Games 4 Therapy

Getting closer to the interaction design scene. 

Yesterday we went to see a conference about interaction design and the projects of the designers. It was a really interesting way of understanding the context and research process. In order to design well we should understand the user as well.

Travelling quicker

The first presentation that we have seen was about improving the human flow at train stops. How can people board their trains faster? In order to understand this process better, Marie de Vos followed the train users’ behavior and their way of getting into the train. The research they did lead them to develop a bright sign in the station that shows green and red areas. The colours differentiate between the wagons of an arriving train that are crowded or empty.

Human Machine Interface

IconMobile presented about design expertise in incar experience. They really show us that they work for the user’s demands, although they have to think about safety. It is a little “tricky” to design an interface when you are in the car, because the driver is supposed to pay attention to the road. They design what we expect in the future, what we as users would like to see, but with safety in mind. Markets, car manufacturers, global trends and markets are influencing factors that affect this area.

No signal

The third presentation was about a project that involves the use of sensors. The aim of the project was to turn off the signal of the mobile phone when the user is in a certain social case. So whenever the sensor detects somebody it turns off the signal, so people could really physically interact. It seems to us that this is a more experimental and artistic project than a really doable one.

Just draw the line

Het Stedelijk museum in Amsterdam asked Luna Maurer to develop a project where people could interact and be a part of something bigger. She developed “Your Line or Mine”. People had a paper with dots that they had to connect. At the end, all papers were placed after one another, which made for a very creative movie. It seemed like a very engaging experience and the visitors loved to participate in a project like this.

See you next week!
Games4Therapy