Interaction design is at the junction of experience design disciplines, especially social sciences and computer science. Therefore, we collaborate with laboratories of these disciplines. We’re particularly interested in studying usages transformation and people’s motivations as well as exploring emerging usage forms and their socialization potential, technology being a mean.

As a research group in the domain of interaction design, we’re assuming a research by design positioning (W. Gaver). Our research is conducted by the design practice, through an abductive reasoning, in 2 positions within Fallman’s triangle (D. Fallman): ‘Design practice’, real project, in collaboration with the industry, and ‘Exploratory design’, fictional projects, critical projects.

The focus of this research program is on ‘social media’ as an interim object in an ‘empathic society’ (J.Rifkin), as a cathalyst of our relationships with people and places. In this context, the invention of new relationship forms is an essential stake, aiming at improving the connexion qualities linking people to information and environment, rather than to improve efficiency or productivity. Our approach focuses on the potential of perception, expression and reflexion towards the development of creativity, autonomy, empathy.

The applied research activity is developed with the relevant design methods and grounded on a theoretical curriculum, through readings and seminars introducing concepts from sociology of ‘imaginaire’, information/communication science, semiotics, cognitive psychology, and research methods.

Écolenationalesupérieuredes ArtsDécoratifs

Écolenationalesupérieuredes ArtsDécoratifs

Écolenationalesupérieuredes ArtsDécoratifs

Écolenationalesupérieuredes ArtsDécoratifs

Écolenationalesupérieuredes ArtsDécoratifs

Our research topics include· Alternative presence and interpersonal

communication forms· New forms of sociability of constrained environment· Empathy in education· Engagement in usage of data through data visualization· Tangible interfaces for information and social relationship

Keywords:· Interaction design, service design.· Exploratory design, design probes, design critic,

reflexive practice.· Digital anthropology, observations, behavior,

contextualization, societal impact.· Mobility, digital identity, sociability, presence,

communication.· Workshop, prototyping, proof of concept

and field study, publication.· Perception, expression, reflexion, creativity,

autonomy, empathy.· Beautiful seams.

Partners· Idex Paris sciences & letters (PSL)· Telecom ParisTech (social sciences/information

& communication science)· Pierre-Gilles de Gennes foundation, Paris· CEAQ.

Researchers, professors, and expertsDirection and coordination· Remy Bourganel (professor/researcher, Ensad)Workshops· Etienne Mineur (professor/researcher, Ensad)Associated experts· Annie Gentes (Telecom Paris, information and

communication science/CMU/Stanford)· Jean-Baptiste Labrune (MIT/MediaLab, computer science)· Stephane Hugon (CEAQ, sociology of ‘imaginaire’)· Samuel Grange (semiology).

http://sociablemedia.ensadlab.fr

remy.bourganel@ensad.fr

etienne.mineur@ensad.fr

SOCIABLE MEDIA – PROJECTS 2013

SLOWSCREEN#Trace, thermoreactive, beautiful seams

How could we design calm technology to enhance social interactions in the intimacy of the home?

Slowscreen is a black capacitive fabric screen, reactive to the skin temperature. Embedded in the home—furnitures, wall parts—these sensitive areas become expression spaces between housemates. Temperature becomes a language for interaction, as a witness of eachother traces. The ephemeral imprint evokes Rorschach inkblots, open to interpretations.This calm technology aims to integrate the usual complexity of information in the texture of everyday life.

Slowscreen displays information thanks to heating resistive strings, located underneath the fabric, covered with thermo-chromic ink. The matrix contains 750 modules, in a 40x60 cm surface. The low resolution image is slowly actuated (around 1 minute to appear and disappear).

