October
2008
Interaction Design to the Rescue
The shift from the industrial age to the information age has brought the use of technology into our everyday lives. As with any revolution there are many new ways to do the things that we have previously done, in addition to allowing us to do things that have never been done before and introducing us to unfamiliar territory. This shift has changed the way we live from the jobs in demand to the way we communicate with others, and so on. In a short period of time technology has been brought into our everyday lives along with a degree of frustration when trying to utilize and familiarize ourselves with each new technology on the market. Interaction designers are making this transition easier for people to successfully and efficiently make use of the technologies in their everyday lives.
The Problem
The problem with many technologies that we use today is that they are both programmed and designed by the programmer. This poses a problem because programmers are not concerned about the ease of use for the end user, but more concerned about finishing their project as easily as possible. In the book The Inmates Are Running the Asylum, author Alan Cooper says, “The programmer wants the construction process to be smooth and easy. The user wants the interaction with the program to be smooth and easy. These two objectives almost never result in the same program.” (Cooper 16). Programmers have the ability to create programs that have amazing capabilities, but they probably won’t spend the time to make it user friendly unless they are advised to do so. Why would someone spend a week on a project if they knew they could finish a similar project in a day? Making a program user friendly may take more time, but it is worth it if the company wants to be successful.
Another reason this dual responsibility of the programmer isn’t successful is because the programmer is familiar with the technology to begin with. They have an abundance of knowledge and they automatically assume that if they can use a software program, then everyone else should be able to as well. What programmers don’t understand and seem to overlook is that most people do not have the background knowledge that they have when dealing with technology. If a problem or error arises, the programmer will know how to fix it and continue using the program without thinking twice or looking back. This same problem or error may result in a user being unable to work for hours before it is finally fixed or resolved.
When programmers are creating a program they need to take into consideration that they are not creating the program for themselves, but for others. “The biggest difference is that the builder-designer of the hut will also be its primary occupant, whereas programmers typically don’t use the software they design.” (Cooper 22). Programmers are usually assinged a project to address a need for a client. There is a problem that the software program is supposed to solve. Without the consideration of the user, the programmer never really solves the problem. They once again are more concerned about finishing a project as easily and quickly as possible.
Too many features and options can be confusing. “To software makers, it seems virtually free to add features, so any proposed feature is assumed to be a good investment until proven otherwise. Without a governor, the product rapidly fills up with unwanted features, which means complexity and confusion for the user.” (Cooper 28). Not only are these features confusing to the user, but the user probably never even uses them. The only thing the extra features are doing is making the program too busy, which makes it hard for users to find what they need.
The Solution
The solution to the problem of programmers designing and programming a project is to introduce an interaction designer into the process to take over the design part of the project and leave the programming to the programmer. The interaction designer will ensure that it is easy for a regular person to utilize a piece of technology.
Dan Saffer, author of Designing for Interaction: Creating Smart Applications and Clever Devices states that “Projects generally begin for one of two reasons: somthing is broken or something doesn’t exist.” (Saffer 2006). He goes on to say, “It’s always the goal of an interaction designer to balance the goals of the business with the needs, abilities, and goals of the users.” (Staffer 2006). Before the designer is able to come up with a solution to the problem, there is a lot of research that needs to be done. “The designer will want to interview not only those who are sponsoring the project (that is, putting up the money and resources), but also those in the organization who will be affected by the project.” (Staffer 2006).
To solve the problem once it is identified, there are four approaches used by interaction designers: user-centered design (UCD), activity-centered design, systems design, and genius design. (Saffer 2006). It is up to the designer to uncover which approach is the best to produce the proper solution. But, the role of the interaction designer doesn’t end there. “No matter what approach an interaction designer uses, the basic materials involved in solutions, such as motion, space, and time, remain the same.” (Saffer 2006).
The interaction designer can then take all of the information they have uncovered from their research and interviews and design the solution with just the right amount of sass that the business is looking for. Whether the solution is moving the content of a webpage around for users to be able to more easily identify an action, or developing something from scratch, the designer must go through the entire process. The designer will then work closely with the programmer to create the envisioned solution and the programmer begins the programming to bring the vision to life and create the finished product.
Just with the brief overview listed above of the many responsibilities the interaction designer takes on, it shows how unrealistic it was for the programmer to try and take on those tasks in addition to programming. With the introduction of the interaction designer a product can be created the right way to begin with. It will no longer be necessary to create a number of versions to send out to users. The product can be tailored to the user to begin with saving the company time and money.
References:
Cooper, Alan. The Inmates Are Running the Asylum. Sams-Pearson Education, 2004.
Saffer, Dan. Designing for Interaction: Creating Smart Applications and Clever Devices. Peachpit Press, 2006.
