Unique lecture and hands-on workshop led by Daniel Shor from Innovobot, Montreal, on the topic of "Haptic Languages."
Daniel Shor will guide participants through the design principles behind intuitive vibrotactile notifications. This session will cover industry challenges and empathy-driven approaches, allowing attendees to experiment with prototyping tools and real-world applications, from smart surfaces to wearables. Participants will collaborate in small teams to design and test their own haptic interactions, concluding with prototype presentations that demonstrate innovative solutions in vibrotactile communication.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about haptic design and explore tactile interaction!
Bring your "attestation" to be signed if you need the hours to be counted towards your PhD mandatory courses.
In a world where notifications used to announce themselves loudly – like the familiar “You’ve Got Mail” – today’s alerts have shifted towards subtle vibrations and soft chimes. This transformation reflects the growing role of haptics, where silent, tactile signals communicate urgent messages and contextual cues directly to the user. As notifications evolve, designers are faced with a unique challenge: how to convey content, context, urgency, and even emotional tone through a simple series of vibrations. The task is not only to capture attention but to do so in a way that respects the limited bandwidth of the skin, ensuring messages are felt without being overwhelming or distracting.Creating intuitive and interpretable haptic messages involves an intricate balance of sensory perception and design. It requires an understanding of the subtle ways human skin responds to touch and vibration and how to translate these sensations into meaningful messages. Designers must craft sensations that carry distinct meanings, differentiating between an urgent alert and a casual reminder, for instance. This process involves a blend of design thinking and user empathy, as understanding how users will receive, interpret, and react to these signals is crucial. Haptic feedback design isn’t just a technical exercise; it’s a sensory language that users unconsciously learn to interpret over time. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to enhance the effectiveness and reception of vibrotactile notifications by applying design thinking and user research methodologies. Through a guided exploration of empathy-driven design processes, attendees will gain insights into how designers craft experiences that connect with users on an emotional level. With tools for ideation and prototyping, participants will examine real-world industry challenges, working to develop haptic interactions that deliver clear, context-sensitive messages. The workshop will cover a range of applications, from smart surfaces to wearables, allowing participants to experiment with cutting-edge actuators and user research tools. Supported by technical expertise from Innovobot, participants will work in small teams, equipped with top-tier prototyping equipment and resources. The workshop is structured as a collaborative environment where teams can share insights, build empathy-driven designs, and discover new ways to approach haptic messaging. By the end of the day, each team will showcase a working prototype that reflects their design journey, offering innovative solutions to improve haptic notifications and setting the stage for new approaches in vibrotactile communication.