Abstract

Keywords: Serendipity, Information, Discovery, Interaction Design, Digital Medium.

Serendipity is increasingly becoming a concern in the design of interactive systems as an alternative to the echo chamber effects being felt in the medium. However, the concept of serendipity is one shrouded in ambiguity, which limits our abilities to regard it as an achievable goal in interaction design. Based upon literature review, as well as empirical research, we propose a Serendipitous Pattern that identifies the core moments of serendipity, as well as the role of the human agent. Through this pattern, we are able to lay the groundwork for establishing a framework that enables the design of serendipitous systems.

• Ricardo Melo is a designer, researcher, and a guest assistant at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto. He holds a MSc in Multimedia (FEUP) and BA in Communication Design (FBAUP), and is currently a PhD Candidate in Design (U.Porto, U.Aveiro, ID+, UPTEC), where he was awarded an FCT scholarship in order to develop his thesis on the value of serendipity in digital interactions. ricardomelo.net
• Miguel Carvalhais is a designer and musician. He is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto, researching computational media, interaction design and creative practices with procedural systems. He is the author of a book on these topics, Artificial Aesthetics. carvalhais.org

Full text p. 253 – 261