Designing for Embodied Interaction: Perceptual Motor Effects as Unintended Consequences

When designing for embodied interactions, the convergence of
spatial human behaviour with physical space is often not sufficiently
considered. This can cause unintended consequences in the user experience,
whereby the user may or may not be aware of the effects. In this talk I
will discuss a study that was conducted into the spatial player behaviour
of a multiplayer game installation. The installation’s interface was
designed for embodied interaction and required whole body movements to
play the game. The spatial analysis investigated a range of players’
activities in the game-space which revealed synergistic effects combining
perceptual-motor factors with game-strategy behaviour. As games are
becoming increasingly embodied and social the study’s findings illustrate
that the role of space should receive more attention which may also
require for designers to incorporate new methodologies into the design
process.