Generative Theories of Interaction

Abstract

Although Human–Computer Interaction research has developed various theories and frameworks for analyzing new and existing interactive systems, few address the generation of novel technological solutions, and new technologies often lack theoretical foundations. We introduce Generative Theories of Interaction , which draw insights from empirical theories about human behavior in order to define specific concepts and actionable principles, which, in turn, serve as guidelines for analyzing, critiquing, and constructing new technological artifacts. After introducing and defining Generative Theories of Interaction, we present three detailed examples from our own work: Instrumental Interaction, Human–Computer Partnerships, and Communities & Common Objects. Each example describes the underlying scientific theory and how we derived and applied HCI-relevant concepts and principles to the design of innovative interactive technologies. Summary tables offer sample questions that help analyze existing technology with respect to a specific theory, critique both positive and negative aspects, and inspire new ideas for constructing novel interactive systems.

Passages: Interacting with Text Across Documents

“…We introduce Passages, which seeks to improve inter-connection across applications while maintaining the provenance of information from diferent sources. Our design approach is an example of "Generative Theory" [8], where a new design is inspired both by empirical studies and by generative principles grounded in theories of human behavior and cognition. Specifcally, we were inspired by the principles of reifcation and reuse [9] from the theory of instrumental interaction [7] to create the concept of a passage.…”

Designing Representations for Digital Documents

“…In this chapter, I proposed three design principles that can help guide interaction designers to create appropriate representations. Beaudouin-Lafon et al (2021) introduced Generative Theories of Interaction and recognized the idea of using concepts and principles to create new designs. Following their method, I created a summary table (Table 6.1) with sample questions, to help interaction designers apply the concepts and principles introduced in this chapter.…”

Dance Transitions: What Forms of Technology Best Support Professional Dancers as They Learn New Movement Styles?

“…We recruited 12 pre-professional and professional dancers (7: she, 5: he) based in France (6), the United States (3), the Netherlands (2), and Belgium (1). All dancers had begun as classical ballerinas who then shifted to: professionals working in modern/contemporary dance(4), experimental/contemporary dance (5), tango(1), folk (1), and Alexandreinfused ballet (1). Dancers held roles as university students in pre-professional programs, professional dancers, choreographers, and/or teachers.…”

“…Dancers chose the location of the interview, which took place in a café (5), over Skype (4), in a dance studio (2), or the dancer's apartment (1). Although we preferred that interviews take place where there was space to move, we ultimately allowed the dancers to choose, since:…”

“…We use a generative theory approach [5], based on the concept of substrates, to provide a theoretical foundation and generate a flexible structure for managing the proposed multiplicity of movement representations. A substrate contains information and applies constraints to it, reacting to changes in both so as to generate new information [10].…”