While the connection between the physical identity and virtual identity remains interwoven,
"To rival other media, interactive systems must move beyond the impoverished mouse-crouch of current computing, to systems that more fully Interaction engage human physical-spatial powers.
As an alternative, accessing the material meaning of tangible objects could create increased interplay between the social activities of these identities. With today’s network infrastructure and the capabilities of mobile devices, it’s plausible to imagine an abundance of diverse tangible interfaces which are activated through physical actions and affect the virtual world. Experimentation began by exploring various ways that current digital social media could be manifest in tangible forms. This was the start of departure from the current media trends which emphasize digital applications for communications and networking. Simple sketches and prototypes were produced in response to questions such as the following:
“How can adding a digital friend to your network become a more physical action?”
“What would Facebook be if it were a tangible interface?”
“How can the messages of a Twitter post or status update take on material meaning?”
These new Cartes De Visite represent three individuals. Using RFID would allow for both digital and tangible exhange of contact information
Carte de Visite Nouveau
The Carte de Visite of the 1950’s and 60’s was a photographic technology that became mass adopted due to its ability to be produced in quantity and be exchanged as a sign of social ritual.
The Carte de Visite Nouveu project started with an investigation into the similarities between the social media of today and those used in Victorian history. Commonalities in the way people used the Carte de Visite in the past and the way people use Facebook today emerged and were documented in my article titled, "Carte de Visite as the Pre-analog Facebook."
As a further investigation, a series of new cards were produced that combined the physical nature of the Carte de Visite with network and computational affordances. Two individuals were to select three images that they felt represented themselves and their work. They were also asked to describe why they selected these images. These images and descriptions were then used to create three cards which were embedded with RFID and QR code that accessed an online tool for adding this person as a connection.
The Carte de Visite Nouveu presents an integrated method for performing the social act of “adding” a contact in both the physical and virtual environment. As the technology becomes more prevalent, social interactions could occur anywhere with any RFID reading device.
These tangible greeting cards are created from status updates in the digital space. The change to a tangible medium adds an emotional affect to the message.
Tweeting Cards
This project was an experiment with giving digital social tweets and status updates a tangible form in order to reveal how the meaning is altered by existing in a material form. The greeting card is a historically established medium of communication which carries sentimental significance. As the tweets and status updates are expressed through this medium, the messages gain a sense of genuine sincerity or cheeky humor. These cards represent another example of how material meaning affects the expressed message. They also allow for a type of perception and interaction that the digital medium does not.
A mock-up of a tangible interface for online social networking.
Tangible Social Networking Interface
In response to asking, “What would Facebook be if it were a tangible interface?” this conceptual interface was created to simulate using a tangible interface for social networking and to discover how objects and actions change the user experience. Several sketches and forms were considered initially and resolved into a flat interface with concentric shapes that represent the users relationship to individuals, groups, contacts, and the world. Five blank objects are used as widgets that can be given certain operations and can contain certain information. Gestures such as "stacking" and "pouring" emerged as intuitive actions for engaging with the interface. As a tangible device, this interface takes the current digital act of social networking and brings it into the physical realm. The device could be situated in the home or office creating a more casual and passive condition for interaction than that of logging on to a virtual space. Of most interest was the thought exercise that this prototype stimulated which resulted in a influential understanding of how digital actions can be executed and transformed through tangible materials.
While these projects applied material meaning and utilized physical gesture, they lacked an in—depth investigation of the possibilities for touch and the somatic sense. I realized these projects were too practical and did not represent a significant departure from the visually dominate media we use today. My research attempted to address these concerns in the explorations that followed.
