Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-31 Thread Pankaj Chawla
On 1/30/08, Andrei Herasimchuk [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 So I guess the question is: Pankaj, do you also agree that aesthetics
 are a fundamental requirement of practicing IxD?

No I dont agree aesthetics is a fundamental requirement for IxD. But
to me Interaction design is all about interface design. If you arent
designing an interface what else are you designing when you talk about
designing behaviours. Every interaction needs an interface. Period.
Show me an interaction that happens without a medium/interface between
them. You and me exchanging our thoughts here are using email as the
interface. Had we been face to face we would be using voice and
language as the interface. Wonder what would happen if you talked
spanish and I german. There is no interface and hence no interaction.
The whole confusion is really around the usage of the word
Interaction. To me interaction is fundamental whenever two entities
communicate - whether communication is human-human, human-machine or
machine-machine. The way Interaction Design as a craft was coined way
back in 1980s, it really meant Interaction design at the
Human-Computer Interface level on lines of Industrial Design which was
Human-Machine interface design. Since Industrial had the context of
machines it was always easy to understand but Interaction Design
(which is more fundamental) was used in context of Human-Computer
Interface but without qualifiying the context explicitly. That
implicit qualification (Human-Computer) lead to it everybody giving
their own interpretaion and hence all the confusion. Hope I didnt add
to more confusion :)

Cheers
Pankaj

*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Navid Sadikali
I'm doing some visual design prototypes this evening, preparing to call my
visual designer tommorrow, and thinking this isn't an academic subject or
splitting hairs.I feel interaction designer and visual designer are not
idealized roles, but are how people break down at the mastery level.   If
you're trying to do world class work these 2 people are different.   A
competent interaction designer will have a visual aesthetic, and intuit what
avenues are worthy of exploration for the client/project, but they may look
to an expert visual designer for backing on the visual design front.  The
interaction designer better be the one who is so embedded in
the client's world view that s/he's probably the one chomping at the bit
with tangents and avenues worth looking into from a visual designer.  At
least that's how I feel.  Interaction designers key attributes have to be
empathy for the user's you are working for, and intuition about some end
state of the user experience.  The interaction designer probably is calling
in the visual design expert to help achieve that end-state.

I thought I would share what I'm working on because it seems clear to me by
example. At my company, I'm the in-house IxDesigner, and the visual designer
is contracted out.  In my case,  it is a matter of when I call in the big
guns.I do interaction design in the medical imaging space.  Things are
changing here quick,  3d imaging data from the newest scanners is becoming
available to physicians and those virtual human images will no longer be
something you only see on the Discovery channel but in the hospital.  For a
facile analogy, think flight simulator is now available to
your gastroenterologist, who has only ever played the arcade version of Pole
Position.  Problem: With all of these fancy images in all planes, we find
that even imaging experts have a hard time visualizing where one image (one
slice) is in relation to another spatially.   Surprise,
surprise,  non-expert physicians (e.g. surgeons) have even a harder time,
and shy away from using imaging systems in a lot of cases.  Instead,
they cut people open to find what out what the anatomy is, or to find out
what size stent to use etc.  Uneeded operations?  Yes.   People avoid
technology if they aren't confident with it.

So, while working on some interaction scenarios tonight, I thought can we
modify some visual cues on these images to give people a better sense of
where one plane is in relation to another?   This is not the objective of
our project (remember we're making flight simulator for the medical world),
but just an inkling of one of many such intangible user needs I keep near at
mind.So I tried a visual design prototype in 20 minutes (temporary link
http://phosted.com/0801/ixda_work_screen.jpg).  The prototype isn't there
yet, but I can see it might go somewhere if we can give physicians
a perceptual sense of looking into the planar relationships. I could
continue doing visual design, but now having honed in on a specific problem
worth solving and what looks like a possible fruitful path I'm going to hand
it off.  I'd rather steep the visual designer in the problem and user's
needs and have him come back at me with new ideas.   Is this prettying up an
interface?  No.   Is it branding?  No.   It is visual communication, mostly
of a static form, and there are visual designers who are specialists
there.   My goal for these users to give physicians people a sense of
spatial relations so they use fancy-shmancy images and can see where they
are in the body.  I'm well aware that my current initiative may not be the
one, we may need to envision a rotating orb with plane slices all through
it, or something else entirely.  I think it is part of the interaction
designer makeup to really persevere until the user's goals are met, and a
visual designer is one person to enlist on the way there.

To summarize,  I'm sure some interaction designers can do the gamut of
branding, icongraphy and top notch static visual communicaiton.  I'm sure
many visual designers can create a sensible interaction design in the
complex space of business, technology and people.   But do people really
find that there are people who are equally motivated to do it all, and are
equally talented in both...or is it more the case that people naturally fall
into these two roles?

I think it is something like to do world-class work you'll generally find
that the interaction designer and visual designer have two skill set domains
that overlap, but they are different roles and these people fallout
naturally.The interaction designer better be breadth heavy in more
skills and the visual designer better be depth heavy in fewer.   You want
both on your team.

Navid Sadikali
Interaction Designer
Agfa Healthcare


On Jan 29, 2008 6:12 PM, Andrei Herasimchuk [EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:

 On Jan 29, 2008, at 9:01 AM, Jim Leftwich wrote:

  I'm not that worried about Interaction Design, or IxDA, being
  limited in 

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread dave malouf
Andrei asked:
The larger issue is actually more fundamental: do interaction
designers need to have aesthetic skills?

An unequivocal 1 million % (to quote my American Idol Buddy Randy
Jackson) YES!

Aesthetics is HUGE.
And understanding fundamentals of communication design (Visual,
audio, 3D, spatial, etc.) is at the core of a good IxD
education/training career path.

As for your post following Jim. I didn't give it a full read, but
what I did read seemed right on target. 

If I understood the spirit, I would say, that yes, IxD's have to
understand and quite often DO UI Design.

So is UI Designer:Interaction Designer : designer what thoracic
surgeon: surgeon : doctor? 

Medium : discipline : category

I realize this might have leaped a lot onto the conversation. But
what it means is that an interface designer IS an interaction
designer, but not all interaction designers are interface designers
and not all designers are interaction designers.

Does that work? Or did I mess everything up again. I was just trying
to bring it back to the original question of What's the difference?

-- dave


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Andrei Herasimchuk

On Jan 30, 2008, at 6:56 AM, dave malouf wrote:

 Aesthetics is HUGE.
 And understanding fundamentals of communication design (Visual,  
 audio, 3D, spatial, etc.) is at the core of a good IxD education/ 
 training career path.

Then this is either not agreed upon or not well understood at large.  
I suspect it's both, but mostly the former. (And even in looking at  
the Interaction 08 speaker schedule, aesthetics seems a million miles  
away in the conference.) Further, the whole interaction/visual  
designer split used in most technology companies today further  
entrenches interaction design as a field that is not also about  
aesthetics.

I can't tell you how many interaction designers I meet that say  
things along the lines of I don't draw the buttons, I just work with  
someone else that does.

This is a massive problem if the field is to be inclusive and support  
digital product and software design. And has been since people have  
been replacing interface designers with interaction designers,  
and in the process creating a divide where interaction people as a  
profession are given a means to avoid practicing and being  
responsible for aesthetics, even if on a particular team for a  
particular project they are do not need to exercise those skills.

If aesthetics are indeed fundamental to interaction design, then it  
also trickles down to skills and knowledge. Interaction designers  
SHOULD know how to use tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks  
or other professional grade tools and state so on their resumes. Even  
3D software if it means that. And by know how to use, I mean really  
know how to use. Industrial designers use Illustrator all the time to  
make isometric drawings! And learning a 3D program is far more  
complicated than Illustrator, and Industrial designers are also  
trained on those as well. The requirements and expectations in  
aesthetics for industrial designers far exceeds what current  
interaction designers are expected to know, and that's a problem if  
IxD is supposed to be more inclusive.

