It arrived yesterday in the post. Tired, travelled but bursting to be read. Jon Kolko’s Thoughts on Interaction Design.

Jon is a Professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I say Jon like I know the man. I don’t. But after reading a very small scintilla of his work, I wish I did. I like his take on Interaction Design. In fact, I like his take on Design (with a capital D). Fullstop.

As he says himself, the primary purpose of the book is to better define Interaction Design and in doing so assure ‘practicing Interaction Designers that they are not, in fact simply tools to be used in the cleanup phases of a technology-centreed project’ and offer practicioners ‘the vocabulary necessary to justify their existence to other team members’.

Jon asserts that Design is language and that Interaction Design is the creation of a dialogue between a human and a product, service or system. This dialogue is both physical and emotional. It manifests itself in form, function and technology. It unfolds over time and is usually located in the world of behaviour. Thus Interaction Designers can be perceived as shapers of behaviour. They speak both form and words at once. They construct a compelling argument and invite the user to share in their work - and hopefully in a dialogue that is ’subtle, lasting and intuitive’.

These are only some of the thoughts Jon elicits in the introduction of the book. There are many more and I’ll come back to you with the best of them once I have had time to digest them myself.

Also, the design of the book itself, is very attractive. And I’m a man that’s into my paper and fonts.

http://www.thoughtsoninteraction.com/

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I am quite excited about a paper I’ve just read. Unfortunately, I can’t just upload the thing because it is copyrighted. I can, however, take one or two vital points from it and spit them out with a strong recommendation to read the paper yourself. Cost me fifteen dollars I think. It’s called Sustainable Interaction Design: Invention & Disposal, Renewal & Reuse and it was written by a man called Eli Belvis. It’s loaded as academic papers go so I will try and give you a small tase of its contents.

Belvis mantains that sustainability should be a central focus of interaction design. His definition of sustainability includes social equality and justice, public health, environment as well as other conditions that effect humanity and and our fragile biosphere.

In the paper he presents two vital principles for SID as well as a rubric for understanding and assessing the material effects induced by particular interaction design cases. The two principles are

1.) linking invention & disposal, by which he means ‘the idea that any design of new objects or systems with embedded materials of information technologies is incomplete without a corresponding account of what will become of the objects or systems that are displaced or obsoleted by such inventions’.

2.) promoting renewal & reuse, by which he means ‘the idea that the design of objects or systems with embedded materials of information technologies implies the need to first and foremost consider the possibilities for renewal & reuse of existing objects or systems from the perspective of sustainability.’

These principles are best understood in context. He cites two products - the iPod and the Leica camera. The former, fails to link invention and disposal by promoting the idea that one must have the latest iPod to be in fashion thus irresponsibly encouraging wilful premature disposal and rampant consumerism. The latter, the Leica, is cited as an example where the manufacturer has continued to produce quality modern lenses that compliment an old Leica camera of heirloom quality. Belvin is quick to point out that this is generally a trait perferred by manufacturers of professional tools rather than by companies who produce deliberately consumer goods.

 That’s the gist of it. I think Belvin raises some quality points. Fair play, Eli, fair play.

Oh shit and another thing - he mentions a publication called the Design Philosophy Papers. Had a quick look in and she could definitely be worth a proper read.

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The crew at Access Space in Sheffield have embarked on another adventure. This time, the charge is being led by Ele Carpenter, embroidery thread flowing and her needle to the sun. The project is called Open Source Embroidery and it explores the similarities between Open Source software and the collaborative characteristics of needlework craft. To this end, they have set about creating a giant html patchwork quilt. The patchwork visualises the 216 hexadecimal web colour palette and their six figure identification codes. Each patch will be as unique as the sewer that made it which in turns enhances the overall uniqueness of the quilt.  The final work will be represented on a website and hung in the foyer of the Access Space.

If you want to bagsy a colour and make a patch then first of all go to www.open-source-embroidery.org.uk and click on the online html patchwork to claim your little hexagon friend then log on to www.instructables.com where you will find step by step instructions including dimensions etc.
 

Access Space is an open access media lab using recycled computers and free open source software. Anyone can drop in and use the lab to develop their creative projects. http://access-space.org

Many thanks to my niece Triona who kindly volunteered her services and helped me get my butty brennan fingers to grips with a needle. In truth, she did all of the sewing. I just got the material.

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