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Proceedings of the Future Technologies Conference

FTC 2018: Proceedings of the Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2018 pp 104–121Cite as

Electronic Kintsugi

An Investigation of Everyday Crafted Objects in Tangible Interaction Design

Part of the Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing book series (AISC,volume 880)

Abstract

In the development of enhanced and smart technology, we explore the concept of meaningfulness, tangible design and interaction with everyday objects through Kintsugi, the Japanese craft of repairing broken ceramics with gold. Through two workshops, this emergent design research develops an iterative prototype: Electronic Kintsugi, which explores how we can facilitate more human-to-human or human-to-self connection through a hybrid crafted everyday object. We identify three themes: (1) enhancing human connection through embedded or “magic” technology; (2) using everyday objects to prompt personal reflection and development; and (3) exploring transferable design principles of smart products with a device of undefined purpose, and this converges traditional craft and technology.

Keywords

  • Craft
  • Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Tangible interaction
  • Everyday objects

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  • DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-02686-8_9
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Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.

Notes

  1. 1.

    http://www.kurovsya.com/.

  2. 2.

    We followed instructions from: http://www.instructables.com/id/Touche-for-Arduino-Advanced-touch-sensing/.

  3. 3.

    We used this library: https://github.com/dzlonline/the_synth.

  4. 4.

    https://www.ludela.com/.

  5. 5.

    https://www.kerastase-usa.com/connected-brush.

  6. 6.

    From an interview with designer Carl Alviani (http://meaningfuldevices.vanessacarpenter.com/2017/08/10/anything-but-personal-is-a-failure/).

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Acknowledgment

We are grateful to FabCafe Tokyo, Kurosawa-San, the participants of workshop one, the design experts of workshop 2, and all the user testers and helpers along the way.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Vanessa Julia Carpenter & Dan Overholt

  2. Simon Fraser University, Surrey, Canada

    Amanda Willis

  3. HumTek, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark

    Nikolaj “Dzl” Møbius

Authors
  1. Vanessa Julia Carpenter
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  2. Amanda Willis
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  3. Nikolaj “Dzl” Møbius
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  4. Dan Overholt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vanessa Julia Carpenter .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Saga University , Saga, Japan

    Kohei Arai

  2. The Science and Information (SAI) Organization, Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK

    Rahul Bhatia

  3. The Science and Information (SAI) Organization, Bradford, UK

    Prof. Dr. Supriya Kapoor

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Carpenter, V.J., Willis, A., Møbius, N.“., Overholt, D. (2019). Electronic Kintsugi. In: Arai, K., Bhatia, R., Kapoor, S. (eds) Proceedings of the Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2018. FTC 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 880. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02686-8_9

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