What Is Interaction Design Information Technology Essay

As people know, Interaction is a kind of action that happened between two or more objects where the objects try to communicate with each other. While communicating with each other, each object sent a message to another object. That is what we know as an Interaction. However, interaction has different meanings in various sciences. In this project, the author will only explain or describe about the interaction design.

Interaction Design is one of the studies where the user can interact with the computer users. Interaction Design usually goes to information technology or people usually know as an IT. IT is an information technology that process and transfer information by using technology (Kayalvily, n.d). However, interaction design is not only apply in electronic services. It also can be apply on non-electronic products and services because interaction design is actually define the interaction of how the system response to its users.

According to Jonas Lowgren (Interaction-Design.org, n.d), there are two concepts in interaction design; Interaction design as a design discipline and Interaction design as an extension of HCI. Interaction design as a design discipline is an interaction where the design is usually focus on the software, electronics and telecommunications. In this concept of interaction design, it will be closer with industrial design and architecture rather than engineering and behavioral science.

However, in this concept of interaction design, it also have some characteristics such as; the design should be exploring a possible futures, intend to make a better situation, should understand the tasks or the problems, and should express the ideas into the models or sketch (Jonas Lowgren, n.d).

On the other hand, Interaction design as an extension of HCI is an interaction between human and computer. It is usually called as Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Interaction that happened between users and computers usually occurs at the user interface. User interface includes both hardware and software components. Human-Computer Interaction more concern to the usability and usefulness of the products and services. However, from the feedback of HCI, it was found that HCI would be greater if the research can engage to the design.

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is concerned about how people use computer systems (Kayalvily, n.d). While trying to understand how the users interact with the computer system, the system can be designed more closely to the user’s requirement. By using human-computer interaction, both the users and the computer (machine) will support the knowledge, such as computer graphics techniques, programming language, human factors, etc.

In order to make the interaction works, there are some components that should be consists such as the user, the person who do a particular jobs, particular context and the computer system. These four components are main components which have it own characteristics. All of the components will influence the nature of the interaction between the user and the computer system (Kayalvily, n.d).

From the explanation above, the author can take a conclusion that interaction design is an interaction or communication that happened or occurred between the users and the computer. By understanding the interaction or how the user behaves to the computer, the designer can create a system or an interface that will be closely to the user’s requirement or user’s needs. Based on all the components, the designer will make an interface that will make the user communicate with the computer. With interface design, it will be easier for the user to communicate with the computer. Besides that, by making or design the system, it usually will be more attracting for the users to learn how to use or how to communicate with the computer or system.

Why Interaction Design is Important

Nowadays, people can see that interaction design is getting more and more important in technology. All the technology that realized in public always has variety of design. Each of the technology has their own unique. Its offer their best for the users or the customers. The question is how can the interaction design growing to be important.

According to John Thackara, there are some reasons why the interaction design is important. The first reason is, interaction design can determine how the user interact and communicate with the computer. This also affected by the economic and cultural importance. The second reason is it can determine the value of the interaction and communication between the user and the system. Besides that, they also get an experience and knowledge while using the system. The third reason is the computer and networks are taking every aspect of human lives. Nowadays, it is easy for us to see how people interacting with the system. People cannot live without going on with the new technology. In this kind of world, interaction design has a big influence to human’s life. It also reveals the new business that needed to deliver these kinds of services and experience. The other reason is interaction design is dealing with the immaterial processes. Besides that, it also adapting to human’s needs and preferences. This new kind of design is attracting the designer to make it better and better in technology.

However, according to Idris Mootee (22nd September 2010), Interaction design becomes more important in this era because it has a big impact on our future. Just see how the interaction design nowadays takes places in business design, product design, service design, etc. Besides that, Interaction design can improve our traditional industry to be more modern. As people know, traditional industry usually focuses on a product’s form and function. On the other hand, Interaction Design is not just focus on that part. It also uses a different perspective and tries to increase the complex business by solving the design problems. There are some examples of media industry that have been affected, such as rapid technology development that introducing a new type of functionality, example sense, feel, control, monitor, and respond to the different types of applications. Interaction Design can easily change culture when a small network is get influence. When they start to share the idea of interaction design into the technology, it will spread to the others faster since technologies are usually being consumed by people.

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This is one of the interaction designs

Besides that, interaction design becomes important because it can develop and improve the systems from the computer so the users can carry out their tasks (Kayalvily, n.d). By using interaction design, the system can improve the performance, the quality of work and make it safer for the users.

From there, we can say that interaction design becomes important nowadays because it has a big part in technology. It can make the technology become more attractive to the users. It also can be applied to all kind of technologies. By using interaction design, the system will be more effective to be used. Interaction design can prove the world that technologies have been improved in our era. It makes human life more enjoyable and easier to live in.

Things involved in developing an interaction design

There are some things that involved when we are going to develop an interaction design. First of all, we need to identify the needs or requirement from the user. Second, we must develop an alternative design that meet the user’s requirement. Third, make a prototype of the system that can be communicated and assessed so the user can see how the system is going to be created. Fourth, to evaluate again how the system has been create and make sure that it is fulfill the user’s requirement. (Kayalvilly).

All that things that involved in interaction design are important. It intended to inform one another and should be repeated to make sure that all the things are involved. Evaluating is one of the things that sometimes called as the heart of interaction design. It will be focus on make sure that the product can be used. In evaluating the interactive product, it will be better if it is involving the users also because from there it will be easier to understand what people currently do. The reason why we need to understand the users is that because people have different needs. When we get the understanding, it will be easier to create a system that closely fulfills all the users’ need.

However, in creating the interaction design, the users should be involved through the development of the system. So in that case, the user experience goals and usability can be identified and agreed at the project’s beginning. It is important to involve the user since the system was created for the user’s needs.

There are some principles of interaction design:

Match Experience & Expectations

To match the steps, layout of information and terminology that have been used with the expectation from the user.

Consistency

With consistency, the users can learn the system more quickly. That is why the application and the user’s expectation should be consistent each others.

Functional Minimalism