Making physical and digital games with e-textiles: A workshop for youth making responsive wearable games and controllers

Gabriela T. Richard, Yasmin B. Kafai

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Most research on game making has focused on designing digital games, as opposed to incorporating the potential for the designs of peripherals and controllers. In this paper, we illustrate how youth created wearable and physically interactive controllers by combining digital and tangible construction kits: Scratch, ModKit, the MaKey MaKey, and the Lilypad Arduino. In an eight-session workshop, 14-15-year old youth coded and created their own Scratch games and created wearable or electronic textile-based bidirectionally responsive game controllers using sensors to activate a response on the screen, through the physical artifact, or both interfaces. We analyzed students' design of game controllers, as well as post-workshop interviews, to understand how they articulated an understanding of bidirectionally responsive design and its affordances, focusing on a case study. In the discussion we address some of the insights and challenges presented through the workshop, and offer suggestions for future work. Copyright is held by the author(s).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of IDC 2015
Subtitle of host publicationThe 14th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery, Inc
Pages399-402
Number of pages4
ISBN (Electronic)9781450335904
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 21 2015
Event14th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children, IDC 2015 - Boston, United States
Duration: Jun 21 2015Jun 24 2015

Publication series

NameProceedings of IDC 2015: The 14th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children

Other

Other14th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children, IDC 2015
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBoston
Period6/21/156/24/15

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Education
  • Software

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