Week One

While browsing through various internet websites today, I came across Perceptive Pixel’s Interactive Media Wall, which was presented in class by Professor Hollan. Apparently the Wall is going to be available for purchase through Nieman Marcus for around $100,000. (http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/07/nieman-marcus-to-sell-perceptive-pixels-interactive-media-wall/). It’s nice to see that some of the neat, new technology is finally becoming purchasable (albeit very expensive). Hopefully in the next several years the same technology will be about 1/10 of the cost (Microsoft Surface, also presented in class: http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/31/microsoft-surface-hands-on/). It’s unfortunate that so many great gadgets are still prototypes and/or very expensive, and won’t be available for many years to come.

Reading chapter 1 of Interaction Design provided a great overview of what HCI and interaction design in. I thought that human-computer interface was a self-explanatory term, but apparently I was wrong. I had no idea how much effort is currently going into interaction design, and that companies are beginning to take such an interest in it. I also had no idea that there are so many professional fields that participate in interaction design. It takes a little help from a diverse array of knowledge to create something “user friendly.”

The way the authors laid out specific parts of what comprises interaction design really helped in understanding it. In my opinion, even the explanations of design principals and usability goals incorporated interaction design. For example: “effectiveness,” “efficiency,” and “safety” all provide an easy understanding of what each term means.

The interview at the end of the chapter was also interesting. With companies like Swim Interaction Design Studio emerging, corporations may no longer need to worry about their own user interfaces anymore. They can simply develop their product, and do all of the other required work, but leave the user interface design to someone else. I wonder how long it will be before most corporations begin to hire their own staff devoted to interaction design.

Chapter 2 was a bit more difficult to follow; not because it was difficult to understand what was being said, but trying to think in such a general/abstract way is difficult. Trying to think broadly enough about conceptual models and problem spaces is difficult when unaccustomed to doing so. The Xerox and VisiCalc examples did help with understanding though. Speaking of which, it’s unfortunate the Xerox and VisiCalc never got the recognition they deserved. I suppose it just goes to show how far interaction design has come, and how people are continuously building upon it.

It seems to me that most of the ideas in chapter 2 overlap somewhat. Each concept in the chapter differs from the other in only a small way; they’re all closely related. I think this is what’s most difficult. All of the models blend in with one another, and it’s difficult to distinguish one metaphor from another.

I’m also trying to narrow down what I’m going to nominate for the Hall of Fame/Shame. I think I’ve narrowed it down to a category: computer applications. Now I just have to decide which one…