[IxDA Discuss] "Design" in Interaction Design?

[Katie Albers]

At 2:55 PM -0800 12/19/07, Andrei Herasimchuk wrote:
>On Dec 19, 2007, at 2:31 PM, Katie Albers wrote:
>
>>  What do you mean by "Core basics" do you mean that I know what they 
>>  are or that I can combine them in the optimal -- or approximately 
>>  optimal -- fashion (the latter is what people generally mean). I 
>>  can tell you a typeface is illegible or too small or makes an 
>>  element too prominent. I can tell you that the colors are 
>>  detracting from the purpose rather than supporting it. I can tell 
>>  you that the layout is too busy, too complex, or too simple for the 
>>  purpose. I can usefully and accurately critique design.
>
>The only way you can do any of those things to "accurately" critique 
>design is if you know *why* those things don't work. To know the why, 
>you have to know the core design principals. Otherwise, your 
>critiques are based on personal opinion.

Respectfully...Nonsense. I am perfectly capable of saying "My 
attention is immediately drawn to this element, which is supposed to 
be relatively unimportant, by the 48 pt type." without ever having 
selected a type face. I know that pale grey 8 pt type isn't legible 
and that a central, large, textual content area is going to make the 
site look like an undifferentiated fog which will lose users (I'm not 
making these examples up, incidentally). I know that a page 
consisting of a title box at the top with nothing  input areas below 
can all be on a single page for a data-entry operator (in fact, they 
generally prefer it) but will never work on a consumer Web Site.  I 
don't care how the design meets the requirements, as long as it does. 
If the design pulls my attention through the page properly, 
emphasizes what needs to be emphasized; is legible to its audience 
then I don't care how the designer achieves that. If they can do it 
by changing typeface when I think the problem is layout...that's fine 
by me.

It isn't as though I've never worked with a visual designer. And I 
have let them school me in what kinds of feedback are useful and what 
kinds are not. And they have all pronounced me to be one of the best 
critics that they have worked with. If anyone -- besides a person who 
has never met or worked with me -- had expressed discontent or 
disdain, I might reconsider. But under the circumstances, I have no 
intention of doing so.

I've been doing Web based usability (or user experience - choose your 
preferred term) since 1993; interaction design since 1995. Earlier, I 
did what we would now call interaction design and usability on 
software from 1980. At no time have I felt lacking on the visual side 
of the equation (Okay, I'll grant you, there isn't a lot of 
complexity involved in the visual design of an application that will 
rely on command-line controls and display on a black screen with 
green print.)

I think your critique is based on personal opinion and on your own 
history in the field. It's possible that everyone except all the 
people I've worked with thinks you're right and I'm wrong. I really 
doubt it though.

Katie

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Katie Albers
User Experience Consulting & Project Management
katie at firstthought.com