2025 MA Design Studio 1 / 4 "Inter-Action"

sense Space

Overview

Description

This workshop invites students to collaboratively create and explore interactive interventions in a shared responsive environment. The focus lies on designing interactions between people, objects, and space, supported by real-time sensing and AI-assisted coding. Students will have the opportunity to prototype, test, and refine interactive scenarios in a collective setting.

At the center of the workshop is the Sense Space—an environment equipped with multiple 3D sensors capable of tracking people in real time. Movement and spatial data from this system are processed and distributed across the network, allowing each participant to subscribe to the same live data stream. This shared access makes it possible for students to build their own interaction concepts independently, while at the same time engaging in a collaborative ecosystem.

The Sense Space thus becomes a collective intervention design lab: a place where students can study human interactions as they unfold, design responses to them, and observe the dynamics of multiple overlapping interventions. Because the data infrastructure is shared and distributed, each project has the potential not only to stand on its own but also to be merged, extended, or transformed through collaboration with others.

The overarching idea is to give students real-time access to human movement and interaction data in a distributed collaborative environment. This unique setup empowers them to design and experiment with their own interactive systems, while also exploring how these systems interconnect with those of their peers—fostering creativity, cooperation, and critical reflection on what it means to design for shared interactive spaces.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the workshop, students will:

• Understand the principles of interactive and responsive environments.

• Learn how to design interactions that respond to movement, presence, and objects.

• Gain hands-on experience working with real-time data streams.

• Explore AI-assisted coding (“Vibe Coding”) as a creative tool for interaction design.

• Develop collaborative projects that use a shared technical infrastructure.

Technical Setup

• 3D Stereo Cameras: Multiple depth-sensing cameras capture 3D poses of humans.

• AI Server: Processes sensor data and distributes metadata to students’ laptops in real time.

• Client Access: Students can access the live data stream via WLAN/Ethernet without requiring additional hardware or managing system complexities.

Workshop Components

1. Introduction & Context

   • Overview of interactive environments and responsive spaces

   • Examples from art, design, and performance

2. Technical Foundations

   • Introduction to the sensor network and AI server setup

   • How to access and use live data streams

3. Coding, AI assisted coding to Vibe Coding with Python

   • Natural language–based coding with AI assistance

   • Rapid prototyping of interactive behaviors

   • Reference: What is Vibe Coding?

4. Design & Prototyping Sessions

   • Group work to design interactive interventions

   • Iterative testing within the shared environment

5. Final Presentation

   • Students present their interactive prototypes in an exhibition setup

   • Collective reflection and discussion on interaction, collaboration, and process

Student Engagement

Every participant works within the same responsive space, sharing access to real-time environmental data. This setup encourages collaborative design while also allowing for individual experimentation. Students can focus on interaction concepts and creative expression, without being blocked by technical complexities.

Lecturers

Max (course lead), Karmen, Luke

Schedule

Resources