After reading this, I realized how important immediate and meaningful feedback is. Because a strong interactive system is not just one to a user’s input but one that feels like there’s an actual back and forth interaction between the user and the system. When the user takes an action the system has to respond right away so that it makes it clear what caused that response. I think that really gives a user a sense of control instead of confusion that might sometimes appear. Another concept that’s really important is agency because strong interactivity happens when users think that their choices actually matter. For example, if the system always reacts in the same repetitive way no matter what user inputs, it can feel very boring. Interactions become more engaging when different inputs lead to different outcomes and users can get the freedom to explore them and experiment.
Now when I look at my own p5 works, I realize that the level could definitely be improved. As for now a lot of the interaction are basically rely on simple key presses. In my future work I’d like to use things like mouse movement, speed or direction to make visuals more dynamic and engaging. That’d definitely make my works feel more responsive to the user’s actions. I’m also interested in trying state-based interactions, where the sketch remembers what the user did before and changes gradually instead of instantly resetting. Another thing I want to try is adding constraints or small goals, so the user feels like they’re interacting with a system rather than just watching an effect on the screen. Overall, my goal is for future p5 sketches to feel less like technical demonstrations and more like interactive experiences where the user’s actions shape the output.