Designing for Interaction

Abstract

Although we experience examples of good and bad interaction design every day, interaction design as a discipline is tricky to define. In part, this is the result of its interdisciplinary roots: in industrial and communication design, human factors, and human-computer interaction. Its also because a lot of interaction design is invisible, functioning behind the scenes. Why do the Windows and Mac operating systems, which basically do the same thing and can, with some tinkering, even look identical, feel so different? Interac- tion design is about behavior, and behavior is much harder to observe and understand than appearance. Its much easier to notice and discuss a garish color than a subtle transaction that may, over time, drive you crazy.