ART385 Innovation and Society
Prof. Axel Roesler / Division of Design / UW School of Art
Yong Rhee and Nathan Auer / Microsoft

Context

Microsoft provides project partnership around the theme “Get Connected, Stay Connected”for the 2011Microsoft Design Expo. The Design Expo is a Microsoft Research forum where the top graduate interaction design programs showcase their prototype interaction design ideas. Design Expo showcases exceptional design process and ideas from schools around the world.  As part of a semester long course, students are asked to form interdisciplinary teams of 2-4 students, consider people’s real needs and respond with a user experience prototype, and narrative that explains their thinking.

A representative team from each school will be selected to attend and be featured in a presentation at the 2010 Microsoft Faculty Summit July 18-19, 2011 in Redmond, Washington.

The Design Expo creates a forum for spotlighting design, encouraging “out of the box” thinking, by exploring students’ visions for the future of computing as well as honing their presentation skills and engaging with students from other design teams from around the world to see how they approached this year’s theme.  Students often form lasting relationships with other students and this informal network has persisted from Design Expos over the years.

The Design Challenge:  Get Connected, Stay Connected

The 2011 design challenge “Get Connected, Stay Connected” explores the promise of real time data transmission and seamless connectivity.

With the proliferation of mobile devices, cameras and other sensors combined with cloud computing and pervasive connectivity, the technologies exist to greatly simplify the ability to get connected and stay connected.  How can we design for experiences that leverage these technologies to create new opportunities to engage with others in ever more meaningful ways?

This is a broad challenge – you should consider the the larger system of communications, collaborations, and emerging behaviors, but in your design we’d like you to specifically look at software that addresses fluidity in experience, sensor data integration, and natural interaction. Think beyond the software – how is the interactive experience integrated in everyday behaviors? How would it impact daily practices and lead to new behaviors, networks, communities, knowledge, etc ?

For current project updates from the the six UW IxD teams, visit the project blogs:

Time

Community

Social Phone

Connect to Yourself

Unconnected vs. Connected

Cartesian