Interactive Futures is an annual semester workshop designed for students to delve into the evolving relationship between humans and machines. Each year, we partner with renowned brands, public institutions, or research centers, providing students with a practical context to develop their innovative projects. Over the course of four months, participants engage in a comprehensive learning experience, taking their interactive objects from initial research to final prototyping. The workshop is divided into four distinct phases: 

In this workshop, students progress through four key phases. Phase 1 involves exploring soft robotics through field research and initial prototyping. In Phase 2, they articulate their intentions and user scenarios, creating paper mock-ups to test their ideas. Phase 3 focuses on refining concepts through prototyping, including 3D modeling and electronics, followed by testing. Finally, in Phase 4, students finalize their projects, develop scenarios, and prepare presentation materials, culminating in a series of functional to semi-functional prototypes ready for exhibition. 

Drawing Futures  in Collaboration with Caran d’Ache 

The projects highlighted here exemplify the future of drawing as explored in partnership with Caran d’Ache. "Drawing Futures" features AI-based creative assistants that merge traditional artistic practices with cutting-edge technologies. The initiative aims to cultivate an environment where creativity flourishes through hybrid solutions. Media Design Master students at HEAD – Genève have crafted interactive objects to investigate new forms of interaction and challenge conventional perceptions of AI in design. 

Key Questions Explored

• How can AI serve as an artist's assistant? 
• In what ways can AI transcend its role as merely a replacement for human creativity? 

Featured Projects

Color Catcher - Sarah Meylan: 
Color Catcher is an interactive tool that empowers users to craft their own Caran d’Ache Luminance 6901® color palette through play. By detecting colors invisible to the naked eye, it encourages exploration through movement, sound, and vibration. Users can save their personalized palettes, making color selection an engaging experience. 

Magic House - Lauren Thiel: 
Magic House automates the frame-by-frame animation process with a large collaborative drawing surface that captures individual drawings, transforming them into a collective animated film. This installation enhances individual creativity and collaboration, revealing hidden movements in static images while simplifying traditional animation techniques. 

Suètone - Basile Brun: 
Suètone is a generative music box that converts drawings into musical compositions. As artists utilize various drawing tools, Suètone produces evolving melodic patterns alongside the visual artwork, facilitating a dynamic exploration of both visual and musical creativity. 

Trame Tram Trame - Mathis Baltisberger and Naomi Blidariu: 
Trame Tram Trame invites participants to co-create stories through a unique interaction where the machine inspires human creativity. This innovative system encourages unexpected narrative developments, enabling each participant to contribute to an evolving narrative tapestry. It combines traditional drawing with interactive electronics and artificial intelligence, fostering a rich environment for generative storytelling. 

Teachers 
Alexia Mathieu 
Douglas Edric Stanley 
Laure Krayenbuhl  
Pierre Rossel