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 in your life. Why?
While some people seem to have natural abilities for creating wonderful experiences for others (think of the "life of the party," that great instructor, your friends, etc.), 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 greatest people now practicing Interaction Design in new media 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 scriptwriting, storytelling, performance, and instructional design. Each of these disciplines are 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 transmitted.
Copyright 1994 Nathan Shedroff
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