 If I understood the spirit, I would say, that yes, IxD's have to  
 understand and quite often DO UI Design.

On their own or as a pair? If on their own, which also means being  
able to draw icons if that's what required to make the product real,  
then we are in agreement.

The whole team approach and pairing of skillsets is a means to an  
end, not the definition of what the person needs to be able to  
design. Or how they are trained as a designer. Teams are needed for a  
variety of reasons -- workloads, project scale, collaboration, idea  
generation, etc. -- but when a team is not needed or not possible due  
to a variety of factors, if a business executive hires an  
interaction designer, I think that exec should expect the  
interaction designer to be able design the total product.

 So is UI Designer:Interaction Designer : designer what thoracic
 surgeon: surgeon : doctor?

Quick sidenote: I loathe the acronym UI. It's so arcane. I just  
prefer interface.

Is Interface Designer: Interaction Designer:Design like Thoracic  
Surgeon:Surgeon:Medicine? If the core skills of the interaction field  
require aesthetic, then I could see how that is tenable and even  
desirable.

However, it would *require* a change in definition of:

http://ixda.org/about_interaction.php

Interaction design (IxD) is the branch of user experience design  
that illuminates the relationship between people and the interactive  
products they use. While interaction design has a firm foundation in  
the theory, practice, and methodology of traditional user interface  
design, its focus is on defining the complex dialogues that occur  
between people and interactive devices of many type -- from computers  
to mobile communications devices to appliances.

On that page, there is nary a requirement for interaction designers  
to also be steeped in aesthetics. And again, it even encourages  
someone who calls themselves an interaction designer to be paired  
with others who are trained in aesthetics:

While interaction designers often work closely with specialists in  
visual design, information architecture, industrial design, user  
research, or usability, and may even provide some of these services  
themselves, their primary focus is on defining interactivity.

And there's that word again: defining.

Designers don't define. They make and create and design, and as often  
as possible with their own two hands.

 I realize this might have leaped a lot onto the conversation. But
 what it means is that an interface designer IS an interaction
 designer, but not all interaction designers are interface designers
 and not all designers are interaction designers.

That would be true only if aesthetics is indeed required as part of  
the definition of an IxD.

My take and fear on this is that aesthetics are deemed to be not  
needed in other aspects of interaction, and are therefore not  
required as a 

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Andrei Herasimchuk

On Jan 30, 2008, at 7:07 AM, Pankaj Chawla wrote:

 This one seems to be bang on target. I hope it once and for all  
 puts the
 debate to an end.

Let's be clear.

There is only a debate, especially from someone like me, because many  
people will agree with Dave on this point (the  
medium:discipline:category analogy), but not explicitly agree on the  
point Dave said earlier in message: that IxD requires training and a  
core understanding in aesthetics.

So I guess the question is: Pankaj, do you also agree that aesthetics  
are a fundamental requirement of practicing IxD?

-- 
Andrei Herasimchuk

Principal, Involution Studios
innovating the digital world

e. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
c. +1 408 306 6422



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread lukeisha carr
An unequivocal '1 million %' (to quote my American Idol Buddy
Randy Jackson) YES!, Dave's answer to Andrei's question regarding
aesthetic skills.

I have been following this post and many others like it, as I'm sure
other newbies are, to see what's the best preparation to enter this
field, especially if they are not coming from an art or graphic
design background.  Since reading these posts, graphic design
fundamentals have opened my eyes.  So, I do believe that those
fundamentals are very helpful to know when a page is unbalanced or
over crowded, etc.  But how deep does the aesthetic abilities have to
run?  Please forgive me if this throws another layer of annoying
discussion regarding definitions, but here is one from Webster's
dictionary. 

Aesthetics: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/aesthetic

My point is that graphics/web/visual designers do more than just have
a knack for knowing when something looks pleasing.  For example, there
are many people who have, never drawn, coded a web site, etc. that can
naturally tell what's beautiful and what is not.  So to make the
question more direct, do IxD's need to know how to manipulate
graphics, create from scratch or make touch-ups?  Do they need to
know how to use photoshop, illustrator, and other graphic design
tools at a proficient or expert level?  Do they even have to know how
to implement CSS?  

I could be wrong, but I think this is where people are wondering if
most interaction designers creates the form  layout, but then
hand that over to interface designers to make the lines curve,
swirl, add color schemes, blink, slide, etc, using some the nifty
tools just mentioned above.

Dave, I think you are absolutely right here:  

an interface designer IS an interaction designer, but not all
interaction designers are interface designers and not all designers
are interaction designers.

But where is the line drawn when one person is not both?  And knowing
how companies try so hard to get more  more out of less  less
people, how realistic is it to be an IxD, but not a UID, especially
when IxD/IA/usability in general has to be sold to companies as
useful?

~ Lukeisha


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Adrian Howard
Hi David,

On 29 Jan 2008, at 13:56, David Malouf wrote:

 HI Adrian (I wish the web version had better quoting features.)

Me too!

 see adrian's reply to me above ...
 Yes, you can do both. You should do both, but you shouldn't do one  
 w/o the
 other. I'm not saying that you are or aren't, but your posts (my  
 limited
 insight into who you are) project that you are focusing on one  
 aspect, at
 least in a unbalanced way, so I'm probably reacting in a further  
 unbalanced
 way.

If it's any comfort - I had the opposite unbalanced view of your  
focus (all big no little.)

Absolutely 100% both. No argument from me there.

Not necessarily all of both in the same person (in my opinion  
anyway). Not necessarily all big or all little in one role (in my  
opinion anyway). But all of those skills need to be in the product  
development team.

What I'm not getting is the need/motive in drawing a ring around a  
particular subset of big things and naming it Interaction Design  
that can only be done by an Interaction Designer - which is what I  
mistakenly took to be your view. Folk with that view worry me.

 As for studio. I understand how agile environments have become more
 collaborative, but it is still not studio. It's hard to explain,  
 but what is
 hard is that even in design studios today b/c of the focus on  
 computers, a
 lot of the studio experience of ID is lost. Imagine if you had a  
 big wall
 and on that wall was a projection of everyone's code, and everyone  
 can see
 it. Imagine a place where people can see your name attributed to  
 your code,
 and then if someone sees something they want to comment on, they  
 just walk
 up to you and butt their noses right into your space and tell you  
 what they
 think. Something like that. ;).

 There is a frenetic creativity (not
 efficiency) that evolves from this environment. I'm not saying it  
 would work
 for coding.

That sounds exactly like an agile development environment to me.  
Seriously. That if someone sees something they want to comment on,  
they just walkup to you and butt their noses right into your space  
and tell you what they think is a thing joy and something to foster  
whatever you're doing. It's a bloody excellent way of working -  
ideally with coders and designers and business owners all together.  
In my opinion anyway.

Possibly you need to try harder to explain the hard to explain :-)

 As for what can this do?
 Ok, here is the example. Cooper's concept on posture. I'm not  
 saying this is
 a foundation of IxD, but it is a good axis. Understanding the  
 posture of
 application will radically change the forms you use communicate the
 interaction paradigms. You might have really similar task (i.e.  
 messaging)
 but b/c email has a different posture than instant messaging (even  
 though in
 reality they are REALLY the same thing), the forms take on a very  
 different
 flow.


Surely you don't have a similar task of messaging. You have two  
radically different user goals, which you can describe with certain  
postures, which drive you towards certain kinds of interface... which  
both end up doing some sort of message passing The message  
passing isn't the point.

I always saw postures a descriptive - not prescriptive myself. You  
work from the user goals to a solution, and along the way you get to  
a stage where you can say whether an interface is sovereign/transient/ 
parasitic/whatever-the-other-one-was-called. I don't suddenly get to  
a stage in the process where I go We Shall develop a Sovereign  
Posture Application :-) Instead a Sovereign Posture application  
emerges from the design constraints of the system as a whole.

