Distinctions
Our paper “The relation between interaction aesthetics and affordances” was the 5th top hottest in Design Studies 6 months after its publication (from January to March 2013).
Publications
Aesthetic experience, as a cognitive activity is a fundamental part of the interaction process in which an agent attempts to interpret his/her environment in order to support the fundamental process of decision making. Proposing a four-level interactive model, we underline and indicate the functions that provide the operations of aesthetic experience and, by extension, of aesthetic judgment. Particularly in this paper, we suggest an integration of the fundamental Peircean semiotic parameters and their related levels of semiotic organization with the proposed model. Our aim is to provide a further theoretical understanding with respect to the perception of aesthetics and to enrich our models regarding the functionality of aesthetic interpretation, using the theoretical interpretive richness provided by the semiotic perspective.
Xenakis I., Arnellos A., Spyrou T. & Darzentas J.(2012). Modelling Aesthetic Judgment: An Interactive-semiotic Perspective. Cybernetics & Human Knowing, 19(3), 25–51
Conferences
The conference theme is “Out of Control” hosted by the Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design (CSM)
For a number of years, uncertainty, crisis and chaos have been keywords describing the experience of many of us. A world driven by uncertainty, crisis and chaos demands different responses from design (as a community, a practice and a process). On one hand we can mitigate against these designing systems which can withstand, or manage, the challenges they produce. Here there is a focus upon design as a “problem-solving” activity. On the other, we can use them as springboards to a creative future. In this way, design as “opportunity mapping” becomes important.
Accepting this opportunity we presented our latest work on aesthetic experiepnce and design entitled “Reducing Uncertainty in the Design Process: the Role of Aesthetics” . Providing an explanation for the general role of aesthetics in interaction, we suggested that aesthetics through their emotional dimension (aesthetic emotions) are implicitly associated with the design process by inducing the reduction of design-uncertainty. From our perspective aesthetics are about action. They are a fundamental aspect of design that enhances the communication between the design-participants by promoting the achievements of goals in the design process.
Great conference, great atmosphere, great people.
Many thanks to the amazing organizers/ host.
Exhibitions
I would like to thank all of you that came and visited my latest Art Exchibition. Many thanks for your very interesting comments and thoughts that you shared with me all these days.
Keep in touch
See you in two years (I hope…)
Distinctions
Our paper “The Functional Role of Emotions in Aesthetic Judgement” was the 3rd top hottest article in New Ideas of Psychology for the first 6 months of its publication
Publications
Even though aesthetics and affordances are two important factors based on which designers provide effective ways of interaction through their artifacts, there is no study or theoretical model that relates these two aspects of design. We suggest a theoretical explanation that relates the underlying functionality of aesthetics, in particular, of interaction aesthetics and of affordances in the design process. Our claim is that interaction aesthetics are one among other factors that allow users to enhance the detection of action possibilities and consequently, the detection of affordances. Our aim is first to discuss the role of interaction aesthetics in the design process, and second to suggest an explanation for their role in the detection of affordances when users interact with artifacts.
Xenakis I. & Arnellos A ., (2012) The relation between interaction aesthetics and affordances. Design Studies, (in press), doi: 10.1016/j.destud.2012.05.004
Publications
Exploring emotions, in terms of their evolutionary origin; their basic neurobiological substratum, and their functional significance in autonomous agents, we propose a model of minimal functionality of emotions. Our aim is to provide a naturalized explanation – mostly based on an interactivist model of emergent representation and appraisal theory of emotions – concerning basic aesthetic emotions in the formation of aesthetic judgment. We suggest two processes the Cognitive Variables Subsystem (CVS) which is fundamental for the accomplishment of the function of heuristic learning; and Aesthetic Appraisal Subsystem (AAS) which primarily affects the elicitation of aesthetic emotional meanings. These two subsystems (CVS and AAS) are organizationally connected and affect the action readiness of the autonomous agent. More specifically, we consider the emotional outcome of these two subsystems as a functional indication that strengthens or weakens the anticipation for the resolution of the dynamic uncertainty that emerges in the particular interaction.
Xenakis I., Arnellos A. & Darzentas J. (2012). The Functional Role of Emotions in Aesthetic Judgement. New Ideas in Psychology, 30(2), 212-226, doi: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2011.09.003
Conferences
In 2005 “Re-Thinking Technology in Museums” brought together a group of academics and practitioners discussing novel ways of conceptualizing the museum experience in light of the presence of interactive technologies. The 2nd edition of this conference on the theme of “Emerging Experience” will further the discussion on novel approaches for understanding people’s experiences in museums and galleries, and for designing interactive technologies to support these experiences. In recent years, the increased presence of mobile smart appliances such as smart phones, and the growth of social media and social networks have impacted on the strategies deployed by museums and exhibition sites to invite, engage and connect with visitors and stakeholders.
Visiting museums and exhibitions represented in multi-user 3D environments can be an efficient way of learning about
the exhibits in an interactive manner and socialising with other visitors. The rich educational information presented in
the virtual environment and the presence of remote users could also be beneficial for the visitors of the physical
exhibition space. In this paper we present the design and implementation of a virtual exhibition that allowed local and
remote visitors coexist in the environment, access the interactive content and communicate with each other. The virtual
exhibition was accessible to the remote users from the Web and to local visitors through an installation in the physical
space. The installation projected the virtual world in the exhibition environment and let users interact with it using a
handheld gesture-based device. We performed an evaluation of the 3D environment with the participation of both local
and remote visitors. The evaluation results indicate that the virtual world was considered exciting and easy to use by the
majority of the participants. Furthermore, according to the evaluation results, virtual museums and exhibitions seem to
have significant advantages for remote visitors compared to typical museum web sites, and they can also be an
important aid to local visitors and enhance their experience.
For more see
Vosinakis S. & Xenakis I., (2011). A Virtual World Installation in an Art Exhibition: Providing a Shared Interaction Space for Local and Remote Visitors. Proceedings of the Re-thinking Technology in Museums 2011,(pp. 253-264), Limerick, Ireland [Full paper]
Exhibitions
Thank you all for all those interesting comments and thoughts that you shared with me all these days.
Keep in touch
See you in two years