Circuit Game: A Craft-Based Electronic Building Practice

Abstract

In this research, through a project named Circuit Game, a conceptual framework has been developed by which new processes of integrating craft and technology for educating electrical concepts are explored. The framework incorporates Do It Yourself (DIY) methods through making and assembly procedures. The intention is to engage architecture students in the process of crafting a new technological artifact while understanding difficult concepts related to electronics. Buechley & Hill define HCI as the development of new interfaces for interaction between people and technology (Buechley and Hill 2010). The authors seek to discover how a composite textile interface can invite people into thinking about electronics, materials, and design processes and eventually engage them in the process of designing circuits through crafting. Base materials, DIY making, and DIY assembly processes are three interwoven components of the circuit game. The role of these elements in the learning process are investigated through the development of a circuit game.