Project scopeElectronics, interface development, code development

Project leadersLouis Eveillard, Pauline Gourlet

URLhttp://www.beautifulseams.com/ (work in progress)

Add transports

1052

Delay for each lines in minutes

F J K L M N Nxv1 1ax 1bx 2 3 5 6 8x 8ax

8bx9 9L 10 12 14 14L

14x16x

18 19 21 22 23 24 27 28 29 30 30x31 31ax

31bx33 35 36 37 38 38ax

38bx38L

39 41 43 44 45 47 48 49 52 54 56 66 67 71 71L 76 81x 82x83x

88 90 91 108 K L M N T17

Market & W

harves

Church

Ingleside/Third Street

Taraval

Ocean View

JudahCalifornia

Clement

Jackson

FultonParnassus

Bayshore Express

San Bruno

Townsend

Folsom /Pacific

Mission

Noriega Express

Park Merced

46th Avenue

PolkHayes

Fillmore

Monterey

Divisadero

Bryant

19th Avenue

Sunset

Stockton

Balboa B Express

Stanyan

EurekaTeresita

California A Express

California B Express

Bayshore A Express

Bayshore B Express

San Bruno Limited

Mission Limited

Mission Express

Marina Express

BalboaBalboa A Express

Corbett

GearyGeary A Express

Geary B Express

Geary Limited

CoitUnion

Masonic

O’Shaughnessy

Union/Stockton

Van Ness

Quintara – 24th Street

Mission – Van Ness

Excelsior

FeltonRutland

Quintara

Bernal Heights

Haight – Noriega

Haight – Noriega Limited

Marin Headlands

Caltrain Express

Levi Plaza Express

Caltrain

B.A.R.T Shuttle

San Bruno Owl

OwlTreasure Island

OwlOwl

OwlOwl

OwlN Express

8minutes late on average

Chinese parade +4000

Fine art fair +800

Baseball match +1000

Pop concert +2500

Add commuters

SOCIABLE MEDIA – PROJECTS 2013

BREAKPOINTS#Data viz, Engagement, Playfulness, Immersion

How do we engage people with data? Can we use games mechanism to enhance the user’s immersion and ultimately his understanding of data?

The global movement of Open Data raises the question of the usefullness of these huge datasets to the masses. Getting people to perceive the value they can find in these data is a complicated task and one that needs to be explored at the same time as companies and governments distribute more and more informations to the world. Breakpoints uses public transportation data from San Francisco, Geneva and Zurich and enables people to interact with it in order to understand how a city lives and how populations flow from one area to another during the day.

Project scopeData parsing, patterns spotting, interface development, code development, photo and video editing

Project leadersLouis Eveillard, Jeremy Boy

PrizesHonorary prize in the Urban Data Challenge, in San Francisco.

URLVideo: http://vimeo.com/63063081

http://urbanprototyping.org/prototype/challenges/

urban-data-challenge-zurich-sf-geneva/

MITOYEN, LIVING TOGETHER RE-INVENTED#Design fiction, Telepresence, Close ones, Face to face

How could we bring back a close one’s presence in the home, as if we were “face to face”?

What if our close ones lived behind the neighbour’s wall? What if we could knock this wall down? Here at Dreamteck we made this dream come true by creating Mitoyen™. It rejoins houses of families torn apart by distance thanks to the wall-screen : FullVideo™. It reinvent our way of living together and our interiors thanks to the tables cut in two: Halves™.

Project scopeIdea generation, Concept development, Photo and video shooting, Video editing

Project leaderMax Mollon

In collaboration withOrange

URLhttp://cargocollective.com/alternative-communication/mitoyen

http://vimeo.com/maxmollon/mitoyen

http://lecollectif.orange.fr/concours-jeunes-designers/mitoyen

SOCIABLE MEDIA – PROJECTS 2012

MIME, THE RELATIONSHIP ENTERTAINER#Design fiction, Telepresence, Close ones, Over time

How could we bring back a close one’s presence in the home, using a calm technology, integrated to our routines and everyday object?

Have you ever changed job, changed city or country? Had enough of losing touch with your friends, lover, family? Say hello to Mime!Mime is a character that you share exclusively with someone who is close to you. He lives in a light bulb. His mission? To serve as go-between to maintain your relationship “over time”, remind you of the presence of the person who is dear to you.

Project scopeTeam leading / idea generation / concept development / chara-design / After Effects animation / photo and video shooting

Project leaderMax Mollon

In collaboration withOrange

URLhttp://cargocollective.com/alternative-communication/mime

http://vimeo.com/maxmollon/mime

http://lecollectif.orange.fr/concours-jeunes-designers/mime

SOCIABLE MEDIA – PROJECTS 2012

SOCIABLE MEDIA – PROJECTS 2012

ÉC[H]O#Tangible interfaces, Calm technology, Ambient information, Reactive things

How can we make invisible information tangible in our homes? And how do we diffuse this information without adding more complexity? How can home-data engage people to modify their energy consumption habits?

