Interaction design methods
25.02.2019
Defining interaction design
Under the question “What is Interaction design for me?” we discussed the various fields and important keywords of the definiton of Interaction design.
As it is officially not possible to break it down to a single statement, it is verry helpfull to specify the context we are working in.
Crutial factors in this manner ar the SCALE, FORMAT, SPACE and METHODS chosen by the designer to worm in the field of interactions.
Coming closer to some short explanations, we asked ourselves:
How do you explain it to your grandparents?
How do you explain it to a kid?
Structuring a process
Based on our last group-project under the topic “digital fabrication” we analyzed our working-process and pointed out the major steps that led us to our final results:
A common method to work with is the “excursive method”. It is structuered by the follwing steps:
1. investigation: confronting topic, literature, related work
2. play: prototyping, learning skills, trial & error
3. everyday: real world, pop culture, observations
4. tensions: art vs design, individual vs team, compromises
5. enactment: talks, demos, workshops, documentations, submit
6. dissemination: legacy, deliveries, sharing lessons learned, entrepreneurship, survey
Finally some catchy things that sticked to my head during todays class:
> designers have a god-complex
> ethnology often leads to a better understanding of a problem
> sharing your learnings is the foundation of global knowledge
04.03.2019
Perspectives of design
to understand the motivations of interaction design, it is important to know its origin.
Driven by the craving for technological progress, cultural growth and fear of losing both to the rest of the world, humans started interacting with one another and was led to historical milestones like colonization, industrial revolution, worldwars, and so on. In short, the world startet to become a smaller place and a lot faster by means of communication, technology, and productivity.
Handled so far mostly by governments and industry, the “modern” understanding of interaction design took a huge turn to the individual citizens with the public spreading of personal computers (named by silicon valley-dinosaur Steward Brand) and the internet.
Looking back, we are now aware of many influences for human interactions and can therefore try to grasp what will be the future tendencies and perspectives for our own work as interaction designers.
Following the path of todays major field of interactions, the computer-world, these are some interesting aspects to mention:
Primary computer controls, meaning the idea of translating ideas into a binary language. These thoughts were first realised in textile industry, to weave complex fabrics in a two-dimensional output. Later on, three-dimensional machines like cnc-drills and 3d-printers opened a new field of possibilities in terms of producing computer-aided.
GUI (Graphic user interface) — as handling digitally working machines got more and more important, the setup of a well organised and easy to understand user interface became verry important. This whole new branch of design also allowed amateurs and private users to handle the most complex machines.
Design rules and unruled — besides all the well known areas of interactions and design, it is also a speciality of design, to reinvent itself. It allows to put everything we know in question and come up with the most uncommon ways of seeing the world giving it a more creative and maybe promissing understanding.
Design Biased — that design can be used in a manipulative way can be both, a thread or a chance. Our consumation-behaviour can be influenced, and also our morals towards companies, lifestyles, governments and so on.
11.03.2019
Design in everyday life
our everyday life shows us an infinity of problems that can be taken care of by a designer.
The way of approaching a problem can already change the outcome. To find unexpected and new solutions, it is important, when trying to understand a situation, to decompose it and not to simplify it.
On the example of the Zimbabwe bush pump, we studied a product, designed to find solutions not only to a symptom, but also to the actual problem.
Thereby facing moral questions is also an important aspect of a designer, as every new “product” or solution is also influencing the way of living of its user.
A sustainable solution does not only solve a problem on the spot. It is breaking bad routines of its user, pushing his self reflection, but still fits in to our daily life in a smooth way.
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