Taofik Arnouk

What is this?

How can ambient interactive systems create meaningful engagement without demanding attention?

Designing Ambient Interaction for Calm Domestic Experiences is a responsive ambient installation that transforms static wall decoration into a subtle, performative experience. The project explores how presence based and environmentally adaptive interaction can foster emotional engagement without requiring explicit input. Rather than relying on direct manipulation, the piece responds to movement and surrounding light conditions, creating a calm and embodied interaction where the artwork appears to notice and react to a person’s presence. This approach aims to create a sense of quiet responsiveness and personal connection within domestic environments.

Visually, the design draws inspiration from a fragment of Gaussian-Quadratic by A. Michael Noll, translating early computational art into a contemporary interactive wall-based experience.

How does it work?

The system is designed around two complementary interaction modes that balance passive responsiveness with optional user control.

In its primary mode, the interaction is implicit. Movement is used as a form of passive input, allowing the system to respond without requiring intentional action. An ultrasonic sensor detects presence, while a photoresistor continuously adapts the light intensity based on ambient conditions. This enables the artwork to remain context aware, becoming brighter in darker environments and dimmer in well lit spaces.

This interaction approach was chosen to reduce cognitive load and avoid demanding attention, allowing the experience to remain calm, peripheral, and seamlessly integrated into everyday life. An early design decision was to avoid direct interaction (e.g. buttons or touch as primary input), as this risked turning the experience into a task rather than an ambient presence.

In a secondary mode, users are given more direct control. By activating a physical button, automatic brightness adaptation is disabled, and a side mounted potentiometer allows manual adjustment of light intensity. This introduces a balance between system autonomy and user agency, supporting both passive and active interaction styles.

The overall behavior of the system is guided by a core design principle of subtle responsiveness, where interaction emerges through presence and environmental context rather than explicit commands.

How it was made

Ideation

The project began with early sketches and discussions with the client to define both the functional behavior and aesthetic direction.

The goal was to create a minimalist, movement-responsive wall piece that reacts to environmental input through light and motion sensing, while maintaining a calm and emotionally engaging presence within a domestic space.

First Prototype Iteration

The first prototype focused on validating the technical setup and interaction concept. It was built using an Arduino Uno, LED strip, ultrasonic sensor, photoresistor, potentiometer, and buttons, all breadboarded and programmed before integration into the physical enclosure.

The housing was designed in Autodesk Fusion, laser cut from 3mm wood, and combined with 3D printed diffuser and control covers. While the prototype successfully demonstrated movement triggered responses and adaptive brightness, it also revealed that the initial light diffusion felt uneven. This informed the next iteration.

Second Prototype Iteration

Based on feedback from client and user early testing, improvements focused not only on visual refinement but also on enhancing the perceived softness and ambient quality of the interaction. Adjustments to materials and diffusion resulted in a more even, natural glow and a more cohesive overall experience.

Final Prototype & Evaluation

The final prototype was evaluated with 8 participants through observation and surveys, focusing on how users perceived and experienced the interaction.

Results showed that minimal, presence based interaction such as simply walking past the piece was perceived as meaningful and engaging. Participants described the movement triggered responses as playful yet calming, suggesting that the system successfully balanced responsiveness with subtlety.

Additional user feedback

The artwork was often perceived as personal rather than mechanical, indicating that even simple ambient interactions can create a sense of connection.

Some participants initially found the responsiveness unexpected, but quickly adapted, with the interaction becoming more comforting over time. This suggests a transition from surprise to familiarity, which is important when designing ambient systems for long term use.

Participants also expressed strong interest in customization, particularly in color selection, highlighting the importance of personal preference in shaping emotional engagement and long term satisfaction.

While the system successfully created a sense of responsiveness, it remains unclear how the interaction would be perceived over longer periods of time, suggesting the need for longitudinal testing.

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