What if everything could be made into an interface? What if instead of being limited to stroking handheld plastic rectangles, any physical surface – a wall, piece of fabric, tabletop or piece of paper- could be interactive? Better yet, what if you could conceal this interactivity or hide it in plain sight? This workshop will teach you how to activate surfaces in this way, leading you through the process of designing and making a digital musical instrument. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll introduce you to electrically conductive paint and its technical characteristics. We’ll also show you how it can be applied to a range of materials. You’ll use it to design your own graphical interface on paper or card, and learn how to set-up a special touch-optimized microcontroller to connect to your graphics. After this workshop, you’ll have a clear understanding of how you can create a touch sensor on practically any surface, and you’ll have your very own musical instrument to take away!

1. SXSW Interactive
Panel Picker Slidedeck
Austin, TX
8-17 March 2014
PAINT,
PLUG AND PLAY:
Making a Touch Interface

2. HAVE YOU’VE EVER DREAMED OF MAKING A TANGIBLE
INTERFACE OUT OF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED?
LIKE....

3. Dundee University Product Research Studio - Party Invites
A SHEET OF PAPER?

4. Alicja Pytlewska - Liminal Object
A 3D OBJECT?

5. Studio Luma - Workshop
A PIECE OF CARDBOARD?

6. Bare Conductive - Fabric Calculator
FABRIC?

7. Bare Conductive - Lightswitch
OR ON A WALL?

8. IN THIS WORKSHOP WE’LL SHOW YOU HOW TO:
1. Design a graphical interface (Paint)
2. Set-up a touch-optimized microcontroller (Plug)
3. Connect the two....and Play!

9. Bloodmountain - Workshop

10. RAPP - Workshop

11. Bare Conductive - Capacitive Sensor

12. WE’LL INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME NEAT TOOLS

13. +

14. AND TEACH YOU HOW TO USE THEM.
By the time we’re done, you’ll have a clear understanding
of how to create a touch sensor on any surface, and you’ll
have your very own musical instrument to take away!

15. SO IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH TO
MAKE YOUR HEAD SPIN
Check out the projects below, and start thinking about
what you’re going to make this coming March at SXSW!

16. Postcard Player - Uniform

17. Ross Atkin, Sam Jewel & Lyn Levett - The Lynstrument

18. MusicInk

19. Sound Poster -Trapped in Suburbia

20. Play Paper - Immagination

21. Brendan Dawes - Happiness Machine

22. Isabel Lizardi
Bare Conductive
Maker, Designer, Experimenter
and Baker. Co-founder of
Bare Conductive and physical
interaction aficionado.
Matt Johnson
Bare Conductive
Hacker, Tinkerer, Maker and
motorcycle enthusiast. Co-
founder of Bare Conductive,
and lover of all gadgets.
PLEASE VOTE SO YOU CAN
PAINT, PLUG & PLAY
We look forward to seeing you in Austin!