CREATIV · Creating Co-Adaptive Human-Computer Partnerships

CREATIV explores how the concept of co-adaptation can revolutionize the design and use of interactive software. Co-adaptation is theparallel phenomenon in which users both adapt their behavior to the system’s constraints, learning its power and idiosyncrasies, andappropriate the system for their own needs, often using it in ways unintended by the system designer.A key insight in designing for co-adaptation is that we can encapsulate interactions and treat them as first class objects, called interactioninstruments This lets us focus on the specific characteristics of how human users express their intentions, both learning from andcontrolling the system. By making instruments co-adaptive, we can radically change how people use interactive systems, providingincrementally learnable paths that offer users greater expressive power and mastery of their technology.The project offers theoretical, technical and empirical contributions. CREATIV will develop a novel architecture and generative principles forcreating co-adaptive instruments. The multi-disciplinary design team includes computer scientists, social scientists and designers as wellas ‘extreme users’, creative professionals who push the limits of their technology. Using participatory design techniques, we will articulatethe design space for co-adaptive instruments and build a series of prototypes. Evaluation activities include qualitative and quantitativestudies, in the lab and in the field, to test hypotheses and assess the success of the prototypes.The initial goal of the CREATIV project is to fundamentally improve the learning and expressive capabilities of advanced users of creativesoftware, offering significantly enhanced methods for expressing and exploring their ideas. The ultimate goal is to radically transforminteractive systems for everyone by creating a powerful and flexible partnership between human users and interactive technology.""