Haptic microinteractions, silent details in human-space interaction

The contemporary indoor and outdoor spaces are characterized by digital data. The constant increase in the type and amount of information, lead to a radical change in the design context of physical and digital interfaces. Technological evolution has stimulated the design of products with communication capabilities that do not stop at the visual component but also encroach into other perceptual contexts. The behaviors of this products adapt to user needs, show themselves through multi-sensory forms and require less focused attention. These behaviors, delivered in response or pertaining to particular moments of interaction contribute to defining what Saffer calls microinteractions. Haptic stimuli offer multiple characteristics that can be used to construct brief and intuitive microinteractions within scenarios in which people are immersed in spaces with digital data. The model presented in this research defines the characteristics of haptic stimuli based on Saffer’s microinteractions and confirms how the haptic channel is of primary importance in the development of wearable objects capable of mediating information in an augmented space.