The Enhanced Object

Erich Doubek, MFA ’08

thesis abstract

The functional analog objects of our lives: the clock, coffee maker, telephone, and many countless other devices have seen the benefits of infusing technology into their daily functions. This has allowed us to create an interactive life where we coexist with intelligent objects.

My thesis investigates how we interact with common objects, which are enhanced, augmented, or distorted by an interactive visual and audio experience. This added interactive element changes the user’s relationship with the object, expanding the user’s established definition and associations.

With the object as the interface, the user’s interaction can enable the object itself to tell its own story, its very form and language of interaction enhancing the richness of the experience.