This book is broken into three parts. The first introduces the three projects that will be used throughout this book, the second introduces some of the most common themes in creating interaction in designs and applications, and the third introduces some of the more advanced topics that you may want to explore further. Also included with some of the chapters are interviews with programmers, artists, designers, and authors who work with the tools covered in this book. Covering such a massive range of topics means that this book doesn’t go into great depth about most of them, but it is filled with references to other books, websites, designers, and artists that you may find helpful or inspiring.

Ready to create rich interactive experiences with your artwork, designs, or prototypes? This is the ideal place to start. With this hands-on guide, you’ll explore several themes in interactive art and design—including 3D graphics, sound, physical interaction, computer vision, and geolocation—and learn the basic programming and electronics concepts you need to implement them. No previous experience is necessary.

You’ll get a complete introduction to three free tools created specifically for artists and designers: the Processing programming language, the Arduino microcontroller, and the openFrameworks toolkit. You’ll also find working code samples you can use right away, along with the background and technical information you need to design, program, and build your own projects.

• Learn cutting-edge techniques for interaction design from leading artists and designers
• Let users provide input through buttons, dials, and other physical controls
• Produce graphics and animation, including 3D images with OpenGL
• Use sounds to interact with users by providing feedback, input, or an element they can control
• Work with motors, servos, and appliances to provide physical feedback
• Turn a user’s gestures and movements into meaningful input, using Open CV