Design Skills for HRI

This tutorial is a hands-on introduction to human-centered design topics and practices for human-robot interaction. It is intended for researchers with a variety of backgrounds, particularly those with little or no prior experience in design. In the morning, participants will learn about user needs and needfinding, as ways to understand the stakeholders in research outcomes, guide the selection of participants, and as possible measures of success. We then focus on design sketching, including ways to represent objects, people and their interactions through storyboards. Design sketching is not intended to be art, rather a way to develop and build upon ideas with oneself, and quickly communicate with colleagues. In the afternoon, participants will use the tools and materials, and learn techniques for lightweight physical prototyping and improvisation. Participants will build a small paper robot (not actuated) of their own design, to practice puppeteering, explore bodily movement and prototype interactions.