This paper describes how students are taught to design (computer) games and toys in a broad sense of the word at the Department of Industrial Design at the Eindhoven University of Technology. The curriculum is highly project driven, which means that students acquire a large amount of hands-on experience during concrete projects. One major theme within the department is the design of playful interactions, which focuses on the design of innovative concepts that support expressing oneself and exploration. In this theme, we design for opportunities and exploration instead of goal-oriented products. Our educational approach is illustrated with examples both from an assignment on game design and design projects on playful interaction.

Since the introduction of Tangible User Interfaces, in the beginning of the 90s, a generation grew up interacting with computers. At the same time the context of computing changed dramatically: from a device used almost exclusively by specialists, it evolved to a general device that plays a dominant role in our societies. But where does this leave TUI? In many respects, the idea of tangibility plays a marginal role in Human Computer Interaction. It makes sense to re-evaluate the intrinsic values of TUI design. This paper proposes to research the appropriate metrics to do so. Interface, comparative research, metrics, physical representation, metaphor, embodiment, token. Tangible User