My definition of Interactive
My definition of Interactive is greatly impacted by Crawford’s definition in The Art of Interactive Design. Interaction has to happen between two ‘actors’ who alternately ‘listen, think, and speak’ to each other. The projects that are built to give certain feedback or are programmed to act in a certain way when exposed to certain movement are not interactive according to my definition.
Projects researched
The two projects that I researched were Click Canvas, an Interactive Wall, and reaDIYmates.
The Interactive Wall is the exact kind of project that I don’t consider to be interactive. The blocks light up and change color every time someone touches them. Fancy but not interactive under my definition.
The reaDIYmates however, is closer to be interactive. Basically, it works like the Siri on your phone, but with a physical character. It responds to your questions other than completes what you program it to do. You may also connect more motors or chips to it and make it capable of performing more complex tasks.
Our project
Our project MiniMi aligns perfectly with my definition of Interaction. It is an AI that picks up its master’s behaviors, personalities, and psychology, and creates a ‘mind’ that knows the optimal decisions for you. With our MiniMi, you can interact with another ‘actor’ who understands what you are thinking (it is your mind after all) and figures out an optimal decision for you in return. Just like our slogans on the poster, ‘We know you better than you know yourself.’ and ‘The best second opinion you can buy.’
