I recently saw (and touched and heard) Tactile Orchestra at Cooper Hewitt’s “The Senses: Design Beyond Vision” exhibition. The installation is a soft, furry wall that– when stroked– plays part of an orchestra. Depending on the exact movement and location of your touch, different parts of the orchestra play; the more people stroking the wall, the more sounds that are played.

I loved the childlike simplicity of the interface and the fact that it allowed multiple, simultaneous interactions: both humans-to-wall and humans-to-humans. I felt like a kindergartener, surrounded by other kindergarteners, with my arms stretched out experimenting, playing, and exploring.