Among the various ideas explored in the blogs by Tom Igoe about physical computing, two projects particularly caught my attention: Floor Pads & Scooby-Doo Paintings. Using floor pads seems like a fun & creative way to create interactive experiences that suggest actions without telling users how to feel about those actions; it’s more like a performance, as described in the other reading. I’m curious to learn more about integrating floor pads into future projects, as well as gloves. The second concept, the Scooby-Doo paintings, reminded me of the Mona Lisa’s mysterious gaze, which some claim to be a myth. I wonder how much of a difference it makes to use a camera instead of a distance sensor to detect a face and eyes, and if anyone has attempted to recreate that with a reproduction of the Mona Lisa or another famous ancient painting.
Furthermore, the second essay about “Making Interactive Art” (enjoyed the catchy title) made several solid claims that I completely agree with. What makes art memorable is your experience with it, how it made you feel, which is unique to everyone…I appreciate the author’s emphasis on creating space for users to interpret things freely. Additionally, the idea of actively listening to audience responses & reactions reminded me of “user-testing.” So, I wonder if the author considers this before presenting the artwork and during as well. Is it about always leaving room for improvement and learning through the process? I never considered user-testing at any other stage besides before presenting, but consistently improving seems ideal. Overall, this encouraged me to experiment during the creative process and also while engaging with an audience because that’s when we learn most!