The Process

Final Reflections

Thanks to the weekly reading of the recommended literature, I definitely exceeded expectations of learning the subject in theoretical basis. This same basis gave me a chance to find more easily design solutions during the designing process. At the same time, in-depth reading of the paper and the focus on the theory in the first half of the course have helped my process of creating a vision on the subject. I really appreciated the organization of the lessons with a greater focus on the theory and the exploration in the first half with the later development of the concept and prototype.
During the concept phase, we have used the A. Vallagarda’s framework [1], a framework that I will use also in the future for the definition of my projects. It was crucial for me, in fact, to have a clear schematic structure of the project from the beginning.
The framework used put the basis for the definition of the three levels of interactive materiality: material properties, sensor, and actuator.

Thanks to this elective I was also able to better define my vision about the aesthetics of interaction, a key issue in the design, but still much discussed. In this case, I would be able to define the aesthetics of interaction as the interface that the object has to be able to communicate with the environment, with the user. Nowadays design is becoming more and more flexible, more adaptive, more shaped according to the user experience. This is definitely changing the communication tools that the object must have. It goes from a static language to a decidedly more dynamic one, that knows how to create a direct contact with the people using it, but that also knows how to tell how his behavior may change according to human needs.
This arises an interesting question: changing the design object, are we also changing the user behavior? The designer’s role is changing, as products that he or she designs. As designers, we are human beings, and users now require dynamic objects that fit their lifestyle in the everyday practices, products that can slowly learn the needs from the way the user handle and use them.

With this elective is still more confirmed to me the fact that good design comes from a team of professionals and specialists that work together for the same goal. I agree with Don Norman when he says that every designer must have the gift of design flexibility because you must be ready for any request. But good design is defined by a team of people, each specializing in his field. In a group, each member should bring his excellence, his greatest passion, and key is the communication and the continuous exchange of information.

1. Vallgårda, A. (2014). Giving form to computational things: developing a practice of interaction design. Personal and ubiquitous computing, 18(3), 577-592.