Movement-based interactive systems for play came into the spotlight over a decade ago, and were met with enthusiasm by the general public as well as the Human-Computer Interaction research community. Yet a decade of research and practice has not fully addressed the challenge of designing for the moving body and play. This thesis argues that often, the role of the technology to sustain the play activity, and to drive the design process, has been over-emphasized, and has resulted in limited design possibilities. This thesis explores an alternative design approach to address the problem through combining the design of the technology with designing aspects of the social and spatial context where the play activity takes place. The work is grounded in an embodied perspective of experience, action, and design. Methodologically, it belongs to the Research through Design tradition (RtD). A core concept and a characterization of design practices are presented as key contributions. The concept of embodied core mechanics is introduced to frame desirable and repeatable movement-based play actions, paying attention to the way these are supported by design resources including rules, physical and digital artifacts, and the physical and spatial arrangement of players and artifacts. The concept was developed during the two main design cases: the Oriboo case, targeting dance games for children, and the PhySeEar case, targeting rehabilitative therapy for the elderly. It was further substantiated in subsequent external design collaborations. To support the design process, this thesis presents embodied sketching: a set of ideation design practices that leverage the embodied experience and enable designers to scrutinize the desired embodied experience early in the design process. Three forms of embodied sketching are presented: embodied sketching for bodystorming, co-designing with users, and sensitizing designers. Through reframing the design task as one of designing and studying embodied core mechanics, this thesis establishes an alternative approach to design for movement-based play in which significant aspects of the embodied play experience, lead, drive, and shape the design process and the design of the technology.

本研究設計了一個結合遊戲性及新型互動體驗的英語學習輔助玩具，目的是將英語學習帶入學齡前兒童的戲水情境之中，兒童可透過與玩具遊戲的過程，達到英語學習歷程的催化。本研究開發之數位互動玩具，可藉由手與尾巴做出不同組合的動作，以及眼睛可以投射出燈光圖案表達不同情緒。並透過語音播放出故事中的單字與句子，再藉由以上的功能會組成不同的回饋。小朋友能用摸與說話的方式，在與玩具之間的遊戲過程中，達到產生興趣的效果。 現階段本研究探討使用者經驗的分析，若要分析小朋友的正式學習歷程，就必須先了解小朋友的動機和使用後的回饋，以讓未來學習歷程中的研究作為基礎。因此，基於認知心理學家的理論討論幼兒學習的歷程，以及為了得知如何設計適合的玩具給小朋友，本研究提出設計時的原則以及使用者經驗與使用性，建構出互動玩具的雛形。實驗評估對象共為8位3~5歲之兒童(第一階段7位，第二階段1位)，以觀察的方式紀錄實驗過程，利用開放式問題詢問小朋友的回饋，並以進行整理與分析。總結，研究成果為： 1. 互動學習體驗：將科技結合一般戲水玩具，透過觸摸及語音的互動方式產生動作、燈光圖案、聲音等回饋，從戲水互動過程中給予兒童新的互動學習體驗。 2. 學習與探索的動機：本研究依據Skinner的操作制約概念制定互動流程，玩具經實驗發現透過觸摸及口說的互動，產生了多元回饋刺激，包含故事內容及卡牌的配合，讓小朋友在遊戲過程中能自行探索內容並在過程中學習。 3. 使用者經驗與使用性分析：從使用性五項指標分析情緒起伏歷程紀錄及分析使用者經驗，發現玩具容易讓小朋友操作且記憶玩具提供之內容，整體使用性是高的。但相較於觸摸的互動方式，說話的互動方式會讓小朋友在操作上使用性較低。 互動玩具的設計製作：以UCD的設計思維建構互動玩具外型設計、人機互動方式及內容設計，並再以Arduino為主要載體建構模組化之設計。 / This study designed an English learning toy that combined the game and a new interactive experience. This aim is to integrate English learning into the context of preschoolers playing in water and use the interaction with the toy to promote the English learning process. In this study, the digital interactive toy we made that can make different combinations of action by using its hands and tail, project out the lighting patterns to express various emotions by its eyes, and play out the words and sentences of the story by the voice player. According to the above functions, the toy forms different ways of feedback. It is effective that children can develop an interest in the toy by the ways of touching and saying in the process of game playing. At present, this study explored the analysis of user experience, if we want to analysis the children's formal learning process, we must first understand the child's motivation and feedback after use, so that it can be a foundation of the learning process in the future. Thus, the study is based on the theory of cognitive psychologists that discussed the course of early childhood learning. In order to know how to design a suitable toy for preschoolers, this study built the prototype of the interactive toy through presenting the design principles and user experience and usability. The subjects were 8 preschoolers (3-5 years of age) enrolled in the study (7 subjects in the first stage and 1 subject in the third stage). Researcher recorded the experimental procedure by the way of observing, inquired the research subjects to get their feedback by opened questions, and then digested and analyzed to the conclusion. Summary, the results of this research are in the following: (1) Interactive learning experience: The combination of technology and the general water-playing toys. The digital interactive toy let preschoolers get a new interactive learning experience through the way of touching and speaking to emerge action, light patterns, sound and other feedback. (2) Learning motivation and exploration: Based on Skinner's operational control concept, the research has found that the toy stimulates a variety of feedback through touching and speaking of the interaction, including the story content and cards. The preschoolers in the course of the game can explore the content by themselves and learning during the process. (3) User experience and usability analysis: According to the use of five indicators to analyze the course of emotional change and user experience, the research has found that the toys easily to be operated by children and made them keep memory of the contents the toy provided. The overall use is high, however, compared to the interactive way of touching, the way of speaking is lower in the children’s operation. (4) Interactive toy design: The toy is based on UCD design thinking to construct interactive toy exterior design, human-computer interaction and content design. The main carrier is Arduino to build out the modular design.