History of Interaction Design

Interaction Design: a History David Heller Synaptic Burn http://synapticburn.com/ IDSA National Conference 27 August 2005

Background of Presentation
This presentation was 1 part of a 3 hr. seminar given by both David Heller and Robert Reimann on August 27, 2005 at the IDSA 2005 National Conference: re-Action in Washington, D.C.
Robert’s portion of this seminar is available for all who wish to purchase About Face 2.0 co-authored by Alan Cooper and Robert Reimann.
Robert Reimann is the Manager of the User Interface Design and Research Group at Bose Corporation (www.bose.com)

Why & What of IxD

Too many digital products are hard to use

A new “medium”, a new kind of design
Interactive digital products require and respond to human input, and change their own content or behavior based on that input.
Form, behavior , and content must all be defined.
Traditional design disciplines do not have methods that address complex behavior.
Non-design disciplines are not geared toward generating desirable solutions.

Multiple design disciplines define a digital product
Industrial design
Hardware form, aesthetics, and ergonomics
Visual design
Color, typography, and layout of images/transitions
Information design
Clear communication of concepts or data
Interaction design
Defines the behavior of a product; also concerned with form and content as they relate to system behavior and user input

Interaction Design (IxD): A definition
A design discipline dedicated to:
Defining the behavior of artifacts, environments, and systems (i.e., products )
… and therefore concerned with:
Anticipating how use of the products will mediate human relationships and affect human understanding
Guiding the form of products to the extent that it influences/is influenced by their behavior and use
The Interaction Design Group’s (IxDG) definition of IxD can be found at http://define.ixdg.org/ This definition was conceived by Robert Reimann and Jodi Forlizzi

Good (interaction) design is:
Ethical
It does no harm, and hopefully improves situations.
Purposeful
It helps people accomplish goals.
It is appropriate to the user’s context.
Pragmatic
It achieves business goals and fits within constraints.
Elegant
It provides the simplest complete solution.
It engages the emotions appropriately.

A Brief History of Interaction Design

Moving towards complexity – Human-powered Single-part Tools Multi-part Tools Mechanical motion

Moving towards complexity – Animals, Water, Fire Animals Water Fuel

Moving towards complexity – ELECTRICITY Sensory Feedback Human Intervention Real-time Feedback Input /Output

Moving towards complexity – computation/virtualization Analog / Mechanical Digital (buttons) Virtual/Metaphor

Moving toward complexity – software in tools Refrigerator ??? Auto Phone

From complexity to simplicity – multi-channel and embedded Passive & embedded future iPod + iTunes > Shuffle

Mediating the social experience
Simple point to point communication
E-mail
Instant Messaging & SMS
VoIP / conferencing
Video conferencing
Mediated interactions
Online Gaming (role playing)
Everquest by Sony
Folksonomy
http://flickr.com/
Mobile phones w/ GPS + bluetooth
http://bluetoothflirt.de

Merging of concepts – creates research-based empathetic design practice
Architecture / Design
Form and function need to create a balance.
This marriage happens through intentionality – i.e. design
Human Factors (ergonomics + cognitive psychology)
Military created the field of human factors
Understanding human limits of mind and body
Clinical observation and evaluation of ideas
Spawned Human Computer Interaction ( HCI )
Just the virtual, focus on the cognitive and on software .

More merging
Information Design/Architecture
Richard Saul Wurman illuminates the idea that graphic design + writing needs to merge; bring purpose to book design.
Data > Information > Knowledge > Wisdom
Context, and re-evaluation of use over time.
Edward Tufte: Envisioning Information
Software Design Manifesto
Mitch Kapor outlines the need for software to be designed, not just engineered.
Firmness, commodity and delight

Bring on the Web as catalyst
IxD existed before the web …. But!
Web brought previously disconnected forces together
Information Technology
Graphic, broadcast, game and multimedia design
Computer Science including HCI/Human Factors -- usability
Publishing
Advertising
Broadcasting
Marketing
Strategic Design

War of the titles
Producer
Interactive Designer
Information Architect
User Interface Designer
Usability Engineer
Web Designer
GUI Specialist
User Experience Designer Content Producer Interactive Producer GUI Engineer Product Designer HCI Expert Interaction Designer No one and everyone fit these titles and so everyone felt like they fit the role being described for the job.

IxDG website www.ixdg.org & resources.ixdg.org
Alan Cooper/Robert Reimann About Face 2.0
Boxes and Arrows www.boxesandarrows.com
Don Norman Emotional Design
Design of Everyday Things
Christopher Alexander A Timeless Way of Building: A Pattern Language
Kevin Mullet and Darrell Sano Designing Visual Interfaces
Scott McCloud Understanding Comics
Edward Tufte Visual Display of Quantitative Information
Envisioning Information
Visual Explanations
Marc Rettig www.marcrettig.com
Luke Wroblewski www.functioningform.com
William McDonough Digital Ground
Some Resources

http://id01.thommeredith.com	653
http://www.classes.jamiecavanaugh.com	130
https://bb.avans.nl	29
http://643edu.wikispaces.com	25
http://www.slideshare.net	20
http://stevejbayer.com	16
http://www.techgig.com	11
http://macsos.com	8
http://synapticburn.com	5
http://www.macsos.com	2
http://marecreative.tumblr.com	2
http://webspace.ocad.ca	1
http://www.ixdsn.com	1
http://jarodtang.blogspot.com	1
http://safe.tumblr.com	1
http://estudiarhistoria.blogspot.com	1
http://gmodules.com	1
http://10.150.200.57	1

History of Interaction Design

by David Malouf on Oct 05, 2006

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History of Interaction Design — Presentation Transcript