Reading Tom Igoe’s “Physical Computing’s Greatest Hits (and Misses)” honestly made me feel a lot more relaxed about project ideas. At first, it seemed like a list of all the things people have already done too many times, like gloves that make music, video mirrors, or floors that light up when you step on them. But then Igoe flips that idea. He basically says it’s okay to revisit these themes because what makes them interesting isn’t the concept itself, but how you approach it. That felt very refreshing. It reminded me that originality doesn’t mean starting from nothing every time. It can come from how you add your own twist to something familiar.
What I also appreciated was how much these themes connect to actions we already do in real life, like tapping, dancing, waving, tilting, or even yelling. It’s amazing how intuitive some of these interactions are, and how physical computing works with that. You don’t have to explain much when someone naturally knows how to interact with your piece.
In “Making Interactive Art: Set the Stage, Then Shut Up and Listen”, Igoe talks more about the role of the artist or designer in this kind of work. The main idea that stood out to me was that we shouldn’t try to control how people respond or tell them exactly what to think. Interactive work is more like setting up a space or a situation and then letting people figure it out on their own. I liked the comparison to a theater director. You can give actors tools and a setting, but the emotional part of the performance has to come from them. The same thing goes for interactive art. It only works when people bring something of themselves to it.
Both readings helped shift the way I think about making interactive projects. It’s not just about cool tech or trying to be the most unique. It’s really about creating something that invites people to participate and explore. Ideally, they leave with their own story or feeling from it, not just the one I imagined in advance.