Place specific Computing

Place specific Computing

Jörn Messeter, Michel Johansson DIS Cape town SA  (Refereed)

Abstract

An increased interest in the notion of place has evolved in interaction design. The proliferation of wireless infrastructure, developments in digital media, and a ‘spatial turn’ in computing provide the base for place-specific computing as a suggested new genre of interaction design. In the REcult project, place-specific computing is explored through design-oriented research. This article reports six pilot studies where design students have designed concepts for place-specific computing in Berlin (Germany), Cape Town (South Africa), Rome (Italy), and Malmö (Sweden). Background and arguments for place-specific computing as a genre of interaction design are described. A  total number of 36 design concepts designed for 16 designated zones in the four cities are presented. An analysis of the design concepts is presented indicating potentials, possibilities, and problems as directions for future research.