Andrea,
I think more should be recorded about the analogy with design instruction in
Architecture.
Cheers,
Worthy
"Andrea K. Laue" wrote:
>
> Topic: Interface and Navigation
> Leader: Phil
>
> Questions:
>
> What concept of interface do we want the students to deal with?
>
> What skills do we want the students to leave with?
>
> What are the implications of interface design?
>
> Projects:
>
> Reflect on projects currently in progress at UVa. Analyze.
>
> How do "pages" work in computer interfaces?
>
> JD: Phil, could you speak about your experience in industry?
>
> PG: Distinction between interface design and information architecture. So
> how did I make the transformation from traditional humanities degrees to a
> practicing information architect?
>
> Most important: how does one organize information?
>
> In interview, asked to lay out information on a page. Not to make the
> graphics, but to organize the information. Drew on my experience in
> narrative structures, semiotics, etc.
>
> Ability to think about audience is essential in information architecture.
>
> JM: Two basic organization systems in academia: goal-oriented and
> investigation-oriented. See these in libraries and books. But most of
> these information architectures, most Web sites are arranged
> hierarchically.
>
> PG: Pre-cognitive oriented interface.
>
> RD: Licklider and Bush are essential texts. Raise the issue of user.
> This is absent in traditional humanities.
>
> JU: Humanities disciplines do have some sense of users--standard
> formatting and layout requirements.
>
> JM: Browsing and focused searching.
>
> GR: Could use discussion of interface to return to discussion of what is a
> computer.
>
> Three modes of interface:
>
> dialog design (agent)
> augmentation (tool)
> vr (world)
>
> JD: We shouldn't pretend that only books and computers are interfaces. We
> should talk about ATM machines, dashboards, stove top. Monitors,
> keyboards, etc are all interface. Not just software.
>
> Assignment--redesign. Why don't computer interfaces resemble cars? At
> one time they did. Ask students to re-design a computer interface.
>
> JU: Computer is new in that there is a (new) potential for a great amount
> and variety of information. And the challenge is to design an interface
> to handle all of this.
>
> JU: What are the constants of interface design or information
> architecture?
>
> space
> navigation
>
> RD: Metaphor and interface.
>
> Don Norman on interface.
>
> SR: Books and computers evolved along similar paths. At first, books were
> storage. People recorded information without imagining or intending a
> user to access and use it. Only later did conventions of headings,
> chapters, punctuation, etc emerge. At first, computers stored and
> computed. Engineers didn't intend for humans to sit in front of a
> computer and interact with it. Only later did people interact with them.
> So maybe the analogy is warranted.
>
> TH: What are the requirements for interacting with an interface? What
> does the user need?
>
> GR: But we need to be careful. So many discussions of interface revolve
> around containing designers. We don't want to be entirely utilitarian.
> Where does art figure in to these discussions? Isn't information
> architecture all about creating recipes to constrain designers?
>
> TH: So what do we want students to learn? How to design utilitarian
> interfaces or artistic interfaces?
>
> JD: Mandel argues that there are occasions for difficult interfaces.
> Sometimes you should slow people down.
>
> JU: Projects.
>
> Document interfaces. Not computers or books. What can you deduce about
> intended audience, design constraints, etc.
>
> Take an interface and make some change to the information requirements.
> How would the interface need to be redesigned?
>
> GR: U. Toronoto interface design course. Taught by Buxton. Brought
> together people with different backgrounds and asked them to design an
> interface.
>
> SR: All of our discussions inevitably return to non-digital issues.
> Design in digital environments and design in cars, buildings, print, etc.
> . . Where and when are we going to tie this down?
>
> GR: Three answers proposed to opening questions.
>
> Philosophical approach--what is a computer and how is it related to
> interface?
>
> Utility approach--how do we make useful things?
>
> Art--to what extent are interfaces artistic creations?
>
> I'd like a case for including the aesthetic. Many won't have training in
> this, but I think we should address this.
>
> And students must get used to having others critique their works.
>
> JU: What different roles might students play? IA's, designers,
> programmers, etc. ?
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Nov 29 2001 - 20:48:21 EST