Unpacking Non-Dualistic Design: The Soma Design Case

Abstract

We report on a somaesthetic design workshop and the subsequent analytical work aiming to demystify what is entailed in a non-dualistic design stance on embodied interaction and why a first-person engagement is crucial to its unfoldings. However, as we will uncover through a detailed account of our process, these first-person engagements are deeply entangled with second- and third-person perspectives, sometimes even overlapping. The analysis furthermore reveals some strategies for bridging the body-mind divide by attending to our inner universe and dissolving or traversing dichotomies between inside and outside ; individual and social ; body and technology . By detailing the creative process, we show how soma design becomes a process of designing with and through kinesthetic experience, in turn letting us confront several dualisms that run like fault lines through HCI’s engagement with embodied interaction.

Designing felt experiences with movement-based, wearable musical instruments: From inclusive practices toward participatory design

“…The three case studies strongly highlight the first-person perspective of the performer (a combined role of the musician and the mover) and emphasize incorporating the performer into the design process as a cocreator. Drawing from soma design and embodied music interaction, we employ three tactics: (a) defamiliarization, (b) extending musical movement vocabulary, and (c) creative artifacts (Van Der Schyff et al, 2018 ; Höök et al, 2021 ).…”

“Below 58 BPM,” involving real-time monitoring and self-medication practices in music performance through IoT technology

“…It fosters community interaction, well-being, and a sense of belonging within the built environment. SOMA Design practices include "designing with and through kinesthetic experience" aiming at bridging the body-mind dichotomy "by attending to our inner universe and dissolving or traversing dichotomies between inside and outside [...] body and technology" (Höök et al, 2021). In the case study we developed, we could observe an entangled relationship (Frauenberger, 2019) between Eleonora and the technology.…”

EmoClock: Communicating Real-Time Emotional States Through Data Physicalizations

“…Current research has shown that expressive interfaces that represent biosignals/emotion data that enable the exploration and engagement with biodata help mindful self-awareness, self-reflection and regulation of affect states, empathy, compassion and caregiving, relationship skills for authentic social connection, motivation, performance, and coordinative effort [18,24]. Expressive biodata interfaces are increasingly used also for the design of and research on somaesthetic experiences (e.g., the Breathing Light in [7,8], Breeze around your neck in [1], BrightHearts in [7,11], Balance Beam in [6]). Current research in soma-based design shows that such interactive material representations of soma (the felt-self) [5] enable not only the deepening of the awareness of one's soma but also the discovery of novel interactions with soma and help to understand the bodily engagement in somatic experiences [1].…”