Within Reach: String as a Material for Tactile Data Physicalization

Abstract

The encoding of tactile properties is still underexplored in data physicalization research, with few systematic studies of tactile affordances. Using string as an expressive material for data physicalization, we present an inventory of 30 string prototypes that explore variations in tactile affordances. We evaluated these prototypes with participants to examine interpretation through touch. Participants consistently identified structural properties and articulated emotional and descriptive associations without visual input. Differences between tactile and visual interpretations suggest a productive design space for multisensory physicalizations. The resulting inventory is a step towards a vocabulary of string’s tactile affordances for designing richer data physicalizations.