Digital synesthesia in product design. Building a vocabulary of physical interactions for a sensible quantified self

Abstract

The paper explores the possibilities of presenting quantitative information in qualitative, expressive, engaging, and entertaining ways. To do so, experiments focus on a range of sporting activities, where numeric performance data tends to be prevalent, but there is also an aspect of self-awareness and community that can benefit from a connection enriched by carefully expressed data. In this context, through three design workshops, we examine the sensory and semiotic quality of the interactions, leveraging outputs in the form of haptic actuators, as well as subtle uses of lighting and kinematics. The exercises challenged participants to transform raw data into novel sensorial experiences through commonly available hardware (sensors and actuators) and software, constituting a meta-medium to be valorized with the same agility as conventional materials, albeit with an obviously shifting set of skills. Based on the scientific literature and experimental results, this contribution offers a mapping of possible values between individual and shared experiences, working towards a new vocabulary of tactile and kinetic experiences that may be useful for the creative industries.