Hide and Seek

Abstract

Displays are getting larger, thinner, and are consuming less power. The logical conclusion of this trend is a future in which wall-size displays are common in homes, a concept we have described as "smart wallpaper" for the purposes of evaluating its HCI implications. What new kinds of experience could smart wallpaper provide? This paper describes a case study on one potential smart wallpaper experience: an interactive children's game. Our results suggest that children and their families see substantial value in both the game and the concept of smart wallpaper. They valued the immersion, the physical activity and the shared nature of the experience. On the basis of this study, we conclude that there is substantial potential for wall-size displays to enable valuable experiences for children and their families, and that smartphones can be used as an intuitive means of interacting with them.