The Breathing Wings: An Autobiographical Soma Design Exploration of Touch Qualities through Shape-Change Materials

Engaging with new types of programmable and smart materials in interaction design requires that we develop a deeper understanding of the somatic experiences that such materials can evoke. This pictorial presents an autobiographical exploration grounded on soma design methods that led to the Breathing Wings wearable: Covering the area of the back, it offers a dynamic embracing experience created through soft shape- changing materials, inviting the wearer to re-experience neglected body parts, the shoulder blades, where it evokes different qualities of ‘touch’. This work offers a detailed account of opening the space of designing with shape-change actuation through a somaesthetic approach to engaging with the body, materials and felt experiences. This rich design-led inquiry that placed the body in dialogue with materials and wearable, challenged the perception of the boundaries between body and wearable by shifting the agency from the human body to a co-living experience between the two.