The Obstruction Manual: Insights on Sharing Instrument Design Knowledge for Active Learning

Nicolò Merendino, Raul Masu, and Giacomo Lepri

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

This paper addresses two longstanding challenges in the instrument design field: sustaining knowledge and practices embedded in an instrument over time, and sharing them educationally. We introduce the “Obstruction Manual” as a way to disseminate digital instruments and inspire variations rather than support replication. By strategically omitting some technical details while emphasizing design speculations, contexts and processes, we aim to set in motion a productive struggle that poses challenges and surfaces insights, fostering active learning and creative adaptation. We report on the process of creating an Obstruction Manual for an existing instrument, describe its structure and content, and discuss how this approach supports both DMI education and longevity.

Citation

Nicolò Merendino, Raul Masu, and Giacomo Lepri. 2026. The Obstruction Manual: Insights on Sharing Instrument Design Knowledge for Active Learning. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20784169 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@inproceedings{nime2026_52,
 abstract = {This paper addresses two longstanding challenges in the instrument design field: sustaining knowledge and practices embedded in an instrument over time, and sharing them educationally. We introduce the “Obstruction Manual” as a way to disseminate digital instruments and inspire variations rather than support replication. By strategically omitting some technical details while emphasizing design speculations, contexts and processes, we aim to set in motion a productive struggle that poses challenges and surfaces insights, fostering active learning and creative adaptation. We report on the process of creating an Obstruction Manual for an existing instrument, describe its structure and content, and discuss how this approach supports both DMI education and longevity.},
 address = {London, United Kingdom},
 articleno = {52},
 author = {Nicolò Merendino and Raul Masu and Giacomo Lepri},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.20784169},
 editor = {Benedict Gaster and João Tragtenberg and Anna Xambó and Tom Mitchell},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 note = {},
 numpages = {10},
 pages = {442--451},
 title = {The Obstruction Manual: Insights on Sharing Instrument Design Knowledge for Active Learning},
 track = {Paper},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2026/nime2026_52.pdf},
 year = {2026}
}