Semantic connections : a new interaction paradigm for smart environments

As the environments we inhabit contain a growing number of networked, interactive products, both users and designers need a better understanding of how these products can potentially work together. User interaction is changing from interaction with single products into interaction with a larger system of products. This trend faces designers with a challenge: to create meaningful interactions for users to deal with the complexity of the larger ecosystem of technologies users function in. In this article we introduce an interaction paradigm, where we view smart environments in terms of connections and associations between the actors and artefacts within the environment. In this notion of Semantic Connections, meaning is pivotal. We report on a search for a theoretical foundation for our approach in existing semantic theories. We attempt to use and extend these theories beyond their traditional focus on the appearance of objects and interaction with them in isolation, towards designing for systems of interoperating products. We illustrate our contribution by providing examples of products and design prototypes that implement our ideas. Although our research is ongoing and the theory un!nished, we believe that sharing our work can fuel the discussion on how designers may deal with the challenges in contemporary interaction design.