Things That Keep Us Busy: The Elements of Interaction

by Lars-Erik Janlert, Erik Stolterman

Overview

An investigation of interactivity, interfaces and their design, and the webs of complex interactions that result.

We are surrounded by interactive devices, artifacts, and systems. The general assumption is that interactivity is good—that it is a positive feature associated with being modern, efficient, fast, flexible, and in control. Yet there is no very precise idea of what interaction is and what interactivity means. In this book, Lars-Erik Janlert and Erik Stolterman investigate the elements of interaction and how they can be defined and measured. They focus on interaction with digital artifacts and systems but draw inspiration from the broader, everyday sense of the word.

Viewing the topic from a design perspective, Janlert and Stolterman take as their starting point the interface, which is designed to implement the interaction. They explore how the interface has changed over time, from a surface with knobs and dials to clickable symbols to gestures to the absence of anything visible. Janlert and Stolterman examine properties and qualities of designed artifacts and systems, primarily those that are open for manipulation by designers, considering such topics as complexity, clutter, control, and the emergence of an expressive-impressive style of interaction. They argue that only when we understand the basic concepts and terms of interactivity and interaction will we be able to discuss seriously its possible futures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780262341820
Publisher:	MIT Press
Publication date:	11/10/2017
Series:	The MIT Press
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Lars-Erik Janlert is Professor in the Department of Computing Science at Umeå University.

Erik Stolterman is Professor in the School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University Bloomington, and the coauthor of Thoughtful Interaction and The Design Way (second edition), both published by the MIT Press.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

1 The Things That Keep Us Busy 1

2 Thought Styles and Use Paradigms 17

3 An Approach to Interactivity 33

4 Interaction 45

5 Complexity 73

6 Control 97

7 The Character of Things 117

8 Expressions and Impressions 137

9 Faceless Interaction 155

10 Taking Measures 173

11 Full Speed Ahead 197

Glossary 213

References 217

Index 227

What People are Saying About This

John M. Carroll

Modern people interact with many devices that interact with them—like smartphones. They are empowered by these interactions, yet also distracted and isolated, phone-bound by thousands of swipes and taps per day. Janlert and Stolterman develop a conceptual framework for embodied interactivity, including measurement concepts for the scope and complexity of afforded interactions.

Marc Hassenzahl

In a field awash with superficial how-to manuals promising ready-to-go principles for simple and usable interaction, it is easy to lose sight of what Interaction Design is all about. This book offers some guidance. Based on more than twenty years of experience, Janlert and Stolterman provide nuanced concepts, a rich vocabulary, as well as provocative thoughts about interaction and interactivity. All that is needed to turn readers into reflective interaction designers.

Endorsement

In a field awash with superficial how-to manuals promising ready-to-go principles for simple and usable interaction, it is easy to lose sight of what Interaction Design is all about. This book offers some guidance. Based on more than twenty years of experience, Janlert and Stolterman provide nuanced concepts, a rich vocabulary, as well as provocative thoughts about interaction and interactivity. All that is needed to turn readers into reflective interaction designers.

—Marc Hassenzahl, Professor for Ubiquitous Design, Experience and Interaction, University of Siegen; author of Experience Design

From the Publisher

Modern people interact with many devices that interact with them—like smartphones. They are empowered by these interactions, yet also distracted and isolated, phone-bound by thousands of swipes and taps per day. Janlert and Stolterman develop a conceptual framework for embodied interactivity, including measurement concepts for the scope and complexity of afforded interactions.

—John M. Carroll, Distinguished Professor of Information Sciences and Technology, Pennsylvania State University; author of Making Use and The Neighborhood in the Internet

In a field awash with superficial how-to manuals promising ready-to-go principles for simple and usable interaction, it is easy to lose sight of what Interaction Design is all about. This book offers some guidance. Based on more than twenty years of experience, Janlert and Stolterman provide nuanced concepts, a rich vocabulary, as well as provocative thoughts about interaction and interactivity. All that is needed to turn readers into reflective interaction designers.

—Marc Hassenzahl, Professor for Ubiquitous Design, Experience and Interaction, University of Siegen; author of Experience Design