Through the massive advance in touch screen technology we have been able to abandon the restrictive bounds of a keyboard and mouse and experience a new world of useful, playful and super addictive apps... But have you ever noticed that sometimes the simplest use of technology and interaction is often so mesmerising, engaging… and fun? 

I have come across a few a few experimental pieces that explore this notion of simple interaction on larger scales than on a smart phone screen. These prove to be whimsical, entertaining and really addictive… even to watch. 

What makes these digital installations even more fascinating is that they use different kinds of tools of our body, and our surroundings to achieve the interaction.

Check them out…

Large scale “Touch” user interface: Digital Graffiti Wall + Stencils

Movement as interaction: Body paint

Light/shadow as interaction: Augmented Shadow

Voice/sound as interaction: Big Screams

And last of all, the inventers of creativity (Adobe) have made an impressive interactive billboard promoting their creative software:

Adobe Interactive Billboard

Implications?  

Easier to use, more engaging software

These interfaces encourage exploration experimentation. You can walk up to these installations without any prior computing knowledge and use these.

Community connectivity
These interactive environments can make individuals and communities connect in ways that they wouldn’t normally.

New audiences for technology
Taking away the traditional tools for using technology and making interfaces intuitive, exploratory, less intuitive and more appealing has opened the door for people who wouldn’t normally know how to use computer software; Children, older people and even technophobes.

The Future of computing?
We have already seen the start of simple interaction with the introduction of touch screen smart phones and their endless abyss of possibilities for business and entertainment.

Does this mean that these “futuristic” user interfaces we have seen in the movies are really not that far-fetched?

James Bond UI

Minority Report UI

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Posted in: Inspiration