Physical Computing Themes & Making Interactive Art
Reading Tom Igoe’s “Physical Computing’s Greatest Hits (and Misses)” and “Making Interactive Art: Set the Stage, Then Shut Up and Listen” really resonated with me because it reminded me of my own experience designing interactive projects. My first big interactive project was the midterm photobooth, and I remember feeling overwhelmed by all the features I wanted to implement. I was worried that what I thought was straightforward and easy to use might not actually be intuitive for other people. This made me realize how important it is to balance functionality, design, and user experience, something both readings emphasize in different ways.
From the first reading, I was particularly drawn to mechanical pixels, because it reminded me of the Al Bahr Towers in Abu Dhabi, what I like to call the “pineapple towers”, whose scaled windows open and close in response to sunlight. It made me think about how even simple, repeating elements can be visually engaging while also responding to a system or environment. I started to see that originality doesn’t always come from inventing something completely new, but from how you execute and contextualize it.
Igoe’s second reading really made me reflect on my tendency to over-explain. I often want to make sure people ‘get it,’ but the article reminded me that interactive art is a conversation, not a lecture. It’s about providing context, affordances, and suggestions, then letting the audience explore, discover, and even surprise you with unexpected interactions. I like that this perspective treats the audience as active participants rather than passive observers, which matches my belief that both aesthetics and engagement are equally important. If a project doesn’t look appealing, people won’t approach it. If it doesn’t engage them, it loses its purpose.
What stood out most to me is how much trust you have to put in the design and in the audience. Seeing a project unfold in unexpected ways isn’t a failure; it’s part of the collaborative experience. I also realized that while I enjoy seeing people interact in ways I hadn’t anticipated, it only works as long as the interaction isn’t harmful.