Objects are indispensable tools in our daily lives. Recent research has demonstrated their potential to act as conduits for digital interactions with microgestures, however, the primary focus was on situations where the hand firmly grasps an object. We introduce GraspUI, an exploratory design space of object-centric gestures within the seven distinct phases of the grasping process, spanning pre-, during, and post-grasp movements. We conducted ideation sessions with mixed-reality designers from industry and academia to explore gesture integration throughout the entire grasping process. The outcome was 38 storyboards envisioning practical applications. To evaluate the design space’s utility, we performed a video-based assessment with end-users. We then implemented an interactive prototype and quantified the overhead cost of performing proposed gestures through a secondary study. Participants reacted positively to gestures and could integrate them into existing usage of objects. To conclude, we highlight technical and usability guidelines for implementing and extending GraspUI systems.

In early stages of creative processes, practitioners externalize and combine inspirational materials, using strategies such as mood board creation to achieve a desired vision and aesthetic. Yet, collecting and combining materials can be difficult: (1) mood boards bias towards 2D images, neglecting audio, video, and 3D models; (2) alternative externalizations such as prototypes are best suited for later stages and can be time-consuming and tedious to create; and (3) online searches lead to disjointed sources between different websites and assets in the file system. To address these challenges, we created MoodCubes, a system for rapid creation and manipulation of multimedia content. When adding content, MoodCubes decomposes objects (e.g., extracting colour palettes), suggests new materials without the need to search (e.g., 3D models, images, lighting effects), and provides filters to change the scene’s aesthetic. We studied eight creative professionals using MoodCubes, which suggested ways the system might advance existing design practices.

We explore the use of cinematic “pre-visualization” (previs) techniques as a rapid ideation and design futuring method for human computer interaction (HCI) research. Previs approaches, which are widely used in animation and film production, use digital design tools to create medium-fidelity videos that capture richer interaction, motion, and context than sketches or static illustrations. When used as a design futuring method, previs can facilitate rapid, iterative discussions that reveal tensions, challenges, and opportunities for new research. We performed eight one-week design futuring sprints, in which individual HCI researchers collaborated with a lead designer to produce concept sketches, storyboards, and videos that examined future applications of their research. From these experiences, we identify recurring themes and challenges and present a One Week Futuring Workbook that other researchers can use to guide their own futuring sprints. We also highlight how variations of our approach could support other speculative design practices.

We present EvoIsland, a scalable interactive evolutionary user interface framework inspired by the spatially isolated land masses seen on Earth. Our generalizable interaction system encourages creators to spatially explore a wide range of design possibilities through the combination, separation, and rearrangement of hexagonal tiles on a grid. As these tiles are grouped into islandlike clusters, localized populations of designs form through an underlying evolutionary system. The interactions that take place within EvoIsland provide content creators with new ways to shape, display and assess populations in evolutionary systems that produce a wide range of solutions with visual phenotype outputs.