Workshop Fee: $250.00 USD

Abstract:
This workshop is intended for interaction designers who have little to no experience with hardware/software design and are interested in expanding their practice into this rapidly-growing space. Interaction design practice changes as it moves off the desktop and beyond keyboard and mouse input. Designers face new considerations of physical and environmental context, as well as new opportunities and constraints based in the different technological platforms, physical forms and use paradigms.

In this practical, hands-on workshop, we'll share insights and principles from our own experiences and those of some leading practitioners in the field. We'll provide guidance on working effectively with industrial designers and electrical and mechanical engineers to create the best possible user experience. In addition, we'll discuss how a hardware/software interaction design perspective will help you navigate the new world of product ecosystems and service design.

The session will include a design exercise where small teams will try their hand at developing a hardware/software design. Come prepared to engage deeply, to provide constructive feedback, and to take home new skills and a new way of thinking about your work and future.

Ted Booth

Ted Booth leads interaction design at Smart Design. His team focuses on designing new experiences for a wide range of consumer products and services. Interaction designers at Smart work closely with industrial designers, researchers and engineers to create enjoyable and satisfying consumer experiences.

Prior to joining Smart, Ted led interaction design at Motorola Enterprise Mobility (formerly Symbol Technologies) working on a wide range of mobile computers, RFID devices, and remote management tools. Before that, he led interaction design at Method, a consulting firm specializing in brand identity, web design, and product user interface. He began his career at MetaDesign in San Francisco. He holds a Masters of Design from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Michele Tepper

Michele Tepper is a Principal Designer in frog design's New York studio. She has led or contributed to projects ranging from industrial design product strategy research to mobile interfaces to complex web applications. She is the co-lead of frog's internal Convergent Design expert group, a global knowledge-sharing community for creating memorable, pleasurable experiences that bring together industrial and digital design.

Before frog, Michele worked for IBM, setting interaction standards for the company's global website. She has written influential essays on social software and online community formation, and holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Michigan.