This study proposes a new “vocabulary” of gestural commands for mobile devices, based on established bodily practices and daily rituals. The research approach is grounded in a theoretical framework of phenomenology, and entails collaborative improv workshops akin to bodystorming. The combination of these methods is named as “hacking the physical actions” and the significance of this approach is highlighted, especially as a constituting source for the similar researches in this field. The resulting ideas for gestural commands are then synthesized and applied to fundamental tasks of handling mobile phones and explained with a supplementary video.

This thesis introduces the exploration of making wearables as a collaborative expression between a performer and a participant in a performative participatory installation. With a phenomenological view on our embodied experience with technology, the methodological approach is program/experiment dialectics, mixing experiments in the lab with exploration in the field. The thesis introduces the full process, the program and experiments where the perception (the embodied interaction with the materials and the context) of the designer/researcher and participants has been a great resource of the iterative process of creating the prototype from sketching in digital material, to prototyping and testing. From the making of the final prototype it is concluded that, the participant and performer express shared movement as the performance is constituted by both technology and human agency - both wearable and body acts - in the interaction between interpretation, body, and experience on the one side, and concept, werable, and technology on the other. As a methodological knowledge contribution it is stated that program/experiment dialectics is a generous space, allowing elements from several other methods, non linearity, and intuition, to be part of the process, where researcher (and participants) are phenomenologists. Phenomenology in interaction design is an attribution to research through design as a method that allows room for active participation of the lived body in different stages of the design process - a development of the notion of embodiment beyond situatedness - acknowledging the interplay between bodies and technology, that users, artifacts, and contexts influence, touch, and touch back each other.

Migration has been increasing in the last years in the European Union, something that challenges social integration because of the language barrier. In the case of Sweden, although the government offers newcomers basic education to teach the language, small communities and local associations had been creating spaces to learn Swedish outside of a classroom environment. From this context, research is needed to find ways to enhance the learning experience environments outside a traditional classroom setting. Embodied interaction, as a subfield of Interaction Design, enriches conventional methods for education and learning by providing ways of integrating the physical body with new knowledge. This can be a possible way to contribute to finding new ways of learning. This project aims to explore collective ways of creating meaningful interactive experiences that can enhance language learning in adults with tertiary education in Malmö, Sweden. In this thesis project, an overview of the process will be presented. Furthermore, the project materializes in an app as a prototype, that presents some insights into the field of embodied learning and interaction design.

This paper describes the creative process of "hidden layers of embroidered stories". It shows the process of searching for answers to the questions of how to translate elements of folk culture into measurable units and how to place traditional Slavic embroidery in the context of algorithms and the digitalised world of today. It shows the process of giving meaning to a newly constructed symbol through the search for an aesthetic form, verbal designation and placement in a composition in folk crafts with seemingly rigid, well-established conventions. The final project of the project - a composition made with the use of cross-stitching encourages recipients to actively find the symbols contained within the embroidery, asking them to solve the puzzle hidden within; the solution of which carries the message of the project's author.

Human olfaction is significantly linked to memory, emotion, and learning. As the global population ages, subsequent physical and cognitive decline substantiates a need for more accessible technologies that improve quality of life for older adults. Olfactory disfunction, known to increase with age, is indicative of depression and loneliness, afflictions already prevalent among older communities. Reminiscence therapy presents a unique opportunity to combat loneliness utilizing olfactory cues. Calling on theories of embodied and tangible interaction, this thesis proposes the design of an olfactory radio, leveraging the strong connection between smell and memory to prompt reminiscence while reducing loneliness through the exchange of ‘scent-stories’. Results of the study highlight the potential of olfactory interaction to create meaningful, embodied experiences for older adults while promoting social connection. The paper concludes with a call for more multimodal and tangible approaches to human-computer interaction that better address the bodies for whom we design.

With the rise of big data, it is becoming increasingly important to educate students about data analytics. In particular, students without a strong mathematical background usually have an unenthusiastic attitude towards high-dimensional data and find it challenging to understand relevant complex analytical methods, such as dimension reduction. In this thesis, we present an embodied approach for visual analytics designed to teach students exploring alternative 2D projections of high dimensional data points using weighted multidimensional scaling. We proposed a novel application, <i>Be the Data</i>, to explore the possibilities of using human's embodied resources to learn from high dimensional data. In our system, each student embodies a data point and the position of students in a physical space represents a 2D projection of the high-dimensional data. Students physically moves in a room with respect to others to interact with alternative projections and receive visual feedback. We conducted educational workshops with students inexperienced in relevant data analytical methods. Our findings indicate that the students were able to learn about high-dimensional data and data analysis process despite their low level of knowledge about the complex analytical methods. We also applied the same techniques into social meetings to explain social gatherings and facilitate interactions. / Master of Science

