Tangible Interfaces in Design Computing

Sensorial richness is essential in the design process, yet digital design tools do not respond to this need. Tangible interfaces offer an opportunity for interaction with design computing systems to explore means of supporting a wider range of experiences. In this paper we look at implementations of tangible interfaces through a framework based on the concept of affordance. We conclude with a brief introduction to experimental tangible interfaces that have been developed in order to carry out collaborative user evaluations in a design studio setting and evaluate these in the same framework.