... but it's been a long time since I've read About Face so I could  
be misremembering the way Cooper used them.

... but I get the point. There are issues in developing products that  
are higher level than the form. No argument from me.

(Not seeing the connect with this and the design school stuff though...)

 This in my mind explains two things:
 1. IxD exists outside the form.

Don't see that. Not reliant on any _particular_ form maybe - but  
outside form... that doesn't sound quite right to me.  
Interdependent on form maybe. With a big damn fuzzy spot between the  
two.

 2. Understanding foundations can have a profound effect on your day  
 to day.

Well duh :-)

 I'll take it back to studio.
 A real foundation of IxD is pacing. Like any narrative, there is  
 pacing. In
 a studio setting what a student or practitioner might do is play with
 various forms to embody different pacings. They would then hone in  
 on the
 right source.

 This is very similar to how a graphic designer will do different  
 comps that
 change specific axis of color, line, text, white space, etc.

 Unless we have the same foundations to sketch against, it is hard  
 for us in
 a processed/controlled and explainable manner communicate the  
 differences
 between different interaction models. They 

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Adrian Howard
On 30 Jan 2008, at 16:46, Andrei Herasimchuk wrote:
[snip]
 So I guess the question is: Pankaj, do you also agree that aesthetics
 are a fundamental requirement of practicing IxD?
[snip]

Why do I get the horrible feeling that somebody is going to ask for a  
definition of aesthetics now :-)

Adrian


*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Jeff Howard
Andrea wrote:
 My take and fear on this is that aesthetics are deemed 
 to be not needed in other aspects of interaction, 
 and are therefore not required as a core skill.   

Andrei, I feel like you're tilting at windmills. No one in this
thread is suggesting that aesthethics aren't important. I just
re-skimmed it to be sure. I believe that aesthetics are even
important to the other aspects of interaction like service and
process flows. I would only point out that aesthetic concerns
transcend visual aesthethics.

None of the following quotes from this thread should be taken to mean
that interaction designers are unaware of aesthetic concerns or
dismiss their importance:

 IxD exists outside the form.  
 UI designer delivers the interface, the IxD plans it. 
 Interface design is the form-giving counterpart 
 to interaction design.  
 IxD primary focus is on defining...  

I believe that understanding and caring about aesthetics makes
interaction designers better at their job. But there's a leap from
understanding and caring about the fundamentals to being responsible
for form-giving. Once you make that leap you're practicing Interface
Design.

We've had threads in the past that debate whether Interaction
Designers should know how to program. Perhaps it would be useful to
devote a similar thread to exploring the aesthethic demands on the
discipline.

// jeff


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Adrian Howard

On 30 Jan 2008, at 06:56, dave malouf wrote:
[snip]
 I realize this might have leaped a lot onto the conversation. But
 what it means is that an interface designer IS an interaction
 designer, but not all interaction designers are interface designers
 and not all designers are interaction designers.

 Does that work? Or did I mess everything up again. I was just trying
 to bring it back to the original question of What's the difference?

That works for me.

Adrian


*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Adrian Howard

On 30 Jan 2008, at 16:28, Andrei Herasimchuk wrote:
[snip]
 I can't tell you how many interaction designers I meet that say
 things along the lines of I don't draw the buttons, I just work with
 someone else that does.

 This is a massive problem if the field is to be inclusive and support
 digital product and software design.
[snip]

If they work together well as a team and make great things - where is  
the problem?

Adrian


*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Andrei Herasimchuk

On Jan 30, 2008, at 10:41 AM, dave malouf wrote:

 Jeff, actually, what bothered me about Andrei's response was not his
 declaration that some on this list are not interested in aesthetics,
 but the assertion (implicit) in his last responses that aesthetics
 lies in the realm of form (visual, auditory, and spatial).

If it's somehow coming across that I only believe material aesthetic  
is important or required, then let me clarify now that I don't mean  
that and do not want to imply that, implicitly or otherwise. I tend  
to approach my job as inclusively as possible, using material and  
immaterial qualities to achieve my aesthetic goals.

 I also
 feel it is a bit of a burden to think about a career  education path
 where all junior people have to understand ALL the aspects of all
 aesthetic qualities. To me they should start with a core and build on
 that over time.

Of course. But given what architect, graphic and industrial students  
are taught these days, I think its fair to say that any educational  
program around interaction design as a discipline asks far less of  
its students than those other established disciplines. So there's  
plenty of room to add to the foundation as near as I can tell. And I  
think students would jump at the chance to have a program that  
covered the breadth of interaction if its defined as both  
interactivity and aesthetic from the craft and skills point of view.

After that, if it wasn't clear that I think this is a life long  
journey, then I clarify that now and say it explicitly. It is.

-- 
Andrei Herasimchuk

Principal, Involution Studios
innovating the digital world

e. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
c. +1 408 306 6422



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Jeff Howard
Andrei, if I understand your position, you're saying that a command
of visual aesthetics should be core to the discipline of interaction
design. I don't mean to gloss over my disagreement. 

If it were core to the discipline, browsing through a few Tufte
books as you suggest upstream wouldn't nearly cover it. It might be
enough to kickstart the basic understanding I advocate for
interaction designers, but not to cover the core skills of a
specialization like interface design. I view the degree of focus
necessary for good interface design as similar in intensity to
industrial and graphic design. Comparing interaction design is more
difficult; I view it as a generalist discipline. It's like comparing
apples and produce.

Interestingly, Carnegie Mellon had been exploring the possiblity of
breaking down the walls between their degrees and simply graduating
designers a few years ago. I don't know if they're still on
that or not.

// jeff


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Dmitry Nekrasovski
Dave, your proposal actually sounds like a great bachelor's degree
curriculum (or last 3 years thereof).

A 3-year masters degree, while great for curriculum breadth/depth reasons,
would likely attract few students of high caliber due to the opportunity
cost. Even 2-year master's degrees face this challenge (which is why a
number of MBA programs have moved towards 12 or 18 month curricula).

Dmitry

On Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:29:22, dave malouf [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Hi Andrei, we're close.
 I think that the foundations taught in architecture and ID programs
 are quite specific. I.e. Graphic design is not included in
 foundations for most IDs and quite honestly the IDs I've worked with
 would make horrible graphic designers. Architecture also has a
 foundation, but type is not really a full-semester studio class from
 my recollection of looking at those programs.

 Now that being said, I believe there is a crisis in IxD education in
 the US specifically b/c of the dearth of programs, but globally b/c
 of the lack of consistency between programs (thus the definition
 problem).

 If I would create an Masters of Design program in IxD, it would first
 off be 3 years.
 year 1 is all about foundations and core theory (and probably is the
 life? what's a life? year). Besides the usual suspects, this
 would also include at least 1 class in Java, or programming in
 ActionScript or Visual Basic/XAML (you get my point).

 Year 2 is 1/2 about theory and then about focus. This is where the
 HCI stuff meets the tangible interfaces vs. the software stuff vs.
 systems/services.

 Year 3 is a continuation of focus, 1st semester growing towards a 2nd
 semester thesis/portfolio piece.

 Electives in business, tools, management (it is a masters after all)

 Now, if it were a bachelor's program, it would be a 5 year program.
 But does anyone want to be an interaction designer when they are 17.
 ;)

 -- dave



 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 Posted from the new ixda.org
 http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077


 
 *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


*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Mark Schraad
The program that I come from (Kansas) has a fairly dated approach to  
teaching graphics (IMHO. In the 5 year undergrad ID program, graphics  
are emphasized as are presentation skills. The interaction design  
classwork stems largely from the ID facult. They work in teams on  
most projects... and many of them already code.

Dave, if the masters student already has a design undergrad degree,  
so they skip the first year?

