Leonardo_Net

research interests

We see potential for advances in research in the following areas:

New ways of looking at art and design

Designers with an arts perspective look at design differently from those with engineering perspective (eg Gaver et al 2003). How can these different perspectives be brought together in design practice?

Theory

A dialogue between researchers in HCI and the arts promises to provide a critical perspective from which to evaluate research programmes. For instance, work in critical theory and the arts (Coyne 1999; Bolter and Gramola 2003) provides critical analysis of HCI precepts; work by Wright, McCarthy and Meekison (2003) analysing experience provides new ways of approaching interactivity in the arts.

Methods, tools and techniques

There are a range of techniques for analysing user needs that have been inspired by arts and literary theory (eg the surrealist games of Anderson et al 2003; discourse analysis of Light and Wakeman 2001; semiotic analysis of O'Neil et al 2002;). Techniques are also being developed that apply to the analysis and evaluation of performance arenas and art works (eg Bayliss et al 2004; McCarthy and Wright 2004; Höök, Sengers and Anderson 2003). Methods for analysing interactivity and understanding experience are central needs in both the HCI research and arts communities.

Digital creativity

A key contribution of a dialogue between the arts and sciences is the provision of inspiring, imaginative, reflective and critical visions of future technology and its potential application (Brin 1998; Coyne 1999; Bolter and Gramola 2003). Wilson (2002) shows how scientific and technological advances are a source of inspiration for art. How might this imaginative resource be used to envision new types of input and output, new metaphors, new applications and new use contexts? How might exploring interactivity and new technological advances inspire new art?

References

pages by Alan Dix and hiraeth mixed media