MakerShoe: towards a wearable e-textile construction kit to support creativity, playful making, and self-expression

Electronic textile (e-textile) toolkits have been successful in broadening participation in STEAM-related activities, in expanding perceptions of computing, and in engaging users in creative, expressive, and meaningful digital-physical design. While a range of well-designed e-textile toolkits exist (e.g., LilyPad), they cater primarily to adults and older children and have a high barrier of entry for some users. We are investigating new approaches to support younger children (K-4) in the creative design, play, and customization of e-textiles and wearables without requiring the creation of code. This demo paper presents one such example of ongoing work: MakerShoe, an e-textile platform for designing shoe-based interactive wearable experiences. We discuss our two participatory design sessions as well as our initial prototype, which uses single-function magnetically attachable electronic modules to support circuit creation and the design of responsive, interactive behaviors. Categories a...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2015
• Where: ACMIDC
• Authors: Majeed Kazemitabaar, Leyla Norooz, Mona Leigh Guha, Jon E. Froehlich
• Keywords: ACMIDC 2015, Human Computer Interaction