[IxDA Discuss] What sets the 'best' interaction designers apart?

[David Malouf]

 Wow Kevin, that is quite the question ... I can see this being a cool
theoretical conversation, but I can also see this going REALLY poorly.

1) create != design. Design is a formalized discipline that has existed for
a good century before the computer ever existed with a rich tradition in
education systems around architecture, graphics, fashion, and of course
industrial design.

So...IMHO there is definitely a line between developer and designer. Just
like Peter Me said that UCD is only 1 method for doing design (I actually
don't find it to be a design method, but rather a research method for the
most part), there is more than one way to conceive, construct, create,
innovate, invent, produce, ideat, etc.

I would also counter that the best designers I have seen actually have the
least direct technical aptitiude. They understand their canvas, but can
apply their design skills towards any type of problem fluidly and usually
the best IxDs come from other design disciplines (Communications, Graphics,
Industrial and Architecture for the most part). Prototyping tools are a dime
a dozen these days and nothing will ever beat pencil and paper as the
ultimate design tool.

2) IxD unlike IA, Usability, HCI, etc. is a design discipline. Schools like
CMU, Ivrea (RIP), Umea, Malmo, SCAD, Delft, RCA, etc. where IxD is being
taught are all design schools, using traditional design education methods
such as studio work.

3) While having empathy is definitely a design characteristic, it by itself
does not make a designer. So I would coutner your "Interaction Gods" comment
(well also b/c of the developer piece anyway).

4) The same thing is true of ethnographers and other researchers. Being an
observer is way different from being an ideator.

5) Last point to Kevin's: Let's not confuse the JOB with the discipline.
Most of us have multiple hats and need to be experts in many disciplines to
do our jobs: prototyper, researcher, designer, IA, manager, etc.

Now, the best IxDs I find have some of these traits as well:
1. Well travelled, especially foreign
2. multi-lingual
3. formal design education, (or well mentored career paths)
4. love DESIGN of all kinds
5. are opportunistic, optimistic (always seeing the next opportunity in a
constraint). I really loved Jared's response to me in the whole thread about
enterprise.
6. Can draw
7. have worked with web, software, hardware, systems, etc.
(multi-environments)
8. Can present their own thoughts
9. Fearless in front of CEOs
10. Can defend their thinking
11. Detailed oriented
12. Thinks holistically, ecology or system
13. good writer


-- dave



> -----Original Message-----
> From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
> [mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On
> Behalf Of Kevin Wong
> Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2007 12:10 AM
> To: Alder Yarrow
> Cc: discuss IxD
> Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] What sets the 'best' interaction
> designers apart?
>
> When do you draw the distinction between "designer" and "developer"
> if there is such a different. If not, then should there be one?  Are
> Ruby programmers who have a keen eye for the "user" and centering
> their design around their needs more of a designer or developer?
> Maybe they should be called Interaction Gods =)
>
> In any case, I'd like to hear more opinions about the
> characteristics
> of an Interaction Design.  I feel like ethnographers and
> anthropologists are Interaction Designers as well. Just from a
> different perspective bringing in different deliverables that could
> still very well be creative.
>
> Kevin
>
>
>
> On Feb 2, 2007, at 4:56 PM, Alder Yarrow wrote:
>
> > The best interaction designers?
> >
> > Know how to hand-code HTML or possibly other programming or UI
> > languages.
> >
> > That's the single best predictor of strong interaction design
> > skills or
> > capabilities in my experience hiring and training IAs and IDs for
> > the past 8
> > years.
> >
> > The best interaction designers have a visceral, hands-on
> > understanding of
> > how technology systems are built, and they use this knowledge to
> > design
> > interactions that:
> >
> > 1. actually work
> > 2. can be implemented
> > 3. are less prone to technology driven errors
> > 4. are documented in ways that developers can understand
> >
> > Alder
> >
> > ``````````````````````````````````````````
> > Alder Yarrow, Founder & Principal
> > HYDRANT
> > M:415.730.3209
> > www.hydrantsf.com
> >
> >
> >
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