Designing with Concrete For Enhancing Everyday Interactions
Yanan Wang, Shuai Liu, Yujia Lu, Jun Duan, Cheng Yao, Fangtian Ying · 2016
Concrete is a composite material that has mostly been used for buildings and road surfaces since early human history. It is also applied to contemporary product design, as it has rather interesting aesthetic properties. In this late-breaking work, we present a series of small-scale explorations of concrete: first in which we exploited its hydroscopicity to create an ephemeral and dynamic display, and second, where we conducted a tangible interface design to showcase the material's unique surface textures. By applying craft-based methodology to this project, we investigated the ways in which fabricating this material with digital technologies provides innovations within the HCI community. Most importantly, we attempted to discover fabrication techniques that facilitate artistic experiences and interactions with concrete without sacrificing its existing properties.