What is Interaction Design?

I believe the primary function of interaction design is to help people accomplish their explicit — as well as implicit — goals in a responsible way. This is only possible if interaction designers truly understand the people they’re attempting to design for: understanding their goals, their desires, their problems, etc. However, I’d also argue that it’s not enough to simply help someone accomplish a goal or solve a problem. If design is also to be responsible then we must also seek to understand — and make affordances for — how our design decisions impact our audience and the world at large.

For example, recent innovations in mobile and tablet design interfaces have had a profound impact on making technology more accessible to a larger portion of the population. According to Business Insider, more than 4 billion people (that is 57% of the global population) currently have a smart phone or tablet. That’s nearly double the number of people who own a desktop computer — even though desktop PCs have been in the market for nearly 40 years and smartphones for less than 10. Much of this adoption is likely due to the launch of the iPhone and the introduction of its high-quality touch screen interface. By eliminating the indirect mouse-based interaction paradigm, and replacing it with a direct manipulation interface like the touch screen, older and less tech-savvy audiences can now more easily get online. Someone like my mother, for instance, would rarely use a computer or access the internet without my help. But today she regularly browses the web, sends me emails and messages her friends in both English and Korean, all from her iPhone.

However, you could argue that this innovation is a double-edged sword. On one hand it’s created a more engaging interface for accessing the web. But on the other, it’s facilitating potentially dangerous behaviors as well. Our increased use of these devices — and their ubiquity — is leading to their use at inappropriate times. For example, it was recently reported that texting while driving is now the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Responsible interaction design should make affordances to help shape and control this type of undesired behavior. For example, numerous reports from around the world have suggested that an alarming number of Pokemon Go players are playing the game while operating a vehicle. To address this concerning habit, a new Pokemon Go update makes it more difficult for people to play while they’re driving. If the game detects that someone is traveling at a speed above 12.5 miles per hour, it makes it more difficult to catch a Pokemon (by making them disappear over shorter distances). It also displays a message to the user warning them about the dangers of playing the game while driving. While not a perfect solution, it at least makes an attempt to curb this unsafe behavior.

I believe that as technology evolves and continues to become even more ubiquitous, the role of the interaction designer will become increasingly more important. By forcing ourselves to understand our target audience, while still considering society at large, we can create both innovative and responsible solutions. Solutions that can help people lead better lives, accomplish their goals and tasks and influence their behavior in a positive way.