The main objective of this master thesis has been to explore in which ways information technology could be combined with physical materials in the context of an everyday environment, with the intention to examine new possibilities, as well as what interesting results, this combination could result in. I have tried to accomplish this by applying an aesthetic and ambient approach. Special consideration has been taken to the specific atmosphere and conditions of the everyday environment, to reach a design that can be integrated in the environment in a natural way.

Since the main focus of the thesis has been on aesthetics and expression, the design concept has been mainly shaped from values connected to the experience and presence of the artefact in the given environment. This implies that such qualities as the ones regarding how entertaining, pleasing and stimulating the concept is considered to be, has been prioritized over, for example, objectives as efficiency, functionality and direct use. In this respect I have concentrated on the "user experience goals" of Interaction design. From the above stated criteria a design concept has been developed to examine how these can be combined to reach a design that is uniform and well adapted to its purpose. The design process has been held on a conceptual level, where the focus has been to experiment with ideas and to find new and original solutions, rather than to produce an out-of-the-box prototype.

The design concept takes its main starting point in the concepts of Informative art and Ambient displays. These are design programs which aim to integrate Information Technology in, above all, everyday environments by using the surrounding space with its associated objects, to communicate dynamically updated information in a peripheral manner. The concept has been developed inspired by previous and related research, products as well as own ideas, with the assistance of a partly dynamic and partly iterative method.

The design concept, which has been given the name TellUs Time, can best be described as an ambient, decorative artefact intended to visualize information regarding five places (cities) located all over the world. The main information to be visualized consists of current time indications from the various places.

All of the information that is displayed is of secondary nature, which means that the artefact operates in the periphery until the user wishes to make use of it. The somewhat mysterious exterior of the artefact TellUs Time is intended to attract the user/beholder to further exploration of the artefact.  
 

Keywords

Interaction design, Ubiquitous computing, Informative art, Ambient displays, aesthetics, IT-artefacts.

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List of Master Theses in Interaction Design

interaction design | chalmers