[IxDA Discuss] "Design" in Interaction Design?

[Robert Hoekman, Jr.]

>    - You should have keen powers of observation (for observing how people
>    do what they do)
>    - You should have a knack for (or at least an ability to) discerning
>    patterns in what you observe
>    - You should be genuinely empathetic, able to put yourself in someone
>    else's shoes. Or desk chair. Or cockpit. Etc.
>    - You should be an excellent verbal communicator and a competent
>    visual communicator (you don't have to be Andy Warhol, Jonathan Ive,
> etc.,
>    but you have to be able to get your ideas across)
>    - You should be able to play well with others
>    - You should be able to think logically, sequentially
>    - You should be able to accept and be receptive to feedback


That is an excellent list. These are definitely the character traits I see
in the best interaction designers.


Frankly, I would
> make a *hideous* visual designer. But what I do do well is to play nicely
> with people who *are* visual designers.


Ditto. I've had plenty of practice, but I'll never be half as good as a real
visual designer.

I can work with them during the early stages of design to understand where
> they're going and communicate where I'm going. I can check in with them
> throughout the process. And finally, I can offer critiques on how the
> visual
> design will affect users and their interactions with the system. In this
> situation, everyone focuses on their area of expertise, which in my
> experience leads to some really great products.


Ditto again. And I strongly believe the aesthetic has a big impact (for the
sighted anyway), so I pay close attention to it.

-r-