Interactivity and Emergence at SIGGRAPH 2010
A concept for experiential design was buzzing around SIGGRAPH 2010 – the concept of emergence. Emergence is the by-product of the audience’s interactivity, something that isn’t directly incorporated into the piece itself. It can be a variety of manifested qualities when people are put into the right collaborative conditions.
One group I liked a lot was Squid Soup, whose interactive installation allowed children to control the topography of a bug’s environment. The bugs were projected onto a sand box. Using a depth map, the bugs would naturally crawl toward lower relief spaces.This gave kids the opportunity to block them off, creating dwellings and walls that could easily be knocked down. What emerged was a true collaboration among people to control the bugs, allowing them to collide into larger bugs. Not only were the projected bugs part of the finished piece, but what people left behind, by manipulation of the sand medium, was just as important. It leaves behind a history and energy of successful and failed attempts.
Certain behavior is also a form of emergence. In a talk with Squid Soup, they were intrigued by adult/parental influence in the children’s efforts. In some photos with adults and children participating, they noticed walls were constructed. But, in other photos – those done without the involvement of adults, the walls had often been knocked down. This could be indicative of the differences in adults and children and how their perceptions of manipulation and play differ.
What your audience can take away from an experience is incredibly important, but what is equally as important is what they can contribute back. Experiential design is the closest connection that digital, interactive media has to people. To maintain that connection and build a lasting memory, the experience has to accept just as much as it gives. Fascinating? You bet — and I’m not the only interactive geek at SIGGRAPH 2010 who thought so!
