כדר

The Michal and Dr. Avraham

Kadar Design and Technology
Center

Michal Rinott - Founding Director | Shachar Geiger - Technology Manager

The Michal and Dr. Avraham Kadar Design and Technology Center is an interdisciplinary
research and learning center in the field of Interaction Design. Working with students and
faculty from all departments in Shenkar, we create prototypes for novel interactions, focusing
on the interface between people and technology, and on the connection between people and
other people, through interactive technology.
Activities in the center range from courses, workshops, research projects by faculty and
students, to the creation of interactive installations for cultural institutions, to collaborations
with industry on ‘blue sky’ projects involving novel interaction design concepts. The center’s
projects have been presented in international exhibitions and conferences globally.

Research

The main research theme during the last year has been New Interactions In Learning
Spaces. The dramatic changes in learning and teaching - from MOOCs to flipped
classrooms to hybrid learning to adaptive teaching to robotic assistants - raise the
question: how should learning spaces change to accommodate these changes? The
following activities took place within this theme:

Autonomous class

2018 trans-disciplinary course in collaboration with Microsoft. Students from all
departments in Shenkar worked together to develop concepts and prototypes for new
learning experiences, such as a table for trans-disciplinary collaboration.

Conversational robot for a learning space (In process)

Conversational assistants have been shown to help students practice skills by decreasing
self-consciousness. Nicknamed “Kadara”, the conversational robot developed in the center
will converse with students to help introduce the center, locate equipment and learn about
past projects on topics of interest.

Code VR (In process)

For designers, learning to code is a challenge. Over the years we have found that the main
hurdle is making the conceptual leap in understanding how a computer “thinks”. In code
VR, the learning space becomes the space of the software program! The learner stands
within the program and performs coding commands in an embodied and immersive way.

Interdisciplinary learning report for the ministry of education

As a member of the expert committee on “Adapting Curricula and Study Materials for the
21st Century”, Michal has written and presented the chapter on ‘Interdisciplinary Learning’.
This chapter provides theoretical and empirical knowledge on interdisciplinary learning
and teaching towards its introduction into the K-12 school curriculum.

S2e0le18cte-d A2c0t1iv9ities

Student learning

Learning happens in the center in both formal and informal ways. Two formal schemes
are: trans-disciplinary courses in which students from all departments work together, and
research projects performed by students from the different Shenkar masters programs.
2019 Trans-disciplinary Courses:

Transparent toys

How can we create interactive toys that are more transparent in revealing their hidden
agendas? How can we design and engineer toys that align with our morals?

Networked meal

Technology is invading the shared meal and ruining this last technology-free haven. Or is it?
This course explored the ways in which technology can enrich the shared eating experience,
within the context of the internet of things.

Internships

A new internship program has been launched in the center, and this year interns from NYU
have spent two semesters working on insightful projects involving learning and interaction.

Work with cultural institutions

The center collaborates with museums and other cultural institutions to create
interactive installations:
Two Riders - The Two Riders installation is on display in the Bremen Science Museum,
moving next to Naples and Ottawa.
Triennale Museum, Milan - "999 Questions on Contemporary Living" - four exhibits of
interactive thresholds that explore the concept of home.
Madaatech Museum, Haifa (in process) - The center has been commissioned to create a
new interactive installation and activity for promoting collaboration between children visiting
the museum.

P2l0an19s - 2020

We continue our path to being Israel’s leading research center on interaction design, and to
widen our impact within Shenkar and outwards into the global research community.

Interaction specialization program

The 2019-2020 school year will see the launching of the Interaction Specialization Program.
In this program, 25 selected students from the different Shenkar departments will specialize
in interaction design and technology as it relates to their “home” discipline. Topics will include
interactive jewelry and clothing, interactive spaces and textiles, dynamic materials and
electronics and software innovations.

The students will study one course per semester in the center; the specialization program will
culminate in a final project exploring interaction in depth.