Interaction Design
Think about what experiences are. How do you create them? How do you know when they are successful? What are the most satisfying experiences you can remember? Unfortunately, few people are ever taught how to create wonderful experiences for others. I believe that one of the nicest experiences you can have is to enjoy a stimulating conversation with another person over great meal. I would rather do this than watch television, read a book, or use any interactive product I have ever seen. But how do you set up and maintain such an experience? We are taught history, science, mathematics, language, and many valuable processes, but hardly anything about having a great conversation, though this is one of the most satisfying things you can enjoy. Why?
While some people seem to have
natural abilities for creating wonderful experiences for others
(such as the "life of the party" or a great instructor),
most of us must learn the hard way: through trial and error.
Wouldn't it be great if we could be taught explicitly how to
create meaningful interactions for each other? This is what Interaction
Design addresses and, unfortunately, it is a new field with few
texts, few classes, and almost no curriculum (even less than
Information Design). The best sources for learning these skills--and
these are critical to the success of any interactive project
or presentation--are the performing arts. Indeed, the most prominent
new media Interaction Designers all seem to have backgrounds
in some type of performance, whether it is dance, theater, singing,
storytelling, or improvisation. Because of the history of interaction
in performing arts, some of the only sources for guidance come
from the fields of script-writing, storytelling, performance,
and instructional design. Each of these disciplines is particularly
concerned with the communication of varied stories and messages
through the creation of interesting and wonderful experiences.
We can look to these disciplines for knowledge about interactivity,
but we must remember to pay attention to the limitations of the
technologies and media through which our messages are conveyed.
beginning
Copyright 1994 Nathan Shedroff