Hi There, In thread http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=16346, there's discussion on "elements of interaction design", which was a very interesting at that time. After one and half year, it seems worth to restart it, since new views comes from different practice&research corner ,
>From Reimann's IxD definition (http://www.cooper.com/journal/2001/06/so_you_want_to_be_an_interacti.html) " Interaction Design is a design discipline dedicated to: Defining the behavior of artifacts, environments, and systems (i.e., products) …and therefore concerned with: 1. Defining the form of products as they relate to their behavior and use 2. Anticipating how the use of products will mediate human relationships and affect human understanding 3. Exploring the dialogue between products, people, and contexts (physical, cultural, historical) ... " In "The Elements of Interaction Design"(http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2006/05/the-elements-of-interaction-design.php, and http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/foundations-of as related stuff ), Dan gave a interesting description of "a powerful set of components for interaction designers", as Motion, Space, Time, Appearance, Texture, Sound. From the design practice,these elements can describe or express the interaction design solution, but seems not in the essential part. One evidence is that you'll find it's hard to explain above interaction design completely. But, by turning the statement into a question, like, What are the elements of interaction design? or what are the building blocks of interaction design?, it becomes very interesting. Starting from above interaction design definition, the elements should be building blocks of "behavior of artifacts, elements and systems", therefore 1. shape the "form of products as they relate to their behavior and use" 2. as the mediators for " human relationships and affect human understandings" 3. as dialogue implements "between products, people, and contexts" So, elements can be reformat as (according to H.A.Simon's Sciences of Artificial) 1. situated using needs, motivation(sets) 2. situated input 3. situated output The designing of behavior finally fall into format as combination of input/output interface design that afford situated using needs or motivation. And "Motion, Space, Time, Appearance, Texture, Sound" are the descriptors of input/output. And input/output naturally consists the user interface (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_interface), which explains essential result of interaction design is expressed as interface design. What lays at the center of the dialog ( input/output) is the "situated using needs, motivation", that defines how people use the product (input/output), etc. From this point, the design research finds it's root, human and his/her needs. It's just a start (far from acceptable) instead of a conclusion, as the community define & redefine the definitions of interaction design; but it's definitely worth thinking and rethinking the foundation elements. From this point, Dan do initial the great journey instead of giving the final answer. Regards, Jarod -- http://designforuse.blogspot.com/ ________________________________________________________________ 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
