This document discusses interaction design in hybrid cities where the physical and digital levels intersect. It notes that as pervasive technologies become more prevalent, individuals will increasingly interact knowingly and unknowingly with these systems in daily life without choice. This technological paradigm shift raises fundamental issues around transparency, ownership, boundaries, security, convenience, control and privacy. It provides examples of art projects that bring awareness to invisible phenomena in cities and emphasizes the importance of thinking critically about what you do.

1. Interaction Design and the Hybrid City
Michael Smyth
Centre for Interaction Design
Edinburgh Napier University
www.michael-smyth.co.uk

2. Cities are complex systems at both
the physical and digital levels

3. Urban Interaction Design addresses the
intersection of people with the data rich city

4. The ubiquitous urban screen

5. Pervasive technologies will become increasingly
prevalent, and individuals will encounter and
interact with these systems knowingly and
unknowingly in their daily lives.

6. No choice about interacting.

7. Technological paradigm shift raises fundamental
issues including: transparency; ownership,
boundaries, security, convenience, control and
privacy.

8. Dead Drops :: Aram Bartholl (2010)

12. The Copenhagan Wheel :: Senseable City Lab, MIT

15. W Hotel, Leicester Sq, London :: Jason Bruges (2010)

16. Nuage Vert, Saint-Ouen, Paris :: HeHe

17. Arts based approach to critical design - making
people aware of invisible phenomena.

20. No-one cares about what you think, unless you
do what you think. No-one cares about what you
do, unless you think about what you do.
Jack Schulze, BERG London

21. Michael Smyth
Centre for Interaction Design
Edinburgh Napier University
www.michael-smyth.co.uk