INTERACTION-DESIGN

INTERACTIONDESIGN:IndustrialDesignintheInformationAgeElaineAnnDirector,KaizorInnovationAbstract:ThispaperintroducesanewlydevelopeddisciplineintheU.S.andEurope:InteractionDesign.AsweentertheInformationAge,productsarenolongeronlyelectricalandmechanical,butalsoincludecomputingandnetworkedcapability.DesigningproductshighlyinteractiveinnaturebecomesmuchmorecomplexthanbeforegoingbeyondthetraditionalrealmofIndustrialDesign.Moreover,thefundamentaldefinitionofaproductisbeingchallengedandrequiresafundamentalshiftinthinkingaswellasnewworkmethods.Howpeopleinteractwithproducts,systemsorenvironmentsanditssocialandculturalimpactiswhatInteractionDesignisconcernedabout.Keywords:Interactiondesign,userexperience,networkedproducts,interdisciplinary,industrialdesign.1IntroductionTraditionalproductsaremechanicalandelectricalliketoasters,shavers,walkmansetc.Withtoday'sincreasedcomputingpower,miniaturizedchipsandtheadventoftheInternet,thisdrasticallyaltersthemeaningoftraditionalproducts.IndustrialDesignhasalwaysdealtwithhowpeopleinteractwiththings,designingforaproduct'sformfactor,ergonomics,psychonomicsetc.Computingandnetworkedproductsintroducesanewdimensionofinteractivitybeyondwithitsphysicalform,butextendstothedigitalarena.Nowthatmostproductsareembeddedcomputingwithcomplexinteraction,whatshouldindustrialdesignersdesignintheinformationanddigitalage?Howshouldindustrialdesignersinnovateforthesenewbreedsofproducts?2ProductnatureredefinedintheInformationAge2.1ProductsaresoftwaredrivenTraditionalproductsaremainlyphysicalinnatureanddesignconstrainsaregovernedbyprinciplesofphysicsandmechanics.Today,manyproductsareinfactmicrocomputersindisguisewithcomputingcapabilitystoringmorethan40GBsofdigitalinformationandeverincreasingprocessingspeed.Productsbecomehybridinnaturewithbothhardwareandsoftwarecomponents.Forexample:traditionalwalkmanshaveevolvedintodigitalMP3musicplayers,mechanicalcamerasintodigitalcameras,cordlessphonesintocellularphonesetc.Whatdefinesaproductisnotsomuchdependentonthehardwarewhenaproducts'functionresidesmoreinitssoftwarecapability.(Figure1)2.2ProductsarenetworkedMoreover,withtheadventoftheInternet,productscanbenetworkedanddigitalinformationstoredinproductscanbetransferredandshared.ExamplesofsucharesendingSMSmessagesbetweencellularphones,syncingcontactinformationfromaPDAtothedesktopcomputeranddownloadingmusicfromthewebtoanMP3player.Productsarenolongerstandaloneobjectsbutsystemsofhighlydependentinteractingcomponents.AsoneoftheprominentindustrialdesigneventsintheU.S.IDSADesignAbout:InteractiveEdgessummarizes:Wecannolongerthinkaboutproductsasisolatedobjectsthataredesigned,producedandinsertedintopeople'slives,norcanwethinkaboutproductsconsistingofhardwaredesignandsoftwaredesign.Hardwareandsoftwareneedtobecomeone,andproductsneedtobethoughtofaspartofabiggersystemofobjectsandspaces.[1]3WhatisInteractionDesign?ThefieldofInteractionDesignisatitsearlyinfancyandhasonlybeenaroundforthepastdecadeorso.Sincethebirthofcomputing,designingcomputingsystemshasmainlybeentheroleofsoftwareengineers.Paralleltothefieldofarchitecture,civilengineersfocusondesigningthestructureofthebuildingwhilearchitectsdesignhowpeoplelivewithinthatstructure;intheworldofcomputing,softwareengineersensurestherobustnessofthesoftwarewhileinteractiondesignersdesignhowpeopleinteractwithcomputingsystemsandproducts,Theconceptofcomputersusedtobedesktopcomputing,howeverastechnologyadvances,computersevolvebeyondthedesktopPCandpermeatesintoeveryaspectofourlives.ComputerstaketheshapeandformofeverydayconsumerelectronicappliancessuchasMP3players,carnavigationsystemstointernetfridges.Thusthenotionofdesigningforcomputerscreeninterfacesisnolongeradequate.ThisiswhereInteractionDesigncrossesovertothefieldofIndustrialDesign.ThetermInteractionwasoriginallycoinedbyBillMorridge,founderofIDEOanditdescribesthedesignofthebehaviorofproducts,itstaskflowandstructureofinformation,makingtechnologyusable,understandableandpleasantforpeopletouse.AsIreneMcAra-McWilliam,aforerunneroftheinteractiondesignfielddescribes,Interactiondesignershavetounderstandpeople,howtheyexperiencethings,howtheythemselvesinteract,andhowtheylearn.[2]4RelationshipbetweenIndustrialDesignandInteractionDesignAsproductsnatureevolves,sodoestheroleofitscreators.Industrialdesigners'roleinproductdevelopmenthasbeendesigningtheformfactorandergonomicsofobjects.Adesignprojectusuallystartswithadesignbriefofmechanismsandelectronicsrequiredoftheproductdesign.Andtheindustrialdesignergeneratesdifferentphysicalformfactorsandstylessuitablefortheuserandtargetmarket.Muchofthisischangingwiththeemergingnewtypesofhybrid-networkedproducts.First,withsoftwareasanintegralpartoftheproducts'userexperience,industrialdesignerscannolongerdesignthehardwareindependentofthesoftwareexperience.Abuttonpushedonthehardwarecantriggerascreendisplayandwithoutcloseintegrationbetweenhardwareandsoftwaredesign,theuser'sexperiencewillbeafrustratingone.Secondly,skillsrequiredofdesignerstodayarebeyondformmaking.Thechallengethatmanycorporationsarefacingisnotwhattechnologycando