Mark


On Jan 30, 2008, at 7:29 AM, dave malouf wrote:

 Hi Andrei, we're close.
 I think that the foundations taught in architecture and ID programs
 are quite specific. I.e. Graphic design is not included in
 foundations for most IDs and quite honestly the IDs I've worked with
 would make horrible graphic designers. Architecture also has a
 foundation, but type is not really a full-semester studio class from
 my recollection of looking at those programs.

 Now that being said, I believe there is a crisis in IxD education in
 the US specifically b/c of the dearth of programs, but globally b/c
 of the lack of consistency between programs (thus the definition
 problem).

 If I would create an Masters of Design program in IxD, it would first
 off be 3 years.
 year 1 is all about foundations and core theory (and probably is the
 life? what's a life? year). Besides the usual suspects, this
 would also include at least 1 class in Java, or programming in
 ActionScript or Visual Basic/XAML (you get my point).

 Year 2 is 1/2 about theory and then about focus. This is where the
 HCI stuff meets the tangible interfaces vs. the software stuff vs.
 systems/services.

 Year 3 is a continuation of focus, 1st semester growing towards a 2nd
 semester thesis/portfolio piece.

 Electives in business, tools, management (it is a masters after all)

 Now, if it were a bachelor's program, it would be a 5 year program.
 But does anyone want to be an interaction designer when they are 17.
 ;)

 -- dave



 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 Posted from the new ixda.org
 http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077


 
 *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


*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread James Bond
I am interested in this topic from a different perspective.  I am on
the outside looking in. 

I have been doing customer support and network design most of my
career and have started looking for a change when I discovered
Interaction Design.  This debate is important to me for the simple
reason that I don't have a background.

I am starting new and as such am at the mercy of conventional
thinking as to what skills I must learn to become an interaction
designer.  Right now my list is huge and I feel that I am no closer
to understanding how to start out than when I first stumbled across
the job, accidentally, on Monster.com.

To completely honest I am a bit overwhelmed and frustrated.  I have
read this board (I may not post, but I pay attention!), been to Core,
been to EVERY link that is mentioned (I have massive amounts of one
off reading), I am on safaribooksonline reading, and I have tapped
most of my resources.  The verdict:  no one knows!  

This is a little disconcerting as there does not seem to be any real
way of knowing if I am learning the right material to become an
interaction designer.  The only other way to cover my bases is to
learn everything under the sun which is a major undertaking.

While this is a conversation of semantics to those that are already
in the business, it's  a worrying element to those (me) trying to
break in.  If you don't know what you are, how am I supposed to
learn what to do so I can one day be hired as well?

I am sorry if I come off as grumpy I have a ton of reading / research
to do on this topic and I am battling a cold.  Neither seem like it
will ever end!


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Andrei Herasimchuk

On Jan 30, 2008, at 12:29 PM, dave malouf wrote:

 Hi Andrei, we're close.

Not possible!  8^)

Yes. We are close. We were always close, and that has largely been my  
frustration for so long since I'm obviously unable to communicate  
this in way that makes that clear and not abrasive or confrontational.

 I think that the foundations taught in architecture and ID programs
 are quite specific. I.e. Graphic design is not included in
 foundations for most IDs and quite honestly the IDs I've worked with
 would make horrible graphic designers. Architecture also has a
 foundation, but type is not really a full-semester studio class from
 my recollection of looking at those programs.

This is all true. I agree.

The question then, if I read you correctly, is the degree and what  
aspects of general design practice would be required? The fact ID  
folks aren't trained in traditional graphic design does not mean they  
skip specific training in material aesthetics as it applies to craft  
and skills. And in fact, things like color theory largely cross  
disciplines as it applies to both industrial design and graphic  
design, so there is shared knowledge.

I agree with Jeff that Tufte isn't enough, and I didn't mean to imply  
it was. I was only pointing out his book and its concepts as one of  
the kinds of specific skills in craft that are directly applicable to  
IxD. So the question is, how much is needed and what is enough?

My personal recommendation would be along the lines I mentioned in a  
different thread a few weeks back: Color, Type and Composition. If  
you want to be brave, I'd love to toss in Form as well. (As in the  
kind of form making needed to design a physical product.) Those core  
pieces seem to be the best place to start. Everyone should learn  
those core pieces and then develop a deeper understanding of these  
concepts and how to apply them later on as they grow as an IxDer. And  
with those core skills under your belt, one better understands the  
principles of a Tufte and how to use them for specific forms of  
interaction design. One can also examine a Paul Rand, a Henry  
Dreyfuss, a Charles Eames or Gerrit Rietveld and see deeper ways  
those various aspects of design apply to interaction. Beyond that,  
designers will more than likely find their own paths based on their  
own personal strengths and desires. Some might find photography more  
their liking, some might get into illustration or poster design, some  
may enjoy making furniture, none of which needs to be considered a  
core competency of IxD, but all skills that encourage and expand the  
strength of IxD as a profession.

And of course, you'd have to fold in core interaction principles to  
all this to create the proper balance as well, like understanding  
time and motion, narrative, context, feedback mechanisms, patterns,  
metaphors etc. I'm for all of it. By outlining one aspect of the  
design skillset like I did above, I don't mean the imply that's the  
only skillset, I'm just trying to point out the material aesthetic  
and craft that have been lacking explicitly to this day from my point  
of view in the context of IxD.

Is all of that too much? I honestly don't think so. It only feels  
like a lot to someone who might have to go back to square one on some  
of these things having not been given an opportunity to do so when  
they were in the headspace of being in an academic environment. But  
when I look at what it takes to become an architect, an industrial  
designer, a graphic designer, even a lawyer or doctor... I honestly  
don't believe that the combination of the skills I'm advocating  
combined with the skills I see emerging in IxD as an agreed  
foundation for all of IxD to be more overwhelming in scope that any  
other of the great design professions.

 Now that being said, I believe there is a crisis in IxD education in
 the US specifically b/c of the dearth of programs, but globally b/c
 of the lack of consistency between programs (thus the definition
 problem).

This I also agree with. Especially as it relates to above.

 If I would create an Masters of Design program in IxD, it would first
 off be 3 years...

All good stuff.

 Now, if it were a bachelor's program, it would be a 5 year program.
 But does anyone want to be an interaction designer when they are 17.
 ;)

The day they do is the day you'll know the profession has arrived.

I also eagerly await the day http://ixda.org/about_interaction.php  
changes to reflect this sort of direction in more explicit language.

-- 
Andrei Herasimchuk

Principal, Involution Studios
innovating the digital world

e. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
c. +1 408 306 6422



*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 

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-30 Thread Andrei Herasimchuk

On Jan 30, 2008, at 10:43 AM, James Bond wrote:

 I have been doing customer support and network design most of my
 career and have started looking for a change when I discovered
 Interaction Design.  This debate is important to me for the simple
 reason that I don't have a background.

As a quick aside: One of the best things about being a designer, it's  
like being a writer. No amount of school, degrees, learning, etc.,  
will prevent you from being one even if you lack formal training or  
background. Why? Because design, after all is said and done at the  
end of the day, cannot be faked. Anyone who learns how to do it can  
do so regardless of background or how they obtained that background.

So take that as encouragement to dive in if you feel so inclined. But  
the water will probably be icy cold in those first few moments. Don't  
worry... you'll acclimate soon enough.

 To completely honest I am a bit overwhelmed and frustrated.  I have
 read this board (I may not post, but I pay attention!), been to Core,
 been to EVERY link that is mentioned (I have massive amounts of one
 off reading), I am on safaribooksonline reading, and I have tapped
 most of my resources.  The verdict:  no one knows!

I'll let others chime in here, because even though I'm the trenches  
to a large degree, even after 20 years of practicing what I do for a  
living, I'm still in the same boat as you here. Now imagine how I feel!

 This is a little disconcerting as there does not seem to be any real
 way of knowing if I am learning the right material to become an
 interaction designer.  The only other way to cover my bases is to
 learn everything under the sun which is a major undertaking.

