Body Matters: The Palpability of Invisible Computing

There is an emerging recognition of the value of designing for technology as experience, and of the point that the body matters in the context of technology design. Mark Weiser coined the term invisible computing, remarking that the most profound technologies disappear into the fabric of everyday life. This paper offers a framework from the field of somatics to contribute to the discourse of embodiment and experience in technology, particularly with regard to the body in everyday life. Somatics brings with it epistemologies of practice and embodied approaches to learning and interacting that focus on attention, context and awareness. This paper presents a set of design examples that demonstrate ways in which somatics can be applied to technology design.