Dancing in the Streets: The sensuous manifold as a concept for designing experience

Abstract

This article builds on the binary rhythms of transparency and reflectivity described by Bolter and Gromala (2003) as being central to the design of interfaces in digital artifacts. It starts from the concept of experience design and suggests that the experience of the interface might better be considered in terms of the ‘sensuous manifold’. The authors present the interactive kinetic light installation, Dancing in the Streets, as an example of how this sensuous manifold could be seen to work in practice. Many participants described this work as being ‘transparent’ and ‘magical’. The article analyses elements of the installation in relation to transparency/reflectivity to assess the reasons behind these descriptions, and to explore how the sensuous manifold experience was achieved for participants. The location of the installation is defined as a ‘non-place’ whose uncanniness contributed to the potential for ambiguity and liminality. The use of light as a medium for urban scenography was also a critical factor in the design of the interface. The images and their behaviour in relation to the participants created the final element of the artwork. The installation was successful in getting the people of York dancing in the streets. In doing so, it foregrounds the concept of the sensuous manifold as a useful concept for experience designers.

Keywords:

• installation
• experience
• movement
• urban scenography
• sensuous manifold
• transparency/reflectivity