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Searching for Intrinsic Value in Interaction: Reflections on the Conceptual Designs of Digital Music Players
journal contribution
posted on 2005-01-01, 00:00 authored by John Zimmerman, Ellen Ayoob, Jodi ForlizziThe value of most consumer electronics made today makes these
products worth only slightly more than the parts needed to build them. In our
research we have explore the aesthetics of interaction, searching for how interaction
can add intrinsic value to products. Through an analysis of 20+ music
players designed to emotionally link a variety of different users with their music
across different contexts, we have identified three emerging thematic opportunities.
These include interaction designs that (i) integrate the interaction into objects
within the context, (ii) bridge the user activity and social role, and (iii) socially
connect the user to other people. This paper details these themes and offers
conceptual designs that illustrate how they work in products.