I think going the phys comp route is way over the top for this. Sorry folks, but doing IxD for physical computers teaches you how to do phys comp and barely teaches you how to do IxD for phys comp. Most physical interaction design can be done a lot more simply and easily through the study of the following attributes of IxD that most consumer electronics devices deal with:
1) embedded software systems. Start designing for text-based systems instead of GUIs. Think 6 line screens with only limited resolution of 8x8 dots per character space. This is a huge challenge indeed. (i.e. think designing for an old iPod) 2) button control types. due to the limitations imposed by constraints such as ODMs (if ya don't know what that is find out), size issues, and cost issues there are only a finite # of controls that about 90% of the IxDs out there in the HW space will ever deal with: jog dials, D-pads, etc. 3) Then there are keyboard/keypad types and these have some variety depending on device size, but even then the rules are quite well understood given the limited scope within each form factor size. Then after dealing in the real world for a bit, you can explore stuff like Arduino and learn more about phys comp and explore sensing and gestures and what not. I'm not poo pooing phys comp as an important tool, but I do think there is a ton of stuff you need to learn from an IxD POV to be practical now before you ever need to jump into the phys comp world. -- dave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=49472 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
