Reading Bret Victor’s “A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design” was a wake-up call. It made me question the direction we’re heading with technology and the limitations we’re placing on ourselves by focusing solely on “Pictures Under Glass.” Victor’s point about our hands resonated deeply with me. We interact with the world through touch, manipulating objects, and receiving feedback through our fingertips. Yet, many of our current devices ignore this fundamental aspect of human capability. They offer a flat, sterile experience that limits our ability to connect with the digital world truly.
The examples he uses, like tying shoelaces or making a sandwich, were eye-opening. These everyday tasks highlight the incredible talent and nuanced control we possess. It seems almost absurd to think that the future of interaction should involve simply sliding our fingers across a screen.
Victor’s call for a more ambitious vision that embraces the full potential of our bodies and our senses is inspiring. I imagine a future where we interact with technology more naturally and intuitively, using gestures, movement, and touch to manipulate digital objects as if they were physical. This reading has challenged me to think differently about interaction design. It’s not just about creating interfaces that look sleek and futuristic; it’s about designing human-centered experiences that leverage our innate capabilities and allow us to interact with the digital world in a natural and empowering way.
I believe the future of interaction lies beyond the screen in a world where technology seamlessly integrates with our physical reality and empowers us to create, explore, and connect in ways we can only begin to imagine.