The Interactive Installation ISH: In Search of Resonant Human Product Interaction

In the beginning, computer science and HCI manifested themselves through encoded patterns (e.g. punch cards) and command lines, thus calling upon the cognitive skills of users. The shift to visual computing with a desktop and a mouse that was tightly coupled to an on-screen cursor, expanded the interaction range towards perceptualmotor skills. If we look at the current developments within HCI, like tangible interaction, affective and social computing, we see a refinement towards the use of perceptual-motor skills and the urge to incorporate emotional skills. It seems that respect for the human as a whole has come into vogue, at least within a part of the HCI research community. This emphasis on the human as a whole can also be seen in the shift of contextual focus. The computer is leaving the sphere of the workplace, thus widening the spectrum of efficiency, productivity and ‘getting things done’ with values like curiosity, playfulness, intimacy and creativity (Caenepeel, 2002; Overbeeke et al., 1999). The computer has entered our daily and social life. It is no longer just a means to perform our work; it helps us to pursue our lives (Gaver, 2002). In this way, the world of HCI has united with the world of product design. Although this is an interesting and challenging way to go, it isn’t an easy one, especially in our contemporary culture, which has lost its unifying ideology (Branzi, 1989). We do not only have to develop the next generation of digital products with