Adding an interactive display to a public basketball hoop can motivate players and foster community

Abstract

Interactive displays that aim to engage people through play have been successfully deployed in urban environments. However, there has been little work bringing interactive displays into existing public game spaces like outdoor basketball courts. To explore this, we designed an interactive display for a public half-court basketball hoop. We studied the impact of 3 different display modes over a 10-week period through interviews with players, spectators, and passers-by. Our findings suggest 3 dimensions for the design space of such interactive displays: balancing noticeability across different user groups, support for different play action, and support for connecting user groups. We also present 6 design tactics along these dimensions to help designers create engaging interactive displays for public game spaces. using it to facilitate engaging playful experiences.