I want to weigh in here with a more theoretical (and more practical?) angle, at least one I haven't seen brought forward yet.
I have taught interaction design/IA in a program that is more practically-focused, less art and "high design" side of things, and have advised a number of these sorts of master's projects (and theses, which more more of the research product-type). Most of our projects involved working with real clients, with real deliverables, beyond the requirements of the master's committee. While we did require usability testing, I don't think it was a hard rule that the projects actually be launched. Most of the ones I advised were launched in some form, however. And I also interviewed for a teaching job in a pretty famous media program that included TV, Film, and Interactive Media curricula (the interactive media stuff tended to strongly bias toward "interactive" gallery installations, while the TV and Film programs were actively placing students in top industry positions). I made the case that they needed to expand the Interactive Media option to get beyond the gallery stuff, to reach out to real audiences for experimental media, as well as become a interactive media industry feeder program. I didn't get the job, and I feel quite sure the other candidate interviewed was safely focused on the more insular gallery world. But the bigger issue, the REAL issue that bugs me most of the time, that ties in to this thread here, relates to our very definition of INTERACTIVITY. (that's the theory side, get out your pointy-headed caps). Maybe I'm a bit of a radical purist here, but to my mind, the KEY element that distinguishes designing for interactivity from designing for static media outputs (from canvas art to TV to music) is that interactive media REQUIRES audiences with which to interact. In other words, it isn't interactive unless it can be interacted with. Previous to that, it can be in various planning and prototyping stages, but I'd argue that interactivity doesn't happen unless a real audience is engaged, and that designing for interactivity means designing for REAL audiences. And since I'm a fan of constructive hypertexts, I'd prefer to go a step further, and suggest that true interactivity needs contributions from real audiences, navigational contributions or the ability to "write to" or co-author the media product. So I scratched my head at the exclusive gallery-high-art-focus of that program where I interviewed, because much of what was being held up for high acclaim (meaning the kind of stuff that would get you tenure) looked to me like static media in digital format, not "interactive" at all, unless you count the people's interactive footsies as they walk around in the gallery for the fancy installation with wine and cheese. The other issue is power. I'd say the definition of interactivity I work with, played out logically, REQUIRES power-sharing with real audiences. The idea of the lone artist in the tower, creating great art to release upon a waiting and breathless public can't apply to interactive media, because interactive media HAS to be build with the idea that the audience is a co-creator with you of the interactive experience. A PARTNER, if you will, and partnership means power-sharing. The artist has to actively give up creative power, in order to cede some of that power to an interactive audience. That would be the wild card in the deck. But the system I was seeing is focused on ways to honor individual creators as examples of the highest excellence, rather than honoring those who did the best power-sharing with real audiences to co-create amazing things (obviously, there are a great many exemplars doing that right now, and I'd prefer the merit system honor them more). But how many professors are getting art/design tenure for truly interactive work that audiences actively contribute to? I mean, by my definition, anything that develops true viral legs that morphs and grows with audience contributions, by virtue of its great collaborative design, should be getting that coveted MacArthur genius fellow for interactive design, you know? So that's me being a purist by demanding a practical application, a REAL audience of co-creators. Master's projects should require testing on real audiences, social groups, as in casting your bread upon the waters, not simply a 6-person usability test, where the 6 all complete their tasks functioning as atomized individuals, and not part of any real and powerful social dynamic that chooses to be there because it can't wait to interact with the interface. 1-person designs should be able to get the degree, but they should NOT be called "interactive" designs unless they can be interactive. I'd say that means working prototypes, at the very least. Maybe degrees that don't do that should be called something else. Chris On Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:56:16, David Malouf < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > jack, I totally agree w/ you that a production ready version should > not be required. I don't understand why this has anything to do with > the "art" issue. As long as there is someTHING to play, touch, see, > feel that expresses the whole then all the advisors should get what > they need. Anything else is too much for such a degree, especially > a Graphic Design degree. Sheesh! > > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > Posted from the new ixda.org > http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=23446 > > > ________________________________________________________________ > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... 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