How do you define interaction?
I define interaction as communication and reaction. Similar to what Crawford said in The Art of Interactive Design, interaction is a conversation. One thing initiates, the other responds, and then another thing reacts to the response. It’s like a dance in a way. I would argue that if you don’t leave the interaction with any new thoughts or emotions from when you started then it was more like actors rehearsing lines from a script. In order to have interaction, there must be a takeaway whether it’s new feelings, perspectives, beliefs, etc because if there is no take away then I see it as a failed attempt.
One installation that satisfies your interpretation of interaction:
“Rain Room” created by Random International is exactly what it sounds like: a room that rains. The catch is that when you enter the room, there are motion sensors that sense where you are and stop rain from falling in that place. The room is a black room that is illuminated by one light in the middle.
(Photograph: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
This immersive piece aligns with my definition of interaction because it’s giving the user a unique experience. Many people who go describe it as a strange experience because it invokes a melancholy feeling. The backlit rain reminds them of walking around in the rain at night without the uncomfortable feeling of getting wet. Additionally, there is an unspoken conversation present. The user walks around and the room responds to the user by stopping the rain around them. Because of this back and forth this installation is a prime example of my definition of interaction.
One installation that does not satisfy your interpretation of interaction:
The Boston Children’s Museum erected a three-story climbing structure in the center of the museum. The structure is made out of abstract pieces of wood stacked on top of one another to form tunnels, holes, and steps. Wire netting surrounds it to prevent users from falling off.
When I was younger I loved climbing on the “potato chip” ledges going as high as I could to look down and wave at my parents. I could stay in the structure for hours playing different games such as hide and seek or tag but I don’t believe that it is an interactive exhibit. Though I have many fond memories of that place, playing on it was a one-sided conversation. I could jump, crawl, or climb and the structure would still stand tall not moving an inch. Though the structure invoked happiness, I gained no new insights by simply being on it. Because of this, the Boston children’s museum’s climbing installation does not match my definition of interaction.
Works Cited:
Delaney, Brigid. “Rain Room Offers Art Lovers – and Instagrammers – The Perfect Storm.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 12 Aug. 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/aug/13/rain-room-offers-art-lovers-and-instagrammers-the-perfect-storm.
Sargent, Sara. “The Joy of Climbing.” The Power of Play, 8 Mar. 2021, https://bostonchildrensmuseum.blog/2013/03/25/the-joy-of-climbing/.
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