In my Alternative Interfaces & Physical Computing course I am currently in the process of designing a wearable project. I would like to create an instrument a user wears on their hands in the form of gloves. As somebody who both plays piano and programs as a hobby, I figured this would be a motivating project for me. In designing this project, I am effectively designing an experience I want the user to have while using my creation.

In the moments before using the instrument, I want my user to feel motivated to create music. As the user puts on the instrument he/she will feel the warm soft texture of the gloves, and upon touching anything, will have this motivation excited by the sound of notes filling the air. Of course, in order to be successful at playing an instrument, the artist will always feel a certain sense of focus and complete control.

While playing the instrument the user will get to experience the time, speed, and periodicity of the music they are creating. This will give a sense of power to the user as they are in control of all of those properties of the experience, and more. Each time the user feels the pressure of their fingers on a surface it will be coupled by the ringing of the corresponding note. This synergistic effect over multiple senses will give a more powerful effect to the music in the mind of the user in contrast to an audience. Depending on the chosen time, speed, and other audial properties of the playing, this instrument could produce a range of different emotions and responses by both the artist and audience.

After playing the instrument, I think the user should feel moved emotionally by the music that was played, this of course could vary greatly with what is being played. The user should also feel accomplished from their creation. Playing any instrument can also produce very therapeutic effects to the artist such as releaving stress among other things. I hope to have my instrument inflict all of these effects.

Some of the feelings I wish to leave users with include the following:

Accomplishment: The user, or artist, should feel accomplished after playing the instrument. He/she would have increased in skill level and could possibly have created a beautiful arrangement of sounds in the process. Depending on the case, I hope users are left with a moderate feeling of accomplishment.

Beauty: While at first this feeling may not be present, the hope is that after becoming proficient in playing the instrument an artist would be able to instill beauty in both the audience and him/her self. I am hoping to make the instrument create as much beauty as it is being used as possible.

Creation: Each time a user is using the instrument, they are in full control of the creation of (hopefully) beautiful arrangements of sounds. The instrument should be a way to play with building creativity. This will be a main focus of the instrument/experience.

Harmony: In playing the instrument, the user will be engaging both hands, and all ten fingers, in an extremely harmonious activity. When played correctly to create music the instrument will hopeflly leave the user with a moderate sense of harmony. This, of course, will only come with experience.