Changing Atmospheres In Interaction Design

”Changing Atmospheres in Interaction Design” is an industrial PhD project that registers in the interdisciplinary field of Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI) from an architectural perspective. Within HCI, new knowledge can be conducted through practice-based research methods. In order to generate new knowledge design prototypes are developed in teams consisting of designers, computer scientists, and engineers among others. The Alexandra Institute A/S funds the PhD project to explore new experiential values of embedding technology in furniture and interiors. The project is part of a 4+4 PhD agreement and runs from February 2009 until November 2013.
The PhD project is an investigation of atmospheres as new pragmatic perspective on how collective subjects can be engaged with interactive systems. It follows the thoughts on Aesthetics Pragmatism by Richard Shusterman and Aesthetic Interactions by Petersen et al., who emphasize design technology for the sensing and feeling subjects (ibid). However, the notion of atmosphere not only takes on board the sensory and emotional experience situated in a specific space at a specific time; it also embraces collective and subconsciously agreed experiences. This is explored from sensate, spatial and social perspectives in the design cases Kidkit, Cosinus and Light Spots. All three design cases refer to Interactive Furniture, which is the design approach working with atmospheres.