Research on Elements of Physical Interaction Design and the Information Channel

Abstract

Physical interaction, as an interaction occurring within the physical world, is a vital aspect of daily life. As digitization has progressed, more and more information and media have changed traditional physical interactions. Digital interaction is gradually becoming more prevalent. However, in some cases, the absence of physical operating equipment prevents the user from getting a timely and effective response, which may result in life-threatening situations. Additionally, some physical interactions that were retained degraded functionality and user experience. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the factors affecting physical interaction design and the elements of physical interaction design. In fact, there are not many theoretical studies on physical interaction, and the exploration of the nature of physical interaction is relatively lacking. In this study, qualitative data collection and analysis methods such as interviews, observations, and coding techniques are used to uncover the influencing factors and design element models of physical interaction design, and further explain the meaning of “interaction channel” from the standpoint of the interaction interface. The interaction channel represents the three-dimensional interaction space created by a physical interface and it can serve as a reference for design practice. Moreover, clarifying the concept of physical interaction and exploring the elements of physical interaction design will assist us in understanding physical interaction as well as digital interaction, and will allow us to complete the design in a reasonable manner, which in turn will inspire designers to create future interactions.