PIP is the result for the master course Interactive Materiality, which I did with a fellow student.
Interaction is becoming more and more flat and lateral because of the massive use of touchscreens. The shape-change of the design, facilitated by the pins, can be used as a haptic interface with ‘3D pixels’ to enrich these touchscreens. The shape-change was explored through analysis and fine-tuning the movements. An interaction journey was constructed to provoke playfulness with the transition from shy to playful. It was recognized that the pattern would move depending on the user’s interaction and the interaction was found to be subtle and playful by only a few. However, from the varying emotional reactions it was argued that personal perception can differ greatly.
As for the tactile experience, we found that indeed some people experienced incongruency in the material, consisting of three materials and its combined properties; the smooth lycra fabric, the spongy foam and the semi visible sturdy pins. Thus, layering materials can significantly change the properties and the tactile experience. Layering materials and their properties can be beneficial for car and home interior design, especially furniture by for instance making the more durable sturdy materials more comfortable and tactilely interesting.
Material explorations 
Explorations 
Mechanical parts
Click here to read the entire research paper about this exploratory design research.
