Interaction design plays an important role in the lives of the common consumer. While it has only been well recognized within the last two decades or so, interaction design has been around for much longer. Most people do not understand what interaction design is and do not realize that interaction design is implemented into almost everything. However, it can be recognized through the senses, whether through visual stimulation, touch, or sound.
The benefits and value in interaction design are so important that it is defined as the very first sentence of the book itself “Interaction design is the creation of a dialogue between a person and a product, service, or system” (Kolko, Connors, 2010, p. 11). Some things to consider when reflecting on interaction design is that it “shapes human behavior” in a never-ending cycle. Much of the influence for designs comes from behavior and then is redesigned based on that behavior. An interaction designer combines the artistic thoughts of an artist with the form and technicality of designers.
Interaction design draws from many industries. Many people aren’t even sure which it belongs to because defining where the field belongs gets a little bit cloudy. It is often recognized in art, engineering, and business strategy, but is a part of so many more. Interaction design also pulls from the thought processes through psychology so it makes sense that it also gets confused with this field as well.
Some other difficulties and challenges that the interaction design industry faces is with coming up with something new and fast. The competition for technological advances is hard, as you always want to be the first. This can cause it not to be the best ergonomically or functionally. Convergent product design is also a major problem. As interactive design in engineering and psychology start to merge with new technology, the job of the designer becomes more difficult. Other countries such as China and India are becoming especially good at the technology and form it takes to have a well-developed outcome, so the United States is left with figuring out the best ways to fuse the two (Kolko, Connors, 2010, p. 23).
The benefits of new innovations in technology and an increased need for interaction designers heavily outweigh the disadvantages of the industry. With the growing exposure to these interactions, I believe people will become more familiar with the industry and will gain an interest in it as well.
Reference:
Kolko, J., & Connors, C. (2010). Thoughts on interaction design: a collection of reflections. Burlington (MA): Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, an imprint of Elsevier.