Designing for Embodied and Rich Interaction in Home IoT

Abstract

Internet of Things (IoT) artifacts form systems where touchscreen and speech interaction is the norm. As IoT systems are inherently open (artifacts can be added or removed, software can be updated) we observe that the natural state of an IoT system is change, 'growth'. This paper describes a designerly experiment exploring how to design for embodied and rich interaction in these 'growing' IoT systems. We present four design cases showcasing four approaches to the design challenge: a hybrid, a modular, a shape changing and a service approach. We describe and appraise the four approaches and discuss insights from the designerly experiment. We conclude that it is indeed possible to design for embodied and rich interaction in 'growing' IoT systems and see our work as a first step towards diversifying IoT interaction styles.