Reading Tom Igoe’s Physical Computing’s Greatest Hits (and Misses) made me think about how creative patterns tend to repeat, especially in hands-on, tech-driven projects. Igoe doesn’t frame repetition as a lack of originality, which I appreciated. Instead, he treats these recurring themes—like theremin-like instruments, drum gloves, or video mirrors—as open-ended ideas that people keep revisiting because they’re fun, expressive, and adaptable. I related to that idea a lot because I’ve definitely hesitated before, thinking something wasn’t worth doing since it had “been done before.” But the more I read, the more I agreed with his point that originality isn’t about inventing from scratch; it’s about finding your own way into an existing form. What stood out to me were the projects that relied on the body as the main input—like gloves that create rhythm through tapping or instruments that react to gestures. Those projects feel personal and direct, and I like how they blend instinct with technology. Igoe’s descriptions made me realize that the best physical computing ideas don’t just respond to touch or movement; they build a relationship with the person using them.
Some parts of the reading also made me laugh or nod along because I’ve seen those same trends pop up in classes or exhibits. The “video mirrors,” for instance, are always visually striking but usually shallow in interaction—you wave, something moves, and that’s it. Igoe’s critique there made sense. It reminded me that while technology can catch attention, meaning comes from how people connect to it, not just how it looks. I was also drawn to the more poetic examples like “Mechanical Pixels” or “Fields of Grass,” where simple mechanisms create quiet, almost meditative experiences. Those pieces blur the line between machine and nature, which I find really compelling. Even the sillier categories, like “Things You Yell At,” showed how emotional interaction can be when it’s physical and immediate. Overall, the article made me think about how I might approach projects differently: not trying to avoid what’s been done, but trying to make it feel a bit more like me.