This reading honestly made me rethink how I approach interactive stuff. Igoe’s whole “don’t interpret your own work” thing called me out in the best way. I’m definitely guilty of wanting to explain every little thing, and giving context for everything. But his point is solid, if you tell people exactly how to engage with your piece, you’re not really giving them space to explore or react on their own.
I liked how he described interactive art as starting a conversation, not just delivering a monologue. You build the thing, set the scene, give people some hints, and then let them do their thing. His comparison to directing actors was kind of perfect too. You don’t hand someone a script and say “now cry here and feel sad exactly like this.” You give them room to figure it out. Same goes for interactive art, you’re building the set and handing out props, but the audience gets to decide what it all means.
I think that idea of stepping back and letting go of control is both a little scary and kind of exciting. People might totally misinterpret what you were going for, but they might also surprise you in a good way. So yeah, I’m definitely keeping this in mind as I start making things, give just enough direction to spark curiosity, then let people make it their own.