DGN2522 · Creative prototyping: Interactivity

Overview

This unit introduces you to the exciting interdisciplinary field of prototyping interactive models, blending creativity from art, design, and architecture. Whether you're experienced in prototyping or completely new to it, this unit will expand your skills and knowledge by incorporating interactive elements into your work. Through practical workshops, you'll learn to fabricate prototypes, assemble electronic circuits, and write simple code to create innovative interactions. No prior knowledge of coding or electronics is required; you'll develop these skills through hands-on, weekly activities. Experimenting with electronic microcontrollers and sensors, you'll detect various aspects of the physical world like light, sound, temperature, and presence. This sensory data can be creatively expressed through kinetic movement, generated light, and sound, resulting in compelling interactive prototypes. Studying contemporary leaders and precedents in tangible embodied interaction will provide insights into the broader context and potential of your work. By the end of the unit, you'll have a deeper appreciation for integrating digital and tangible aspects in interactive design, equipped with the skills to fabricate innovative prototypes that transcend traditional boundaries.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

100% in-semester assessment

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Create prototypes by combining digital fabrication, sensors, and expressive components to explore interactive technologies;
2. Demonstrate a foundational understanding of electronics in prototyping;
3. Identify core microcontroller functions and their role in designing interactive systems;
4. Apply design principles to map interactions and control electronic sensors and actuators, transforming concepts into prototypes that incorporate visual, auditory, kinetic and other sensory inputs;
5. Maintain a design journal that creatively documents your ideas and prototype development, highlighting both fabrication and electronic circuit design;
6. Explore the potential of interactive prototyping and discuss the importance of critical making in art, design, and architecture, focusing on how tangible interaction prototyping can expand the boundaries of interaction design.

Workload

12 hours per week including 3 contact hours plus 9 hours of independent study.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.