Reading Chris Crawford’s chapter made me realize that I never really thought deeply about what “interactivity” actually means. I always assumed anything on a screen was interactive, but Crawford explains that real interactivity is like a conversation where both sides listen, think, and respond. When I compare that to the apps and games I use the most, like TikTok, Tetris, and Block Blast, I can see how they fit his definition. These apps react to what I do, and I react back, so it becomes a cycle. Crawford also talks about how the word “interactive” gets thrown around too much, and I agree because I’ve seen products or websites call themselves interactive even when they don’t respond to the user at all. Sometimes a site has so many buttons, menus, or pop‑ups that it feels more overwhelming than interactive. His point about needing two “actors” made sense to me because a system that only shows information without responding to the user isn’t really interacting. It made me think about how much I value visuals, animations, and feedback because those things make a system feel alive and responsive, not just decorative.
The reading also made me reflect on my own p5 sketches and how they fit into Crawford’s idea of interactivity. So far, I’ve made things like my panda portrait and class exercises with bouncing balls and patterns. These sketches react in small ways, but they don’t fully “listen, think, and speak” back to the user yet. Crawford’s definition made me realize that I want my sketches to respond more directly to what the user does. I want to add animation, movement, and user‑controlled elements so the sketch feels like it is reacting to the person using it. I also want to make something that feels more like a small game or a mini‑movie, where characters move and interact with each other. The reading helped me understand that interactivity is not just about visuals but about creating a back‑and‑forth experience. By the end of the semester, I hope my sketches feel more alive and fun, and I want users to enjoy interacting with them. I’m inspired by old pixel games from the 2000s because they feel nostalgic, simple, and playful, and I want to bring that feeling into my work while also making sure the interaction follows the cycle Crawford describes.