[IxDA Discuss] "Elements of Interaction Design"

[Dan Saffer]

On May 20, 2006, at 11:25 AM, Adler wrote:

> what do you mean by elements, then?

I meant the basic, raw things that interaction designers have to  
manipulate within a product or service. Changing or manipulating any  
of them (time, space, motion, appearance, sound, texture) can alter  
the service in profound ways. An ATM machine displaying twice as fast  
becomes a video game, for example. A laptop grown in size to a wall  
will change significantly how and where it is used.

People and context are important, sure. I'm not discounting them. I'm  
just not quite egotistical enough to suggest that interaction  
designers manipulate them as directly as the other elements. It's  
more of an indirect affect. I would say that through using the  
elements, we are able to change both context and human behavior,  
however. By putting a button in a certain place on screen, I change  
the how the screen looks and cause people who need to push that  
button to move their mouse there. Am I affecting people and context?  
Yes, but only indirectly. It might be splitting hairs, but that's how  
I chose to do it. Your milage may vary. :)

Dan