Short answer
Designers should actively engage with and document their own and their users' embodied experiences of movement to inform and enrich the design of interactive systems.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Informatics (2018)
- Method
- Qualitative research, case study, annotated portfolio, theoretical exploration.
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Prioritizing the designer's and user's embodied, first-person perspective in movement-based design provides a subjective yet rigorous foundation for aesthetic development. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2018 study published in Informatics. Using Qualitative research, case study, annotated portfolio, theoretical exploration., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers should actively engage with and document their own and their users' embodied experiences of movement to inform and enrich the design of interactive systems.
First-Person Somatic Experience Enhances Movement-Based Design Rigor
Prioritizing the designer's and user's embodied, first-person perspective in movement-based design provides a subjective yet rigorous foundation for aesthetic development.
Informatics · 2018
Key Findings
- 01A first-person perspective, focusing on the designer's and user's embodied experience, is a unique and valuable design sensitivity.
- 02This subjective, felt dimension provides rigor and structure to design research, despite its inherent subjectivity.
- 03Integrating somatic experience can lead to richer aesthetic outcomes in movement-based design.
Application
Design takeaway
Designers should actively engage with and document their own and their users' embodied experiences of movement to inform and enrich the design of interactive systems.
How to apply
When designing any product that involves physical interaction or movement, consider how the user will *feel* the movement and incorporate this into your design decisions and testing.
Project actions
- 01During user testing, ask participants to describe their physical sensations and feelings while interacting with your prototype.
- 02Keep a personal design journal where you document your own embodied experiences while developing your design.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Emphasizes a holistic understanding of user interaction beyond mere functionality.
- +Encourages empathy and deeper user connection in the design process.
Limitations
It can be difficult to quantify subjective feelings and sensations, making it hard to present objective data to support your claims.
Reliability & validity
Reliability can be improved by using standardized prompts for user descriptions of somatic experiences. Validity is enhanced by triangulating user descriptions with observable physical cues or physiological measures (if possible).
Think critically
How can a designer objectively measure and validate subjective, first-person somatic experiences to ensure design rigor, especially when aiming for broader user appeal?
Design Principles
"Embodiment and first-person perspective are critical for designing meaningful and aesthetically rich movement-based interactions."
This approach emphasizes the lived experience of movement, which is crucial for designing products that interact with the human body. It encourages designers to move beyond purely objective measurements and consider the qualitative, felt aspects of interaction, leading to more intuitive and engaging designs.
What This Means for Your Design
When you design something that people move with, like a game controller or a piece of exercise equipment, it's really important to think about how it *feels* to move with it, not just how it looks or works. Your own feelings and the feelings of the people you're designing for are super important for making it good.
How to use in your project
- 1.In your project, you can justify your design choices by referring to your own somatic experiences or those of your test users, demonstrating a user-centred approach.
- 2.Use qualitative data from user testing that focuses on feelings and sensations to support your design decisions.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Informed by the principles of soma-based design, this project prioritizes the first-person, embodied experience of the user. By focusing on the felt dimension of interaction, as highlighted by Höök et al. (2018), the design aims to create a more intuitive and aesthetically rich user experience, moving beyond purely functional considerations to address the qualitative aspects of movement and engagement.
Source
Questions About This Research
- What does the research say about first-person somatic experience enhances movement-based design rigor?
- Designers should actively engage with and document their own and their users' embodied experiences of movement to inform and enrich the design of interactive systems. Evidence: Informatics (2018).
- Why does "First-Person Somatic Experience Enhances Movement-Based Design Rigor" matter for design?
- This approach emphasizes the lived experience of movement, which is crucial for designing products that interact with the human body. It encourages designers to move beyond purely objective measurements and consider the qualitative, felt aspects of interaction, leading to more intuitive and engaging designs.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Designers should actively engage with and document their own and their users' embodied experiences of movement to inform and enrich the design of interactive systems.
- What were the main findings?
- A first-person perspective, focusing on the designer's and user's embodied experience, is a unique and valuable design sensitivity.. This subjective, felt dimension provides rigor and structure to design research, despite its inherent subjectivity.. Integrating somatic experience can lead to richer aesthetic outcomes in movement-based design.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative research, case study, annotated portfolio, theoretical exploration..
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2018 journal from Informatics.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing any product that involves physical interaction or movement, consider how the user will *feel* the movement and incorporate this into your design decisions and testing.
- What are the limitations?
- The subjective nature of the first-person perspective can be challenging to standardize and measure objectively; the research is practice-based and may not be generalizable to all design contexts.