Around Play and Interaction Design Research

The paper presents an inter-faculties experience stemming from the common interests of researchers and designers in ludic interactions between people and interfaces. The new territories mapped by the game and Ambient Intelligence (AmI) paradigms in everyday communication interfaces are a shift in how design incorporates new functions and meaning. Design itself has become a way to play with artifacts, complex systems and networks. Moving beyond formal and aesthetical use of games, it is possible to bring different competences to reflect together on the interviewing of game and play elements in the design of the daily spaces, objects and activities. The question is how the play paradigm can improve the relationship between people and ambients and, as a consequence, the issues of Interaction Design in the AmI field of study. In this paper we present our initiative to build a multidisciplinary design group. From our synergy three particular areas have been identified as new design sectors in which games are involved in person’s environments.