Contents
This page contains the materials for the Tangible Interfaces Senior Industrial Design Studio at Pratt Institute, created by Steve Turbek in 2025.
The studio focuses on designing with tactile and sensory components to build interactive user experiences embodied in physical products. The studio is built around iterative making with extensive use of 3D modeling and printing. It will introduce basic electronics using the BBC Microbit, a very simple computer board with a rich sensor package and excellent introductory software. No previous experience of UX or electronics is expected.
We explore the theory and practices of the User Experience Design Process in the context of physical design. Our objects must not only be beautiful; we must have the open mindset to validate our designs with users to improve them.
Key Projects
Class Schedule
Project 1: Design a Fidget Toy (Week 1-2)
Warm up design exercise and skills assessment. Feel free to be inspired by the many that exist.
What feels good? Why?
Class 1
- Intro to class
Homework: Find and 3D print (or make) 1-3 “interesting to feel” fidget toys. Make a slide for each about why it is interesting.
- Purchase basic microbit and electronics components
Class 2
- Class discussion on fidget toys
- Pencil sketching for your ideas
Homework
- Sketch, Sketch, Sketch!
- Remember to 3D print test models early!
Class 3
- In-process presentations & discussion
- Work on final models
Homework: final 3D model & presentation
Final Presentation
- Presentations of fidget toys
- In class discussion
- Write documentation and share to 3D sharing sites
- Introduce Project 2
Project 2 Media Remote Control Design (Week 3-5)
Design Brief: Design and make a working object that can control music/video on your laptop or phone.
Class 5 Intro to Microbit software and hardware
Homework: Sketch physical design of remote control
Class 6 (monday) Present sketches, discuss Workshop with high school STEM students (as consulting engineers) to explore sensor mechanisms and coding. Date TBD
Class 7 In class work on 3D model, software, & electronics
Concepts
- Basic Program flow (On Start, Forever)
- Pause, loops, If statements
Class 8 In class work on 3D model, software, & electronics
Concepts
- Analog readings - proportion of voltage, compared to reference
- Why 1023? Binary counting, slices and resolution
- Map function in Microbit editor
- Controlling Servos
Class 9 In class work on 3D model, software, & electronics
Homework: Bring finished models, software, electronics, with a Presentation Milanote board.
Final Presentation
- Present products with marketing slides and/or video
- Discussion, Debrief
- Introduce Project 3
- Pick 4 teams of 3 people
Project 3: Submarine Cockpit
The final team design project is to design and prototype controls for the next generation of personal submersibles.