EC[H]O Handles suffer degradation under the effect of energy consumption. Mutations in texture, temperature, resistance and softness give the handles a “living” feel. These changes are indexed on cyclical thresholds that intend to encourage inhabitants to modify their habits and behavior, not only towards the home, but also towards one another.

Project scopeConcept development, code prototyping, After Effects animation, photo and video shooting

Project leaderJeremy Boy

In collaboration withMartin Le Tiec

URLlecollectif.orange.fr/concours-jeunes-designers/echo-poignees/

Video: https://vimeo.com/58771298

Interactive simulation: http://jyby.eu/simulationOrange

SOCIABLE MEDIA – PROJECTS 2012

ENTRE[VUES]#Presence, Shared spaces, Tactile communication

Connecting generations with technology.

Entrevue is an intergenerational experience to reduce the social distance between individuals. Communication is done through a screen behind a frame that is showing the same content in two places at the same time.

Project scopeConcept development, rapid prototyping, team leading

Project leaderAudrey Sovignet

In collaboration withOrange

URLhttp://lecollectif.orange.fr/concours-jeunes-designers/entrevue

SOCIAL TUNING#Mobile, Friendship, Shared-spaces

How to maintain social proximity despite geographical distance?

Social Tuning project—EnsadLab / BellLabs collaboration—proposes to take an offbeat posture regarding collaboration, social proximity and friendship in mobile devices. The topics explored concern Visualizing loose ties among friends using the address book, Producing a remote feeling of presence using non-verbalized interaction and Helping asynchronous collaboration in online shared spaces using the trace metaphor. The prototypes created here aim to address different problematics to map various dimension of this mobile experience.

Project scopeIdea generation / concept development / prototyping / App development / photo and video shooting

Project leaderAudrey Sovignet, Max Mollon, Jeremy Boy

In collaboration withAlcatel-Lucent Bell Labs (Frédérique Pain, Jean-Baptiste Labrune)

URLhttp://youtu.be/JQSwvD-C6Dw

http://cargocollective.com/alternative-communication/presense

http://sociablemedia.ensadlab.fr/?p=2213&lang=en

SOCIABLE MEDIA – PROJECTS 2011

— « non-verbal emotional experience of notification »Geoffrey Dorne | IDN - EnsadLab | Mars 2011

NEEN#Mobile, Notifications, Non-verbal,

How to evoke politness and subtilities in mobile communication notifications?

Neen for (non-verbal emotional experience of notification) is a project that investigates how to enable phatic communication, and etiquette with someone in digitally mediated conversation engagement. Aiming at introducing fluidity, moods and politness, it revisits digital presence, non-verbal communication as well as messages or call notifications through design probes.

Project scopeIdea generation / concept development / prototyping / app development / photo and video shooting

Project leaderGeoffrey Dorne

URLhttp://sociablemedia.ensadlab.fr/?p=1341#more-1341

http://geoffreydorne.com/neen.html

SOCIABLE MEDIA – PROJECTS 2010

HIC&NUNC, HERE AND NOW#Mobile, Notifications, Absence

How an application can support the projection of an imaginary? Provide sense to a visualisation of me and the others within space and time?

HIC&NUNC explores the conditions for enabling/triggering emotions we experience when we receive a postcard from someone important for us and aims to infuse these qualities in the communications devices of the digital age.

When we experience separation with the people close to our heart, distance is a privation. The postcard, despite its archaism stills one of the best subterfuge we can use to reduce the feeling of absence we encounter in such a situation. Indeed, postcards have an astonishing ability to create an affective connexion between people through distance and time. What is postcard today ? A kind of nostalgia ? The pleasure to receive ?

Project scopeIdea generation / concept development / prototyping / app development

Project leaderDavid Serrault

URLhttp://sociablemedia.ensadlab.fr/?p=1307#more-1307

SOCIABLE MEDIA – PROJECTS 2010