KATI

In Computer Administrative Debris, I briefly discussed the idea of “directness” in interaction design. I described a “direct” interaction model as one where the visual representation of the content and the interface to the content are the same. A direct interaction model also implies some sort of physical interaction with content. Today, we most frequently use the mouse as an extension of our bodies to “point” at objects on the screen and to “drag” or “drop” them. With gesture and touch-based technologies entering the mainstream, these interactions will become more and more concerned with the movement and/or form of the user’s actual body.

A beautiful and extreme example of directness in an interface design can be found in the the software developed by Golan Levin and Zachary Lieberman for their 2004 audio/visual performances, Manual Input Sessions.

The Manual Input Sessions is a series of audiovisual vignettes which probe the expressive possibilities of hand gestures and finger movements.

Using a custom hardware/software setup, they developed interfaces for creating and composing audio in real-time that incorporate physical objects and the body into the interaction models. Users of this software literally mold the audio with their hands over time.

Also, when you watch the videos, notice how each interface has environmental characteristics that aid the user in creating and composing the audio. This is a clever way to add extra meaning to the input data. It also infuses the interfaces with a sense of play and exploration, so they become much more instrument-like and less tool-like.

[these videos need sound]