Physical Computing:
It was really interesting to see all the different forms that physical computing pieces can take. The examples given, despite only being a small glimpse into the genre, cover a whole bunch of mediums and correspondingly provide entirely new experiences. In order to do so, they each have to take into account the physical and digital components for both input and output, and figure out how to blend them all together into one working whole. What stood out to me the most was all the little tricks used to make sense of intuitive human motions such as hand movements, as well as the variations of ways to do so. That particular point was also echoed in the introduction, where it mentioned that the same idea can be produced in varying ways. Hopefully as the semester progresses, my own pieces will similarly become more complex and interactive.
Interactive Art:
After the first half of this class and the resulting midterm project, I can definitely identify with what the reading is getting at. The previous readings on different aspects of design come into play once again, albeit with more emphasis on the physical aspect this time around. The listening aspect builds on that and turns the creation process into a more iterative version of itself to presumably beneficial effect. I liked the comparison to telling an actor how to act versus giving them the tools to perform their craft, which naturally leads into the next analogy of the piece being a performance involving the audience. Going forward I’d like to keep this perspective in mind, and endeavour to provide a more comprehensive experience in my work.