One way for you to narrow the scope to get on a path that leads in a  
tangible, more definitive direction: What kind of products do you  
want to make or be part of making? Software? Web Sites? Digital  
Devices like an iPod? Appliances like in your home? Environmental  
spaces? Do you have something in mind you really want to do?

If you ask the list: Where should I start if I want to learn how to  
design the interaction for the iPhone? I'm more than sure you'll get  
a plethora of very good answers to help you start down a path to get  
the ball rolling.

 I am sorry if I come off as grumpy I have a ton of reading / research
 to do on this topic and I am battling a cold.  Neither seem like it
 will ever end!

Fair warning: Being a designer is like a life long journey on a ship.  
If you are prone to sea sickness from the off and on occurrence of  
swells, then either bring along some dramamine or learn to love the  
rocking of the waves. On days when I can't handle the motion, my drug  
of choice is a really good bottle of Ridge.

-- 
Andrei Herasimchuk

Principal, Involution Studios
innovating the digital world

e. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
c. +1 408 306 6422



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-29 Thread Mark Schraad
Where am I when I get it?
How did I get the brochure - mail, handed, pick it up?
How do I interact with it... flip pages, fold outs, turn it over, etc
What do I you do if interested?
What if I am not?
Who do I contact?
Do I save it?
Is there a part I can send back in the mail?
Should I read the rest on the web site?
Is there enough information?
Maybe too much?
How does it relate tot he trade show booth I am standing in front of?
Ooh, I like this! Where can I see on in person?

You might call this user experience design... or just graphic design, but these 
are definitely interactions. 



On Tuesday, January 29, 2008, at 12:13PM, W Evans [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
snark
Beside turning the page of a brochure - what are some other types of
interactions between a user and a brochure? Taking it out of the envelope?
/snark


On Jan 29, 2008 12:11 PM, Mark Schraad [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 I agree entirely Jim. I know interaction designers that specialize in
 brochures.

 The definition of this group, as a desciption of self is getting a bit
 tiresome.

 Mark


 On Tuesday, January 29, 2008, at 12:02PM, Jim Leftwich 
 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 The phrase interface design up to this point and calls to limit
 the definition of Interaction Design and the scope of IxDA invites an
 examination of the term's history.


*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-29 Thread Mark Schraad
I agree entirely Jim. I know interaction designers that specialize in brochures.

The definition of this group, as a desciption of self is getting a bit tiresome.

Mark

 
On Tuesday, January 29, 2008, at 12:02PM, Jim Leftwich [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:
The phrase interface design up to this point and calls to limit
the definition of Interaction Design and the scope of IxDA invites an
examination of the term's history.

The definition of Interaction Design isn't, (and more importantly)
won't *ever* be, limited to just the digital domain because it
never was and isn't inherently limited in that manner as a practice
in reality.  The term Interaction Design itself, which was coined
by Bill Moggeridge and Bill Verplank at IDTwo (one of the three
companies that combined to become IDEO) in the mid-to-late 1980s,
represented the design of interaction across a variety of
technologies and product and system design boundaries.Interaction
Design certainly involves design of any and all patterns of usage.

Interaction Design was a term I was able to easily adopt around 1987,
for something I'd been practicing in the design consulting field
since 1983 on products, software, systems, and combinations thereof.

The first interaction designs I did involved designing and modeling
the interaction of users with physical components in devices and
equipment that had multi-step processes.  As more and more equipment
began to include digital components and digital control and
information, that also became part of what was involved in the
interaction design.  Fairly recently, an interaction design project
of mine (as a component of designing medical equipment that I also
did the industrial design, physical controls design, and information
architecture for), involved analyzing, modeling, and designing
physical components involved in the device's physical interaction
that were not associate with the product's digital features and
functions.  To separate various aspects of the device's interaction
into technological domains (presumably to be handled by separate
designers, or one designers who's very conscious to take off a hat
with one label and put on another hat with another label) is, in my
opinion, somewhat absurd and completely overlimiting to our field as
a whole.

I'm happy to see Victor Papanek's name come up in this thread, as
he was the head of my alma mater, KCAI's School Of Design, and left
an indelible mark of wholistic approach to Design at our department. 
There's probably not a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for
having had the great fortune to study a wide scope of Design (from
typography and corporate identity to computers and software to
industrial design and manufacturing technologies) and thus having
been equipped to enter my career without the limiting boundaries and
categories that have preoccupied so many in the field, and kept many
more from pursuing the opportunity to design a greater range of the
interactive aspects of products, systems, and environments.

I realize that many of the members of IxDA are web designers, and
live and breathe entirely within the virtual realm or within the
bounds of software running on devices.  This is understandable.

But it's altogether another thing, and a highly regrettable thing at
that, when the specialists begin to demand that the field of
Interaction Design, or IxDA be similarly limited in scope.

Limiting Interaction Design, or IxDA, to just the digital stems from
a myopia of the non-generalists, who make up the wide part of the
field's Bell Curve (due to the huge number involved exclusively in
the web and software).  And furthermore, I think this myopic
insistence on categorization, limitation, and specialization has led
to many products and systems being very poorly designed,
interaction-wise.  Think the vast majority of mobile phones and
devices and equipment.  Specialization and insistence on limited
scope for something as *necessarily* all-encompassing as Interaction
Design is the first step towards a dangerous dilution of
responsibility among specialists.  At best, this leads to inelegant
bolted-together separate design efforts.  At worst it leads to more of
the type of poorly designed products and systems the world is already
plagued by.

I'm not that worried about Interaction Design, or IxDA, being
limited in definition or scope however.  There are a number of
generalists that have been around for a long time that will continue
to point out the value of embracing a more encompassing view of
Interaction Design as IxDA moves forward and grows.  As for the
specialists and those practicing within specific domains - perhaps
they would benefit by forming specialist sub-groups *within the
larger and inclusive organization*.  But it will prove impossible and
impractical to artificially limit the profession that's been being
practiced for decades, nor the organization that's beginning to
represent us all.

Jim

James Leftwich, IDSA
CXO - Chief Experience 

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-29 Thread Jim Leftwich
The phrase interface design up to this point and calls to limit
the definition of Interaction Design and the scope of IxDA invites an
examination of the term's history.

The definition of Interaction Design isn't, (and more importantly)
won't *ever* be, limited to just the digital domain because it
never was and isn't inherently limited in that manner as a practice
in reality.  The term Interaction Design itself, which was coined
by Bill Moggeridge and Bill Verplank at IDTwo (one of the three
companies that combined to become IDEO) in the mid-to-late 1980s,
represented the design of interaction across a variety of
technologies and product and system design boundaries.Interaction
Design certainly involves design of any and all patterns of usage.

Interaction Design was a term I was able to easily adopt around 1987,
for something I'd been practicing in the design consulting field
since 1983 on products, software, systems, and combinations thereof.

The first interaction designs I did involved designing and modeling
the interaction of users with physical components in devices and
equipment that had multi-step processes.  As more and more equipment
began to include digital components and digital control and
information, that also became part of what was involved in the
interaction design.  Fairly recently, an interaction design project
of mine (as a component of designing medical equipment that I also
did the industrial design, physical controls design, and information
architecture for), involved analyzing, modeling, and designing
physical components involved in the device's physical interaction
that were not associate with the product's digital features and
functions.  To separate various aspects of the device's interaction
into technological domains (presumably to be handled by separate
designers, or one designers who's very conscious to take off a hat
with one label and put on another hat with another label) is, in my
opinion, somewhat absurd and completely overlimiting to our field as
a whole.

I'm happy to see Victor Papanek's name come up in this thread, as
he was the head of my alma mater, KCAI's School Of Design, and left
an indelible mark of wholistic approach to Design at our department. 
There's probably not a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for
having had the great fortune to study a wide scope of Design (from
typography and corporate identity to computers and software to
industrial design and manufacturing technologies) and thus having
been equipped to enter my career without the limiting boundaries and
categories that have preoccupied so many in the field, and kept many
more from pursuing the opportunity to design a greater range of the
interactive aspects of products, systems, and environments.

