Crawford in his article The Art of Interactive Design has touched on several points that largely in line with my previous understanding of interaction. First of all, interaction is an “a cyclic process involving at least 2 actors in possible forms of senses”. Furthermore, one very important point is that interaction always requires some form of communication, and the communication inevitably involves a certain degree of translation between the messages of actors, either processed on the individual level or with the help of the machine. Moreover, it not only applies to sound and space but also may evolve to other forms of sense. My understanding of interaction gradually become more and richer in the understanding of the importance of communication with more projects I have parted in. I gradually realized that on the definition level, it is true that interaction inheritably falls on the level of exchange between actors via senses, but the specialty of communication defines the significance of interaction.
Two projects have come to my eye while conducting the preparatory research that to a large extent corresponds to my understanding of interaction.
INUPATHY is a technology that visualizes the emotions of puppies with changing colors. It carries an algorithm that tracks the changes of heartbeats, analyzes the change, and translates into several categories. In this sense, the gap in communication between puppies and human, to a certain extent has been filled, making dogs’ emotions, previously less visible and understandable more accessible. This form of interaction has played the communication sphere of the interaction – with the help of the machine, dog owners are more likely to be delivered the message from their pets.
Another project I have looked at also came in the genre of emotion visualization. A recent project called Atlas of Emotions takes the idea of detachment in data visualization and turns it on its head. This series of interactive, annotated graphs is infused with the visual manifestations of five universal emotions: sadness, fear, enjoyment, anger, and disgust.
Atlas of Emotions is an interactive learning tool, guiding the user through each emotion, inviting him to explore and contemplate the nuances of each specific feeling. From the triggers that can spur an emotion to the actions with which we respond, Ekman is thorough in his investigation of what makes us human. The visualization of emotions and the interactivity allows readers to view emotions differently, which strengthens the communication, message delivering, via the help of modern technologies.
To add on to my previous definition of interaction, I would define interaction as a cyclic process of exchange and translation of messages, involving at least two actors, could be either humans or non-humans, in all possible forms of senses. I would argue that because of the inevitable involvement processing of messages in an interaction, technologies, could be simply human language or as future-based as a telepath, we can always the importance of strengthening messages actors would like to deliver to each other, either intentionally or randomly. Gregory Bateson in his writing classified information as “a difference that makes a difference”, so the interaction, which carries out by the information exchange, is more likely to be the process of difference meets each other and creates commons.
Reference:
http://atlasofemotions.org/
Gregory, Bateson. Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution, and Epistemology 1. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. March 10, 2000: 321. ISBN 978-0226039053.