Interface (Thomas Engdahl, Nick Meyer-Hesler, Muhammad Zahid, Andy Zerngast , John Carper)
The idea is to take a common interface such as the computer mouse and change it into a more complicated process; to reinvent the way people use and react to an object.
The architecture is proposed to consist of a large cumbersome object to move the mouse cursor and two remote chairs you sit in to click the mouse button. There is the possibility of contrasting these archaic actions to a high level process on the computer screen or to everyday actions such as checking email.
Construction: We used an optical mouse for the transfer of interface. Using two long pieces of Category 5 cable, the micro switches in the mouse were removed and attached the the end of each of the cables. This apparatus was installed into an art pedestal. The body of the mouse is flush with the bottom of the pedestal. Each of the wires attached to the buttons come out the side of the bottom of the pedestal and are installed in a chair. The mouse USB port comes out of the top of the pedestal and connects to a laptop computer on the top of the pedestal. The computer is covered by a plastic box.
Functionality: The user is able to see the computer screen but cannot touch the computer. The pedestal must be moved to move the mouse cursor. The switches in the chair activate the left and right click function. To left click, sit down deliberately. To right click, sit back deliberately.
Message: This was a concept originally brought up by Nick. The idea of this is to change the interface so that the user must adapt to a new set of actions. It makes a statement about how we interact with machines and also about how new users (for example the elderly) must adapt or learn these new interface skills to do simple everyday actions. To a new user, some computer terminology and directions might seem strange or unintuitive. By taking a common interface and transferring it to other actions, the viewer will see the ridiculousness of the device. Also we saw some opportunity to link common actions or the interface. Why is the "left click" "left click"? If the act of "clicking" was transfered to putting on a hat or pulling a rope, could you call it "left click" anymore? By using other actions to perform these common operations, there is a reinvention of the whole notion of how we interact with electronics and how we talk about that interaction. Also this is an attempt to call attention to the arbitrary nature of many of this interfaces. 