I realize that many of the members of IxDA are web designers, and
live and breathe entirely within the virtual realm or within the
bounds of software running on devices.  This is understandable.

But it's altogether another thing, and a highly regrettable thing at
that, when the specialists begin to demand that the field of
Interaction Design, or IxDA be similarly limited in scope.

Limiting Interaction Design, or IxDA, to just the digital stems from
a myopia of the non-generalists, who make up the wide part of the
field's Bell Curve (due to the huge number involved exclusively in
the web and software).  And furthermore, I think this myopic
insistence on categorization, limitation, and specialization has led
to many products and systems being very poorly designed,
interaction-wise.  Think the vast majority of mobile phones and
devices and equipment.  Specialization and insistence on limited
scope for something as *necessarily* all-encompassing as Interaction
Design is the first step towards a dangerous dilution of
responsibility among specialists.  At best, this leads to inelegant
bolted-together separate design efforts.  At worst it leads to more of
the type of poorly designed products and systems the world is already
plagued by.

I'm not that worried about Interaction Design, or IxDA, being
limited in definition or scope however.  There are a number of
generalists that have been around for a long time that will continue
to point out the value of embracing a more encompassing view of
Interaction Design as IxDA moves forward and grows.  As for the
specialists and those practicing within specific domains - perhaps
they would benefit by forming specialist sub-groups *within the
larger and inclusive organization*.  But it will prove impossible and
impractical to artificially limit the profession that's been being
practiced for decades, nor the organization that's beginning to
represent us all.

Jim

James Leftwich, IDSA
CXO - Chief Experience Officer
SeeqPod, Inc.
Emeryville, California
http://www.seeqpod.com

Orbit Interaction
Palo Alto, California
http://www.orbitnet.com


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-29 Thread David Malouf
HI Adrian (I wish the web version had better quoting features.)

see adrian's reply to me above ...
Yes, you can do both. You should do both, but you shouldn't do one w/o the
other. I'm not saying that you are or aren't, but your posts (my limited
insight into who you are) project that you are focusing on one aspect, at
least in a unbalanced way, so I'm probably reacting in a further unbalanced
way.

As for studio. I understand how agile environments have become more
collaborative, but it is still not studio. It's hard to explain, but what is
hard is that even in design studios today b/c of the focus on computers, a
lot of the studio experience of ID is lost. Imagine if you had a big wall
and on that wall was a projection of everyone's code, and everyone can see
it. Imagine a place where people can see your name attributed to your code,
and then if someone sees something they want to comment on, they just walk
up to you and butt their noses right into your space and tell you what they
think. Something like that. ;). There is a frenetic creativity (not
efficiency) that evolves from this environment. I'm not saying it would work
for coding.

As for what can this do?
Ok, here is the example. Cooper's concept on posture. I'm not saying this is
a foundation of IxD, but it is a good axis. Understanding the posture of
application will radically change the forms you use communicate the
interaction paradigms. You might have really similar task (i.e. messaging)
but b/c email has a different posture than instant messaging (even though in
reality they are REALLY the same thing), the forms take on a very different
flow.

This in my mind explains two things:
1. IxD exists outside the form.
2. Understanding foundations can have a profound effect on your day to day.

I'll take it back to studio.
A real foundation of IxD is pacing. Like any narrative, there is pacing. In
a studio setting what a student or practitioner might do is play with
various forms to embody different pacings. They would then hone in on the
right source.

This is very similar to how a graphic designer will do different comps that
change specific axis of color, line, text, white space, etc.

Unless we have the same foundations to sketch against, it is hard for us in
a processed/controlled and explainable manner communicate the differences
between different interaction models. They are just different, and the only
way we can communicate about them is in terms of usability.

-- dave

-- 
David Malouf
http://synapticburn.com/
http://ixda.org/
http://motorola.com/

*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-29 Thread Gloria Petron
Hm. For a static brochure I could see that logic. But paper forms require
thoughtful layout in order for me to interact (??) with them. Or is that
where the term usability comes in?

*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-29 Thread Mark Schraad
Nicely framed Andrei. While have been pushing for broad sweeping  
inclusive definitions, it was pointed out to me that that approach  
greatly limits their usefulness. Perhaps if the majority is included,  
and it give a more finite description, we will be better off.

Mark
(trying to be less pedantic ;)


On Jan 29, 2008, at 6:12 PM, Andrei Herasimchuk wrote:

 On Jan 29, 2008, at 9:01 AM, Jim Leftwich wrote:

 I'm not that worried about Interaction Design, or IxDA, being
 limited in definition or scope however.  There are a number of
 generalists that have been around for a long time that will continue
 to point out the value of embracing a more encompassing view of
 Interaction Design as IxDA moves forward and grows.  As for the
 specialists and those practicing within specific domains - perhaps
 they would benefit by forming specialist sub-groups *within the
 larger and inclusive organization*.  But it will prove impossible and
 impractical to artificially limit the profession that's been being
 practiced for decades, nor the organization that's beginning to
 represent us all.

 That's all fine and good and makes plenty of sense at a high level.
 The major issue I've had is the outward claims by some that
 interaction design is bigger than digital on the one hand, but then
 bypass issues that are claimed to be outside the scope of
 interaction on the other.

 To be fair, I don't think anyone intends that to be the case, but
 when people say things like interaction design is to interface
 design like art direction is to graphic design, or that interface
 designers draw while interaction designers don't, well... that's
 exclusionary. (And in the art director analogy, a bit on the absurd
 side since art director's are notoriously seen by many in the graphic
 industry as outsiders who never learned how to draw, so they tell
 others what to draw. I'm generalizing obviously, so my apologies to
 any art director's in the audience.)

 To me, it seems if you want to have a larger and more inclusive
 definition of what interaction design is, then the core skillset has
 to be broader as well. In this specific case, that broader definition
 is going to have to include visual and aesthetic at some fundamental
 level. Not to the degree of needing a major in graphic design, but
 core fundamentals that are needed that apply to interaction,
 especially when interaction has to be defined for technology
 products. Most of this core set of skills are probably found in a few
 books like Tufte's Envisioning Information, among a few others. It's
 not needing an entire Art History degree or getting into the nitty
 gritty of making posters with letterpresses, but certainly some level
 competency with aesthetic needs to be a core interaction designer  
 skill.

 Why is this? I personally think has to do specifically with digital.
 I understand at a conceptual level how an interaction designer can
 help design an analog telephone or rework a service flow for FedEx.
 But when you start making digital products -- desktop client
 applications, web sites, web applications, stand alone kiosks, mobile
 interfaces, interfaces for the iPhone, etc. -- the aesthetic part is
 integral to the success of the interactive part in a way that's not
 easily separated, like it might be for non-digital forms of
 interaction design. Given that, for the large swath of people that
 are going to focus on digital, if they are calling themselves
 interaction designers, removing the aesthetic from the definition of
 what they do isn't going to help matters. It's fine for teams of
 people today to work together on the interaction and aesthetic
 collaboratively, but in the future, you really are going to want more
 and more people who know how to do both, and are trained in how to do
 both, even if they focus on one or the other in a team environment.

 Why? For the very same reasons industrial designers are trained in
 both form and function.

 If a designer is compartmentalized to ignore or not having
 accountability on the aesthetic at a personal level, then the
 definition of interaction design is narrowed vertically as a job
 description, even if it's horizontal as a job that applies to broader
 market spaces. This is the crux of the problem, as near as I can tell.

