The Internet of Things (IoT) and Natural User Interfaces (NUI) are rapidly transforming how we live and interact. With the confluence of near-universal mobile and device connectivity; rapidly standardizing data protocols and platforms and the advent of "big data" analytics; and the rise of alternate means of consumer interactions with digital devices through voice, motion, and gaze as well as touch and mouse/keyboard interactions-- both NUI and IoT have finally arrived. The IoT product sector is now growing rapidly, with hundreds of millions invested in IoT companies, platforms and products in the last two years. The confluence of IoT and NUI is also a wide-ranging new frontier for UX, spanning healthcare and personal monitoring; event and spatial interaction design; home and security management; remotely connected cars, devices and appliances; and much more. IoT and NUI present exciting challenges for UX professionals to consider new means of interactions beyond a simple computer or device screen and keyboard, with new types of input and management of data as well as the marriage of hardware products and digital software design.
NYC-CHI (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/nycchi/) will be hosting a series of events to explore this new frontier of UX over the next several months. Connected Spaces is the first event in this series, and focuses specifically on creating interactive, "smart" spaces and environments. The event is divided into two parts: talk and play! First, we'll get an overview of this growing niche through a brief overview and actual case studies from Brett Renfer at the Rockwell Group Lab and Elliott Blanchard from Invisible Light Network. These case studies will focus specifically on the UX design of interactive spaces from actual projects. The second part of the event will be a hands-on workshop with NYC's own open-source spatial programming platform,
! The workshop will enable people to get a first- hand view of how to program and use Spacebrew for yourself. Everything you may need is provided, though you may want to bring your laptop. Come have fun, learn something new and play!
This event is sure to interest UX designers who have been mainly considering UX in the context of desktop screen layouts to consider this emerging world of interactive environmental connectivity. The world around us is now becoming our screen! If you're curious about seeing and learning the "next wave of UX", this event is for you!
