Interaction design is an evolving field that shapes the way people engage with technology. From the smartphones we use daily to virtual reality experiences, interaction design focuses on how humans interact with complex digital and physical systems. But what holds this discipline together?
I recently published a journal article in the journal Design, Business & Society with my colleagues Sam Hobson and Jess Greentree (Kelly et al., 2024). Here’s my summary of the piece and I encourage you to read the whole thing if you’re interested in questions of:
- What is interaction design?
- Why are there so many diverse things that all get labelled interaction designer and how do they relate to each other?
- What’s the relationship between interaction design, experience design, and UX design?
The work helps clarify the discipline and makes it more accessible for designers, educators, and researchers alike.
At its core, interaction design is about creating meaningful dialogues between people and technology (Kolko, 2010). Unlike traditional design fields that focus on static objects, interaction design is dynamic—it considers how users interact with and influence digital and physical environments over time. Whether designing a user-friendly website or an immersive gaming experience, interaction designers work to shape how we experience and control technology.
The Three Pillars of Interaction Design
In the paper, we propose three theoretical foundations for interaction design (Kelly et al., 2024).
- Interaction design involves seeing the world as design for dialogues between users and complex artefacts.
- Designing for such dialogues involves a high degree of design complexity.
- This is because interaction design is concerned with dialogues that extend across both the material and the representational with a complex interface between the two. As a consequence, IXD is associated with design for the virtual.
Why These Foundations Matter
By defining these three theoretical foundations, we provide a framework that aims to add coherence to understandings of interaction design. Many designers, educators, and researchers work within this discipline, but their approaches can be vastly different. Some focus on artistic explorations of human-computer interaction, while others are concerned with practical applications like improving website usability. The three pillars offer a common language that can help bridge these different perspectives.
Moreover, this framework is particularly useful for educators who need to teach interaction design in a way that prepares students for future developments. As technology evolves, the specific tools and platforms designers work with will change, but these foundational principles will remain relevant.
Examples of Interaction Design in Action
To illustrate these principles, the paper considers three real-world applications of interaction design:
- Theoretical Exploration: Kristina Höök’s book Designing with the Body (2018) explores how physical sensations influence interaction design.
- Practical Application: The Threatened Australians website (Kelly et al., 2022) was designed to connect users with conservation efforts for endangered species.
- Artistic Exploration: The interactive installation Water Mirror (Seevinck, 2022) uses reflections, weather data, and digital effects to create a dynamic experience that changes based on viewer interactions.
Please do have a read of the paper to better understand what we talk about when we talk about interaction design. It’s particularly meaningful for anyone who teachers interaction design. You can find the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1386/dbs_00058_1
References
Hook, K. (2018). Designing with the body: Somaesthetic interaction design. MIt Press.
Höök, K., & Löwgren, J. (2021). Characterizing interaction design by its ideals: A discipline in transition. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 7(1), 24-40.
Kelly, N., Hobson, S., & Greentree, J. (2024). Three theoretical foundations for interaction design theory, practice and exploration. Journal of Design, Business & Society, 10(1), 43-60.
Kolko, J. (2010). Thoughts on interaction design. Morgan Kaufmann.
Stolterman, E. (2008). The nature of design practice and implications for interaction design research. International Journal of Design, 2(1).