 At a high level, having interaction design not be responsible for the
 aesthetic or be a core skill of an interaction designer is obviously
 fine, and can work for a variety of people. But for the ones that are
 looking to work in narrow market sectors, like focusing on digital
 products), they need a broader job definition horizontally on what it
 is they are held accountable for in the overall design of the
 product. To not do so would, it seems that calling oneself an
 interaction designer does neither the designer in that position nor
 the field of interaction any justice. The designer silo's themselves
 in a way that limits what the business expects them to work on or can
 work on, 

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-29 Thread Andrei Herasimchuk

On Jan 28, 2008, at 11:42 AM, dave malouf wrote:

 Andrei does interaction design require pixels? I.e. is there always a
 need for a screen? Is what the interaction designer/UI designer
 working on always embedded inside of said screen?

In my market space, yes. In other market spaces, I can see how it  
would not. But you are also talking to someone who calls that person  
an interface designer, so I never had to worry about that sort of  
confusion since interfaces are largely digital in conception.

 If we are limiting to just screen-based IxD/UID then we are probably
 looking at the opposite orientation of making a SIG for the type of
 work you are discussing.

See the message I posted out of order. (Been spending the past few  
days on a new contract, so I'm out of order on what has been said. My  
apologies.) The larger issue is actually more fundamental: do  
interaction designers need to have aesthetic skills?

The answer to that question makes the rest of the entire debate/ 
argument/discussion, etc., simplified. If the answer is yes, then the  
whole discussion is VASTLY simplified. If the answer is no, then I  
think it begs the question on whether interaction design is the field  
to help define things like what it means to work on digital products,  
since aesthetics are integral to those products in the same way  
aesthetics are integral to industrial design.

-- 
Andrei Herasimchuk

Principal, Involution Studios
innovating the digital world

e. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
c. +1 408 306 6422



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-29 Thread Michael Micheletti
On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:15:14, Jeff Howard [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Try not to think of it as interacting with the brochure. That's a
 red herring. Instead, think of it as interacting through the brochure
 with something else. The brochure mediates an interaction. Here's an
 example. No one goes to Expedia to interact with it. They operate the
 interface in order to interact with United or Southwest Airlines. Same
 thing with MySpace. It's not about interacting with the site. It's
 about using the site to interact with your friends.


This put me in mind of the hanging chad Florida ballots of a few years
back. Paper-based interaction design writ large.

Michael Micheletti

*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-29 Thread Jai Godara
It seems futile to argue over title/terms of what means what when
majority would agree that these are essentially roles/phases in a 
larger system design approach%u2026yes, they do have overlaps, of
course, in terms of required skills, knowledge, and even certain
processes. yet they are essentially different in terms of their
individual focuses and outputs.

All the great products, services, end-results that provide a
delightful and successful experience are most often that way because
of their underlying structural units/attributes work cohesively with
each other to serve the purpose. So in an ideal world, interaction
design  UI design would not exist or work in isolation%u2026but
rather in tandem. Pretty much the same idea that Jeff underlined
earlier with I think of interface design as the form-giving
counterpart to interaction design. 

Essentially, Interaction designer role takes care of high-level
interaction or, in other words, chalking out the planning part of
interaction. Similar to a holistic system design approach where one
is not just designing the product in isolation but also considering
how it fits in a larger system and works in that environment.
Therefore, Interaction designer role has to take care of various
permutation and combination of activities that need to be supported
(again, high level); the orders of activities (process flows);
relationships among design elements, etc. And afterwards, UI designer
role kicks in and starts refining those big pictures to the levels of
individual pixels. Or course, there is fair amount of overlap of
activities and intentions, therefore, the disagreements,
misunderstandings, and apparent heartburns. 

That is precisely the reason that I tend to agree with Dave on the
value that semantics and defining these roles (not the titles!)
provide. Not only it would give us perspectives on finer nuances of
these roles, such as what we do in these roles that make sense and
what does not? What are the finer distinctions between two? or even
better, what lies in that overlapping space of Venn diagram between
two? Could we discuss activities/processes and their orders in these
different roles? It may be another of those endless debatable issues,
nonetheless, a rewarding one as we may stumble upon insights that have
always stared us in the face and we never noticed.

To further the point, there are other fields/professions that have
the same role (or have a similar focus and set of outputs) , albeit,
with a different title. My question is what can we learn from those
professions that share the same attributes of IxD? May be it would
help us get deeper insights. May be it would stop us from reinventing
the wheel so yes, Dave you have my vote on the need and value-addition
of exploring the semantics.

To Jared: It seems like a yam/sweet potato discussion only when we
are focused on two terms/titles in pure isolation. However, once we
treat IxD and UI designer as the roles or set of processes in a given
endeavor and not just two standalone entities; we would see value in
discussing. So a more apt analogy could be designing a house plan,
brick laying, and coloring while building a house.  

In the end, Sold to Adrian who said, I'm all for talking about
more ways to practice the art. That seems to be a more productive
conversation than trying to define what the art is. May we move
beyond the silliness of comparing inane titles and get deeper
insights into what we do and why we do.

Jai


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-28 Thread Dmitry Nekrasovski
IMHO, there are plenty of groups out there for people who want to design
for technology. They are called developer forums.

The desire to define interaction at a technology agnostic level is a
wonderful thing, and is what differentiates the IxDA community from so many
others. I, for one, would like to keep it that way.

Dmitry

On Jan 28, 2008 10:17 AM, Andrei Herasimchuk [EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:


 Will it ever be the
 IxDA or is the desire to define interaction at a technology agnostic
 level going to be something that keeps it too general to support
 folks who want to design for technology and all that entails?

 --
 Andrei Herasimchuk

 Principal, Involution Studios
 innovating the digital world

 e. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 c. +1 408 306 6422
 
 *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


*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-28 Thread Andrei Herasimchuk

On Jan 28, 2008, at 8:41 AM, mauro pinheiro wrote:

 Interaction design is NOT limited do computer screens, wireframes,
 menus...we should set our vision of our profession onto another level.

With that being the case, the issue as near as I can tell becomes:

What's the group for those people who do and have done interface  
design up to this point? And what interface design will become in the  
very near future, which is the digital component design of products  
that will have a software or code component? Interface design being  
defined as the need to deign both the interaction and visual  
components, either by a single person or team of people.

Is that group the IxDA or is it some other group? Will it ever be the  
IxDA or is the desire to define interaction at a technology agnostic  
level going to be something that keeps it too general to support  
folks who want to design for technology and all that entails?

-- 
Andrei Herasimchuk

Principal, Involution Studios
innovating the digital world

e. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
c. +1 408 306 6422

*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-28 Thread dave malouf
Yes, I would call it the interactive design community. But even
then, that might be MORE specific than Andrei was thinking, and that
is my question.

Andrei does interaction design require pixels? I.e. is there always a
need for a screen? Is what the interaction designer/UI designer
working on always embedded inside of said screen?

If code can be manipulated by other means: voice, 3D (snap domes;
other), gestures (not screened), presence determined/spatial (I think
you get my point) then I think there is no disagreement for the vast
majority of those on this list about what IxD is.

The only exception are the small group of people who are doing
services. But I see this as applying interaction design techniques
and methods to non-technological problems. I think that this is
healthy and natural in any design organization.

If we are limiting to just screen-based IxD/UID then we are probably
looking at the opposite orientation of making a SIG for the type of
work you are discussing.  

With about 5500 people on this list, and 7000 total subscribers,
maybe we have finally reached the critical mass where we can start
having topic specific communities.

No thinking about this has been done yet (multiple lists vs. one
list), but heck, anything is possible.

-- dave


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-26 Thread pauric
Scott:  I liked Luis' definition:

UI designer delivers the interface, the IxD plans it 

I would expand that a little.  Interaction Design as I perceive the
role I play considers how the user interacts with the system/product,
not just the interface.

So while I do truly hate semantics I have to agree with Dave that
defining/differentiating what we practice is very necessary.

Therefor, for me;
Interface Designer focuses on the presentation layer.

IxDs are generalists who utilise aspects of the fields of IA,
Industrial  Interface design in a world of increasingly complex
products  services.

