An Emotional Tactile Interaction Design Process

Abstract

This research explores whether it is possible to maintain the existing, most natural, and emotional touch relationship between “human” and “human” or “human” and “object” in interactive designs by observing the user’s behavioral experience without relying on the operation of technology products while at the same time allowing users to enjoy the innovative experience brought by digital technology. “Interactive behavior is natural, but emotional experience is novel” is the core idea of this research behind exploring interactive design. This research conceals technology inside familiar everyday objects and activates them giving them sensitive sensing capabilities. Detection and provision of timely interactive feedback are used in the emotional interactive touch mode that exists between “human” and “object”, allowing users to experience an emotional interactive experience. The research analyzes and summarizes the design process and steps through four interactive design projects executed by the author (inter-generational interactive design for older adults and interactive space design) [8,9,10,11], and finally integrates familiar artifacts (everyday object) as a device and provides a process and framework for emotional, physical touch, interactive experience designs.