UX of Skin - Week 6

👥 : Sofia Alexiou, Zhe Lou, Ava Sheperd, Willow Yan

🗓 : November 11 - 18, 2021

We were tasked with expressing the element of skin within an interface and the role of skin in the world. The first task was to complete our separate research and regroup to discuss concepts. I was intrigued by the skin of octopuses and how they change their skin colour using chromatophores (Fox Meyer, 2019). After conducting our research, we decided to condense our ideas into two approaches:

• Colour changing characteristics of an octopus

• Skin in our hands serving as an information delivery system

We agreed to work on both concepts, with Sofia and I focusing on the abstract and metaphoric approach to the colour-changing abilities of octopuses. After some discussion, we decided to experiment using lights to represent chromatophores and how cephalopods like octopuses can change the pigment of their skin. To achieve this, we implemented light changes triggered by pressure and temperature using Arduino. We wanted to play around with the idea of how cephalopods contract or expand their chromatophore cells (Spencer, 2019).

The next step was to create a storyboard to observe if the participants understand our concept while informing us on how to improve our idea. Our initial concept focused on the lights’ reaction to changes in pressure and temperature on the skin of the hand. We also imagined incorporating warm and cool sounds when the participants use the sensors depending on the temperature.

Our speed dating method indicated that participants understood the process. At this time, we had some difficulty achieving the notion of chromatophores and colour changing skin. Though the idea was exciting, we did not have enough resources to create our idea and felt our narrative was too vague.

Zhe and Willow focused on the idea of how touch is one of the main sources of delivering information in the brain. We wanted to explore how much information we obtain from touch when the other senses are removed. This concept was inspired by objects designed with fingertips in mind. For instance, a person can determine the value of a coin by the touch of fingers, but the skin in your knees would not provide the same information.

From there, they created a small bear using various materials, with significantly distinct textures. We had similar materials placed in front of the participants and instructed the participants to recreate the bear. Effy, as our participant, was given the bear while blindfolded. She was instructed to use her sense of touch to understand the object she was holding. After the experience, she was able to closely recreate the bear.

The reactions from our experience were overall positive. Our coursemates enjoyed the playfulness of the activity, but they would have preferred multiple participants to potentially show different interpretations of their senses. They also enjoyed the idea of “looking with your skin.” Unfortunately, we misinterpreted the AEIOU, as we used the method as a scenario instead of a research method.

I was overall pleased with the first outcome. Although our idea with chromatophores did not work, it was useful to explore the concept and learn the technologies of P-Comp. We hope to take our second idea and incorporate playfulness for our next experience.

References

Fox Meyer (2019). How Octopuses and Squids Change Color. [online] Si.edu. Available at: https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/how-octopuses-and-squids-change-color.

Spencer, E. (2019). How do Octopuses Change Color? [online] Ocean Conservancy. Available at: https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/10/07/octopuses-change-color/.