Designing and analyzing swing compass: a lively interactive system provoking imagination and affect for persuasion

Abstract

Grounded in cognitive semantics in cognitive science, the psychology of emotion, and phenomenological approaches to interaction design, this paper first suggests a cognitive and interpretive approach to the imaginative and affective user experiences of “lively” interactive artifacts, which are reminiscent of everyday life experience. It then introduces Swing Compass, an interactive computing system that turns a tablet computer into a compass-like reflective device with artificial intelligence based on an analogy and moderation engine. With configurable analogy and moderation rules and changeable multimedia contents, the device can be instantiated differently, such as “daily activities advisors” or “app-launching guides”, to help people from addiction or decidophobia in various contexts. User experience tests on the device have generated qualitative data showing how it provokes imagination and emotion via conceptual blends and emotional appraisals during different moments. This demonstrates the application of the proposed framework for interpreting users’ meaning-making processes and informing possible orientations of the reflective design in hope of behavior change.