Becoming Q: Using Design Workshops to Explore Everyday Objects as Interaction Devices for an Augmented Reality Spy Game

The work in this paper extends state of the art research in the field of interaction design for everyday objects as interaction devices in Augmented Reality (AR), by taking a user defined approach to explore how users understand everyday objects as interaction devices in an AR game. A survey (n = 16) and workshop (n = 10) were conducted with members of the general public. The survey asked participants to select several everyday objects from their day to day life, answer questions regarding the object’s normal function, to think of and consider what the object could do if it was a spy gadget. The workshop followed up on this survey, participants were asked to bring their selected objects along, and during the workshop participants considered the objects they and other participants brought to collaboratively create new ideas about how these objects could be used if they were spy gadgets. The workshops were recorded and reviewed using reflexive thematic analysis, identifying four themes for interaction designers in this space to consider: ‘what players look for in objects’, ‘how players want to use objects’, ‘what players want their objects to be capable of in game’ and ‘concerns players have about object use’.