on endowing features and values into products which artificially manifest an emotional relationship between consumers and products as a method of increasing product retention. A variety of data sources were used, including online surveys and in-person user testing, to influence the design of iterative prototypes, and establish the gestural connotations associated with product typologies as well as the emotional attachment users have towards those typologies. This dissertation found that both methodologies can be fulfilled and in instances enhance one another.  

The key findings were collated into a set of four principles which incorporate the foundational aspects of both methodologies in tandem with the execution of these values. The Rich Interactions directive of “inviting one to interact through form and behaviour” was enhanced by Emotional Durability through the embodiment of animacy; the anthropomorphising of product behaviour completes the emotional aspect of the Rich Interaction methodology. The Emotional Durability effect is paralleled by the design principles of the Rich Interaction methodology, so that functionality is not impeded, but rather, enhanced. The dissertation demonstrates that these methodologies, in combination, work to create an enjoyable user experience which meets the user’s needs in both a physical and emotional context. 

Design Intent

The focus of this project is the definition and manifestation of a mutually beneficial intersection between the Rich Interaction and Emotional Durability methodologies. The project hopes to embody the product–user connection elicited from the design of tangible interfaces directly informed by gestural connotations and human perception. This concept works in tandem with the emotional connection obtained from products exhibiting human behaviour and anthropomorphism, thereby creating products that are connected to the user on both a functional and emotional level. The Emotional Durability methodology incorporates sustainable design practices that focus upon creating products which elicit an emotional connection between themselves and the user in order to aid in product retention, thereby extending the product’s life span. Emotionally durable qualities can be imbued into a product by drawing upon a combination of foundational elements, including involvement, animacy, materiality, evolvability, and consciousness. Rich Interactions, as defined by Joep Frens, is an alternative intersection between analog and digital products which emphasises the seamless integration of form, function, and interaction, thereby challenging the disconnect seen between the input and function of digital devices. This disconnect highlights the pitfalls of contemporary product interfaces, where the inputs they provide lack a connection with their function. Rich Interaction subverts this methodology by incorporating the gestures and emotions users associate with the product’s function. This concept presents an alternative sustainable design solution in which the product elicits an emotional connection from the user through its understandability and affordances, while manifesting a more novel and enjoyable user experience. This notion contributes significantly to design practice, offering a new paradigm for sustainable design by proposing a mutually beneficial intersection between the Rich Interaction and Emotional Durability methodologies that works to subvert the current throw-away culture experienced within contemporary consumer habits. 

Bio

Bill Nelson is an industrial designer with a Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Product Design from the University of Technology Sydney, completing his honours degree within Integrated Product Design. Bill is interested in the subjective and speculative; in particular, how consumers interact and engage with their products. His work specifically delves into the intricacies of tangible user interfaces, the borderline between the digital and analog, and the intersection between the two. From his previous work, he brings an understanding of the necessities of product interfaces and a passion for exploring the ways in which we engage with digital mediums in a tangible and holistic manner, with a focus upon achieving a balance between the analog and digital. His work explores the potential of Rich Interaction methodology to create a seamless intersection between the analog and digital through the integration of tangible interfaces. He is inspired by Emotional Durability methodology to create products which manifest a positive and holistic experience that fulfils an emotional connection between the user and the product.

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