Edinburgh Napier University

  The aim of this PhD research project is to increase knowledge about the nature of what can be termed “optional interactions” with installations and systems found in public or semi-public environments such as museums, galleries, foyers and shopping centres. These systems must invite and encourage interaction from the people who encounter them, rather than providing goal-orientated services that are sought out by individuals.
It is the experiential and subjective aspects of interaction that are under scrutiny in this study, conducted with a view to understanding how best to design engaging systems that initiate and sustain interactions that are highly regarded by the participant. This research takes as its starting point the idea that this kind of designed experience can be explored and better understood through comparisons with approaches taken by new-media artists. It is hoped that new insights can be gained into what makes for satisfying or “optimal” interactions.