Just curious on how many people don't think being good at "Design", (given you're designing in an IxD space), isn't the single most important skill needed to be a successful Interaction Designer?
I believe it is fair to say that if you were an "Interaction Designer", and you only did one thing, that thing would have to be to "create/design" software screens/widgets/websites, and this would probably make you an Interaction designer, or you could add this title to one of your roles. If you didn't "create/design" anything, such as designing software screens or websites, what type of "Interaction Designer" would you be? Having a Psychology degree/ CS BA, what ever degree, or being incredibly empathetic, understanding everything, being "rocking good at Personas" aren't going to make you an "Interaction Designer" without "Designing", and may not get you or anyone else any closer to a good design, if no one has a proficiency "TO" design. Thus I believe that the most important talent needed to be a successful Interaction Designer is "The ability to design", with design defined as "creative problem solving" in "a spatial manner for users, in order that these users can successfully execute tasks" It seems in our discipline the ability to "design" is shockingly placed below other skills as necessary to do our jobs, and this is one of the main reasons we have "Bad" software and websites. Given Murli's comments, many of which I agree with as they are part of "design", just not labeled as such by Murli, if you break his comments down for "foremost needed talents" to be a successful "Interaction Designer": 1.1. The ability to understand INTERACTIONS between humans and/through interactive artifacts - You can understand something very well, but this in no way guarantees you can design a solution for that problem. 1.2. The ability to codify between humans and/through interactive artifacts - "organization" IS part of design 1.3. The ability to structure INTERACTIONS between humans and/through interactive artifacts - "Structuring" IS part of design 1.4. The ability to support INTERACTIONS between humans and/through interactive artifacts - Support can be important, but do you believe it is "THE MOST" important aspect of being an Interaction Designer? 2.1. Plus the talent to design things, which involves creativity and problem solving skills. - You've mentioned 2 aspects of design which are your # 1.2and 1.3 points, I believe this means you find Design to be at least the 2nd most important aspect, (behind understanding, which on it's own wouldn't get you any product at all) 2.2. Plus insight. - and insight is what we're all really trying to find here ;) > the ability to understand, codify, structure and > support INTERACTIONS between humans and interactive artifacts (and between > humans THROUGH interactive artifacts). Plus the talent to design things, > which involves creativity and problem solving skills. Plus insight. > - murli > > On 12/20/07, Rich Rogan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > I think the foremost talent needed in being an "Interaction Designer" is > > the > > ability to "Design", defining "Design" as the ability of "creative > problem > > solving" in "a spacial manner for users". > > ________________________________________________________________ *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 ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
