Title: Active and passive physicality: making the most of low fidelity physical interactive prototypes

Authors: Joanna Hare; Steve Gill; Gareth Loudon; Alan Lewis

Addresses: The National Centre for Product Design and Development Research (PDR), Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, CF5 2YB, UK ' Cardiff School of Art and Design (CSAD), Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, CF5 2YB, UK ' Cardiff School of Art and Design (CSAD), Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, CF5 2YB, UK ' The University of Wales, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NS, UK

Abstract: This paper presents three case-studies which comprise a systematic investigation into the use of low fidelity physical interactive prototyping techniques to form a design principle based on the constructs of active and passive physicality. It proposes that, with a better understanding of active and passive physicality, designers can make more effective prototypes for early stage user trials. Results of our studies indicate that the most effective prototypes balance both active and passive physicality equally. In addition, the notion of physicality can demonstrate why, in our studies, paper prototyping, screen-based prototypes and even Arduino prototypes produced unsatisfactory user data.

Keywords: active physicality; passive physicality; physical interactive prototypes; fidelity; computer embedded devices; user testing; usability; human computer interaction; HCI; industrial design; paper prototyping; design research; early stage user trials; screen-based prototypes; Arduino prototypes.

DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2014.065847

Journal of Design Research, 2014 Vol.12 No.4, pp.330 - 348

Received: 08 Oct 2013
Accepted: 21 May 2014
Published online: 17 Dec 2014 *

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