Artists, designers and writers have long employed ambiguity as a tool in compelling their audience to deduce a personal meaning to their work. As computing becomes less of a strictly workspace, task-oriented phenomenon and more of a ubiquitous, life-space one, it is increasingly important to consider the intelligence of the user in the design of everyday computer-based things. Support of multiple user interpretation through ambiguity is an element whose appropriate inclusion in system design can compel the user to deduce a personal interpretation of the system's meaning and utility. The work in this paper explores the process by which users may come to deduce a meaning to an ambiguous work, both as individuals and collaboratively. Incorporating elements of ambiguity, we created SenSpace, an immersive physical environment that embeds the Greek myth of Narcissus within itself. The subsequent user study provided insight on the process by which naïve visitors may come to deduce their meanings of a work, both individually and collaboratively. Our results showed that there exists a trade-off between a user's level of interaction and depth of the interpretation of the multimedia environment. We also show how ambiguity can be used as a design method, by incorporating observed user expectations into the system. This paper uses experimental evidence to advocate the design of systems that support not only the system goal the designer has in mind, but also the multiple perspectives and meanings that the user often brings to the system. / Master of Science

The human genome is incredibly information dense, consisting of approximately 25,000 protein-coding genes contained within 24 unique chromosomes. An aspect of the genome that is critically important is maintaining spatial context which assists in understanding gene interactions and relationships. Existing methods of genome visualization that utilize spatial awareness are inefficient and prone to limitations in gene information and spatial context. The solution proposed in this thesis was the development and evaluation of alternative methods of genome visualization and exploration using virtual reality and desktop. To determine the optimal location of gene information within virtual reality and the influence of virtual reality, three interaction methods were implemented that interact with the ideograms. Multi-focus was applied to the ideogram interaction design to assist in visualizing multiple locations within the genome without sacrificing gene information detail or spatial awareness of the user. Two interaction methods were developed in virtual reality to determine if gene information is better suited embedded within the chromosome ideogram or separate from the ideogram. The final interaction method was implemented as a desktop application to evaluate if virtual reality provided an advantage. Results from the user study conducted determined that the use of virtual reality gave users a higher degree of confidence when navigating the chromosome ideograms and was preferred over desktop. In addition, depending on the type of task, the placement of gene information within the visualization had a notable impact on the ability of a user to work the task. / Master of Science / From the viewpoint of a dataset, the human genome is incredibly information dense. It consists of approximately 25,000 protein-coding genes contained within 24 unique chromosomes. An aspect of the genome that is critically important is maintaining spatial context which assists in understanding gene interactions and relationships. Existing methods of genome visualization that utilize spatial awareness are inefficient and prone to limitations in gene information and spatial context. In this work, an alternative method of genome visualization and interaction utilizing virtual reality and desktop was proposed. To determine the optimal location of gene information within virtual reality and the influence of virtual reality, three genome interaction methods were implemented that operate through interactions with chromosome ideograms. Two interaction methods were developed in virtual reality to determine if gene information is better suited embedded within the chromosome ideogram or separate from the ideogram. The final interaction method was implemented as a desktop application to evaluate if virtual reality provided an advantage. Results from the user study conducted determined that the inclusion of virtual reality gave users a higher degree of confidence when navigating the chromosome ideograms and was preferred over desktop. In addition, depending on the type of task, the placement of gene information within the visualization had a notable impact on the ability of a user to work the task.

This project investigates how embodied interaction and stress reduction methods can work together to reduce students’ stress at Malmö University. Furthermore, it explores how this project can contribute to the field of interaction design. Various research methods were used to gain insight into stress levels, coping mechanisms and how students relax at the university through desktop and field research. In addition, students explored different room settings and created their own “perfect” relaxation space. A low-fidelity prototype was developed using the "Wizard of Oz" method and tested with users. The results of this work show that both the concept of a relaxation space and a tangible artifact can reduce students' stress levels. Moreover, they open up possibilities for further research to develop these topics further. Keywords: Interaction design, embodied interaction, stress relief, mental health, tangible

Feminist self-defense combines psychological defense and physical defense. During a self-defense class, prevention of assaults and preparation for resistance are key lessons. A woman can learn about existing techniques for physical defense, but once she finds herself in a critical situation, emotions will have a pivotal role in the action outcome. Being mentally prepared increases the chances of defending oneself with a successful outcome. For HCI researchers in embodied interaction design, it is essential to pay attention to both the emotional and bodily experiences in feminist self-defense. In this study, I explore the emotional and embodied experiences of feminist self-defense through a case study to investigate how these can inform the development of a movement-based design. The findings suggest that three aspects are central to the participants' experiences: empowerment, awareness, and mindset. Based on these three aspects, the study highlights implications for future work in the feminist self-defense design space. These implications include five qualities of bodily and emotional experiences to consider in movement-based interaction design for feminist self-defense. The five qualities are agency and control, feedback and self-reflection, providing suitable information, social sharing and collaborative growth, and interactive environment practices.