Pervasive Computing has postulated to invisibly integrate technology into everyday objects in such a way, that these objects turn into “smart things”. Not only a single object of this kind is supposed to represent the interface among the “physical world" of atoms and the “digital world" of bits, but a whole landscapes of them.

This observation is supported by the observation of technological progress: with technological advances, computing has progressively moved beyond the desktop into new physical and social contexts. As “smart things” (physical artefacts with invisible embedded information and communication technology) gain new computational behaviors, they become reprogrammable, customizable, repurposable, and interoperable in rich ecologies and diverse contexts. They also become more complex, and require intense design effort in order to be functional, usable, and enjoyable. Designing such systems requires interdisciplinary thinking. Their creation must not only encompass software, electronics, and mechanics, but also the system's physical form and behavior, its social and physical milieu, and beyond.