- What do you consider to be the characteristics of a strongly interactive system?
The author defines interactivity as a cyclic process where two actors listen, think, and speak, with the interaction’s quality depending on these three elements. While I initially agreed with this perspective, I began to question it as I read further.
I believe that while some forms of interactivity are more creative than others, this doesn’t invalidate simpler or “weaker” interactive experiences. For me, a system is interactive if my physical actions cause its output to change. For example, a traditional book isn’t interactive because flipping the pages doesn’t alter the story itself.
However, the perception of interactivity is highly subjective. A beginner in an IM course might find a simple mouse click that changes the canvas in p5.js to be incredibly interactive. In contrast, a more advanced student, familiar with more unique methods, might see it as basic. This relativity reminds me of the broader philosophical question, “What is Art?”
- What ideas do you have for improving the degree of user interaction in your p5 sketches?
As someone with experience in p5.js, I want to explore more complex forms of interactivity. However, I think it’s important to balance visual complexity with interactive complexity. If a piece is already visually intricate, adding a highly complex interaction might overwhelm the user.
Therefore, I believe advanced interactive methods would be most effective in my more visually simple pieces. For these, using the computer’s camera or microphone could be a unique way to increase engagement. I previously used ML to detect faces in another class, and I am interested in incorporating that type of interactivity into my future work.
I could even approach more simpler methods such as drag bars.