Switch Critters exist in several contexts, including user experience theory, interventionist thought, and environmental awareness. They also cross the disciplinary boundaries of interaction design, product, technology, toys, robotics and spiritual artifacts.
Play with the Flash behavior prototype and click on the terms to read about influential concepts.
The Imagined World short films exist as design scenarios, but were influenced strongly by the animations of Jan Svankmajer and other mid-century animators who brought inanimate objects to life through fanciful stop-frame movement.
The pages that follow outline a few of the contexts and influences that provide background for the idea of Switch Critters.