Understanding interaction design practices

Abstract

There is an undesirable gap between HCI research aimed at influencing interaction design practice and the practitioners in question. To close this gap, we advocate a theoretical and methodological focus on the day-to-day, lived experience of designers. To date, this type of theory-generative, experientially oriented research has focused on the users of technologies, not the designers. In contrast, we propose that HCI researchers turn their attention to producing theories of interaction design practice that resonate with practitioners themselves. In part one of this paper, we describe the mismatch between HCI research and interaction design practices. Then we present vignettes from an observational study of commercial design practice to illustrate the issues at hand. In part two, we discuss methodological and theoretical changes in research practice that might support the goal of integrating HCI research with interaction design practices. We then discuss current research methods and theories to identify changes that might enlarge our view on practice. In part three, we elaborate on our theoretically minded agenda and a kind of ideal-type theory.

Thinking About Context: Design Practices for Information Architecture with Context-Aware Systems

“…This suggests that an analysis of the specific codes could help to establish a common vocabulary for context-aware design. Along similar lines, Garrett has attempted to establish coding practices for general IA practice using a "visual vocabulary" (Garrett, 2002). Initiatives to facilitate designers' communication around their context-aware design practices could serve to facilitate the emergence of standard codes or coding practices.…”

The Automation-by-Expertise-by-Training Interaction

“…74) Lewis and Rieman (1994), referring to human-computer interface (HCI) albeit not specifically within sociotechnical systems, proposed methodologies to guide the development of interfaces through "task-centered user interface design. " Goodman, Stolterman, and Wakkary (2011), suggesting that a "disconnect" between HCI designers and interface users may be due to a lack of research to guide theory on design practices. They called for empirically grounded descriptions of design practice to develop frameworks to assist designers.…”

Understanding the role of designers' personal experiences in interaction design practice

“…In this paper, interaction design practice refers to "professional design activities intended to create commercial products" [10]. A designer's personal experiences refer to the collections of his/her individual experiences derived from his/her direct observation or past real-life events and activities, as well as his/her interaction with design artifacts and systems, whether digital or not, in professional and personal contexts.…”

“…He assumes understanding of the nature of design practice is the basis of any interaction design research aiming at sustaining design practice [26]. Goodman et al [10] give an overview of "two decades of publications that suggest a lack of synchronization between HCI research and interaction design practices", and also present a six months study of commercial design practice in San Francisco's Bay Area to illustrate design issues at hand. They "contend there is a need to produce theories of designerly practice that are resonant with the everyday work of interaction designers" [10].…”

“…Goodman et al [10] give an overview of "two decades of publications that suggest a lack of synchronization between HCI research and interaction design practices", and also present a six months study of commercial design practice in San Francisco's Bay Area to illustrate design issues at hand. They "contend there is a need to produce theories of designerly practice that are resonant with the everyday work of interaction designers" [10]. Liikkaneen et al, who consider creativity as the everyday routine of designers, argue that a practice level of "scientific interest is largely absent in research on creativity in design", and propose that "a practice-based approach for design research" can "yield several insights into professional designers' productivity", and thus could suggest "design tools for both practitioners and students in the future" [14].…”