Problem
Design a scheduling device that goes beyond traditional forms of input and interaction.

Approach
I began by producing mood boards to explore various senses (vision, hearing, touch) and physical cues (pose, movement, facial expression, place). After studying the constraints and opportunities of existing scheduling devices, I brainstormed a half-dozen possible concepts that used various types of physical interaction.

I was particularly interested in a small, handheld form, and in rocking and tilting motions - I wanted users to feel their schedule. However, with such a small form I was concerned about visibility and worried about fingers or a pen-based interface obscuring the screen.

Solution
Inspired by a dish scrubber brush, I created an array of buttons on the backside of a palm-sized hemisphere that corresponded to the times shown on the front screen. A scheduled appointment resulted in a protruding button behind it, giving users a means to interact and also an overall physical sensation of the number of scheduled commitments. Navigation within and between days/weeks/months occurred through tilting the screen in various directions using a fairly natural motion from the wrist. These two forms of interaction - buttons behind and tilting motions - succeeded at keeping the screen visible at all times.

I produced a "feels like/looks like" prototype to demonstrate the physical and tactile interactions as well as the device's size and form. Scenarios of use were created to further illustrate the device's functionality.

Enlarged View	Interface and scenarios [PDF]	Mood Boards [PDF]
Tactile Scheduler Interface-Interaction Design Studio, Two weeks, Fall 2002 I built a physical prototype of a handheld scheduling device with an array of buttons underneath the screen which could be pushed (or push themselves back out) as a means of interacting with the calendar on the small screen.