Figure 1. Example shape-changing interfaces: (a) Morphees, a shape-changing mobile phone [75]; (b) An elastic deformable display [102]; (c) inFORM, a self-actuated pin-array [23]; (d) ShapeClip, a prototyping toolkit for shape-changing interfaces [32].

Living media interfaces (LMIs) have emerged as a new way to interact with digital systems by incorporating actual living organisms in user interfaces. There is increasing interest in utilizing living media in the context of interaction design influenced by recent advancements in biological sciences that make new forms of responsive living media possible. We establish a definition of LMIs appropriate for HCI’s interdisciplinary domain. We provide an overview of the current design space and identify open research questions from four different perspectives: Biological, Ethical, Artistic, and HCI. For each perspective, we use a series of LMI exemplars to illustrate and ground themes and arguments. We conclude with a series of implications for design, including a discussion of LMIs’ ability to engage human users through being alive, their potential to symbolize and embody dynamic information, and the practical and ethical questions that designers need to consider when working with them.

Wearable technologies involve the integration of technology into clothing or accessories to bring new functionalities for people on the move. Many examples of wearables are emerging, from simple fitness tracking watches to electronics deeply embedded into garments for multi-touch sensing and control for personal music players. Without careful development, wearables can have a negative impact on the environment due to increased production of electronic components, increased e-waste from abandoned devices, and increased energy usage. We examine environmental sustainability issues through a review of recent research and cases across three broad areas including the fashion industry, information and communications technology (ICT), and wearable technologies. In the analysis, we examine stages in the product life cycle and identify the unique issues for each sector, including the extraction of materials, production process, distribution of products, use, and disposal of products that have reached the end of their life. The findings are gathered as implications for design so that researchers, educators, designers, developers, and product managers will gain an overview of the issues related to environmental sustainability. Related examples of products and prototypes are provided to enable informed choices during the design and development of wearables that are more environmentally sustainable.