I think the fact that most IxDs are/were Interface designers, and the
majority of the work is in the web, really clouds the issue. 




. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-26 Thread Adrian Howard

On 25 Jan 2008, at 17:34, lukeisha carr wrote:

 Just curious how some of you would differentiate an interaction
 designer from a user interface designer? Apologies if it's been
 discussed to death before.

 I think these kind of questions keep coming up again  again for some
 of the following reasons:
[good reasons snipped]
 Unfortunately, I'm not sure if these kind of questions will slow
 down, until the field is many years old and dedicated training will
 define what these positions do.  But the challenge will still be how
 to keep different companies from making a mis-mash of all the title.

The thing is I just don't care whether the roles are defined or not :-)

There's a whole bunch of knowledge, skills and practices that need to  
be applied to get a successful product from inception to release.

I care a great deal that there are people involved that have all of  
the necessary knowledge, skills and practices - and know how to apply  
them and work together well.

I care very, very little for picking a subset from the list and  
calling it interaction design, or usability, or information  
architecture, or accessibility, or software architecture, or domain  
design, or ...

Talking about knowledge, skills and practices. How to learn and apply  
them well. That helps me a huge amount. Talking about what a  
particular subset should be called and where a person with that  
subset sits in the org chart doesn't help me at all.

But maybe that's just me...

Cheers,

Adrian (possibly being unnecessarily grumpy :-)



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-26 Thread Adrian Howard

On 25 Jan 2008, at 12:13, Adam Connor wrote:
[snip]
 To be honest I stopped caring about my title a few years ago. Perhaps
 it would be different if I weren't an in-house, but it seems more
 important to me to just deliver the best products I can.

AOL Me too! /AOL

Adrian


*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-26 Thread Jeff Howard
Jared wrote:
 Isn't this just a Yam/Sweet Potato thing?

That's an apt analogy. If two tangible objects so objectively
distinct (the yam is over two meters long) can be confused and
treated as identical, how much more difficult to recognize and agree
on subjective differences?

One of President Lincoln's favorite riddles was this: How many legs
does a dog have if you call its tail a leg? The answer? Four. Just
because you call the tail a leg doesn't make it so.

// jeff


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-25 Thread dave malouf
Isn't this just delaying the inevitable?
Sure, (Kumbaya!) we are all Designers, great! (I actually think
that most of us aren't designers, btw, but that's a separate
topic).

Ok, so you get your MD (masters of design). So then what? do you go
for boards in Interaction Design? Oh wait!!! don't you need to
define IxD so that you can build a specialty around it? I mean how
will I know I graduated from ixD (thoracic surgery) instead of ui
(cardiology). 

Guys! please, you might not like it, but semantics are required to
build, reflect, advance, and advocate for any profession. we need to
be able to communicate value inside and outside and all around the
eco-system. We need to be able to educate, elucidate, explore and
experiment. Sometimes the definitions are easy; In our case it is
a challenge b/c we are the bastard children of design.

Now, a possible more important question is whether these
conversations are useful on THIS list. The frustration level is
obvious to many. At one point, we had a list called working group
that was for the purpose of defining IxD and IxDA. We knew we wanted
to keep the primary list balanced on tactics and theory, but not
distracted on semantics and logistics of the org. 

The logistics part is well taken care of by the relatively new Board
of 7 (soon to be 9). But the definition piece has fallen back on this
list time and again especially over the last 2 years.

To me this speaks of a great need to do either 2 things:
1) Turn the definition page on the web site into a wiki page with
commenting capabilities. It will be the living permanent answer to
this question once and for all.
2) We create a list for people like myself who will forever be
obsessed with defining the damn thing!

But i'm afraid these threads on this open list is turning into noise
for too many people. 

But then again, since less than 1% of the total subscriber base
actually posts anything, it is almost impossible to know (BTW the
poll request response rate is even lower than that).

-- dave



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-25 Thread lukeisha carr
Just curious how some of you would differentiate an interaction
designer from a user interface designer? Apologies if it's been
discussed to death before.

I think these kind of questions keep coming up again  again for some
of the following reasons:

1.  Companies give many different titles to the same group of duties.
 So, which titles does one need to look for in a job search to ensure
that you cover all of your bases?

2.  Many people have different backgrounds.  So, how does one know if
he/she has the correct experience or training for the any of the
multiple titled positions. i.e. My background is mostly in
back-end web development.  Even though, I've coded in
HTML/JavaScript, but the design parts, like image
croping/creation, colors, etc. was done by someone else. So, does one
with that kind of background need to become proficient in Photoshop,
Illustrator, or Flash to be a good IxDer?

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if these kind of questions will slow
down, until the field is many years old and dedicated training will
define what these positions do.  But the challenge will still be how
to keep different companies from making a mis-mash of all the title.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-25 Thread Alexander Livingstone
On 1/25/08, Demers, Scott [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Just curious how some of you would differentiate an interaction designer
 from a user interface designer? Apologies if it's been discussed to
 death before. Looked quickly on the discussion archive and didn't see
 anything.

If you're talking in terms of selling the concept to people (which I
am having to do right now!) I'm finding that picking out and using
their buzzwords 'against them' is very persuasive.

I'm selling IxD with two main points:

1) They align the products with processes(!) - and then you qualify
this with high-level business strategy(!), all the way down to the
work minutiae of the people on the coal-face (my worklplace is where
clichés come to die). I then use the example of:

2) During work I staple, and remove staples from, things. I keep my
stapler on my desk and my remover in my drawer as I staple far more
often than I unstaple, and I want my desk to be clear.

Obviously I flesh these out slightly and change the emphasis depending
upon my audience, but it seems to work pretty well and seem to I get a
lot of 'this guy knows what he's talking about' looks. Either that or
I'm fooling myself ;)

-- 
Alex.

*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-25 Thread Adam Connor
If I recall correctly this topic has come up before on IxDA.

I've been working in house for the same company for almost 7 years
now. In that time I've held the following titles.

Web Designer
Interactive Designer
Interaction Designer
User Interface Designer
Online Experience Architect
User Experience Specialist

Through all those titles though, my activities have never really
changed:
I work on Info Architecture, Interactions, UI, etc.

To be honest I stopped caring about my title a few years ago. Perhaps
it would be different if I weren't an in-house, but it seems more
important to me to just deliver the best products I can.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-25 Thread Charlie Kreitzberg
I think that the idea of having a single profession with specialties
is right on. As a designer I do UI, IxD, IA, Ux and probably a few
other thing.

I can do all this things competently -- that does not make me a
specialist in these areas and when I have a complex problem I will
bring in someone who specializes in one of these areas.

The medical profession has had this model for years. You get an MD
and that qualifies you to basically do anything in medicine (e.g. you
are a  physician and surgeon.  If you want to specialize in a
particular field you can do so and get as many specialization
credentials as you want (e.g. you can be a psychiatrist and a
neurologist). 

By doing this you can present a simple, easily comprehended
profession to the outside world.

It also suggests a curriculum for training new professionals. And in
the future, if we ever move to certification of some sort (don't
panic!) it will provide a model that enables people go gain basic
certification and then go after their merit badges.

Charlie


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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


Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?

2008-01-24 Thread Jeff Howard
Hi Scott, 

One aspect of your question could cause confusion. Are you asking
about the difference between disciplines or between roles? I think
the answers you receive may vary depending on which question people
choose to answer.

Here's how I see the difference:

Interaction designer is to interface designer as art director is to
graphic designer. It's an imperfect analogy but it demonstrates how
the roles are linked. I think of interface design as the form-giving
counterpart to interaction design. I believe that interface design
differs from interaction design primarily in its focus on the
behavior of artifacts rather than the behavior of humans.

Although the two roles can certainly be embodied in a single
individual in the broad strokes you might be able to tell the
difference between an interaction designer and an interface designer
by their tools. Whiteboards and Post-it notes or Omnigraffle and
Flash? 

// jeff


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077



*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