Design briefs

Interfacing the ‘internet of things’

This is a design brief, one of many themes that the Touch project is investigating.

The ‘internet of things’ is a vision of a world full of interconnected things that participate in a wider network of the internet. The idea has been driven by the proliferation of wireless networks and the increasing use of RFID in [...]

RFID and the everyday

This is a design brief, one of many themes that the Touch project is investigating.

Many of us have experienced RFID as a way of paying for tickets on public transport or gaining access to places. But are there other ways in which RFID, through things, places and behaviour, may become part of everyday experience?
RFID chips [...]

Universal design with NFC

This is a design brief, one of many themes that the Touch project is investigating.

NFC has been suggested as an enabling platform for universal design or design for all. Universal design can be summed up as: “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the [...]

The universal controller

This is a design brief, one of many themes that the Touch project is investigating.

Much research in ubiquitous computing focuses on the idea of a universal controller; a device that can adapt from making phonecalls to controlling the air conditioning. The mobile phone is seen as a good platform for controlling interactions in a range [...]

Touch as interaction medium

This is a design brief, one of many themes that the Touch project is investigating.

In London, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and elsewhere the ‘swipe’ or ‘tap’ is already a common interaction for paying and entering in a wide variety of public situations. In the near future the mobile phone and RFID card may be used [...]

NFC access control

This is a design brief, one of many themes that the Touch project is investigating.

RFID and NFC can be used to provide access to places in the same way as traditional keys or tickets.
This brief emerged from a frustration with existing access control systems. For interfaces of such potential simplicity they are often frustratingly difficult [...]

A graphic language for RFID

This is a design brief, one of many themes that the Touch project is investigating.

RFID is being used for an increasing number of interactions with everyday infrastructures. From travelcards, keyless entry, passports and micropayments to content downloads, smart posters and digital wallets on mobile phones. Attempts have been made to represent these interactions graphically from [...]

Touch design briefs

The Touch project has been investigating applications and services for RFID and NFC since 2005. Although RFID and NFC have been much hyped, the technologies have been relatively little explored from a design perspective. We have discovered many opportunities for original explorations, studies and design projects.
At the beginning of 2007, as we started to [...]