Title: Incorporating interactivity into product design with printed tactile interactive elements

Date/Time: Nov. 29th 12pm-1pm

Location: East Architecture 214 (Conference Room)

Committee members:

Dr. HyunJoo Oh, Advisor

Assistant Professor, School of Industrial

Design & School of Interactive Comput-

ing Georgia Institute of Technology

Tim Purdy

College of Design

Georgia Institute of Technology

Jim Budd

College of Design

Georgia Institute of Technology

Abstract: 

The rising prevalence of smart products accentuates the importance of embedding interactivity into industrial design. Currently, designers use mechanical electronic components like buttons and sliders and program them using a micro-controller such as Arduino board for prototyping. However, those conventional electronic components with fixed shapes and interaction methods are limited in terms of both the aesthetic and functional possibilities of prototypes. As a way to address the issue of the rigidity of the form and function of the prototypes, printed electronics, which are thin and flexible, offers an opportunity to develop interactive prototypes seamlessly integrating form and function. However, a drawback of printed electronics has been the absence of tactile feedback, restricting their application in tactile-dependent environments like eyes-free interactions. 

This project investigated a novel fabrication method to create printed electronics with tactile feedback and explored the usability and design space for visible and eyes-free environments. By comparing the usability of tactile electronic components with traditional flat printed electronic components, we collected design insights from users for utilizing and optimizing tactile electronic components. After that, a co-design workshop was conducted with eight designers to learn and explore potential design space of the proposed fabrication methods and summarize the design recommendations for applying tactile printed electronic components in visible and eyes-free environments. Through the study, I draw four main findings. First, tactile features enhance the usability of printed electronic components in visible environments by improving access, recognition, and utilization. Second, electronic components can be categorized into two groups based on their interactive methods and the intensity of the haptic feedback outcome. Third, in eyes-free environments, sliding elements benefit from a touchpad-like pattern with a clear starting point, direction, and boundary without detailed tick marks. Lastly, pressing elements benefit from confirmation spots, and a concave shape aids in verifying precise presses.