There are two key questions that arise after reading Chapter 1 of ‘The Art of Interactive Design’. The first is: What are the characteristics of a strongly interactive system? For the second question, stay with me until the end of this response to find out; I promise it will be worth it. Before addressing these, I’d like to share my analysis of Chapter 1 and my thoughts after completing it.
Although the book was first published in 2002, its concepts remain relevant in 2024. I fully agree with the author’s argument that technology buzzwords are often overused and misunderstood. At the time of the book’s writing, “interactivity” was the buzzword in question. When we examine this closely, it becomes clear that this is largely driven by the capitalistic nature of the tech industry. Buzzwords are used because they help sell products, even if their meanings are diluted. This is equally true today with terms like “innovation” and “AI,” which are frequently misapplied to make a profit, often without a deep understanding of their implications.
This chapter offered insightful ideas, and I was particularly drawn to the concept of viewing interactivity as a conversation between two actors, where listening, speaking, and thinking all play critical roles in designing an interactive experience. The author’s approach is notable in that he shifts the definition of interactivity from a simple yes-or-no concept to a hierarchical structure, allowing us to assess interactivity from a subjective perspective. I personally agree that interactivity is subjective, given the diversity of the world’s population. What may be considered highly interactive in one part of the world might be seen as only moderately or minimally interactive elsewhere. The author strengthens his argument by clarifying what is not interactive, such as mere reaction or participation, and provides strong examples that are difficult to refute.
While the author’s arguments might seem somewhat biased towards interactive design, I find myself in agreement with most of them. He argues that a true interactive designer incorporates all three key elements—listening, speaking, and thinking—while a user interface designer typically excludes the thinking aspect, reducing interactivity. Many technologies that we use today, such as Spotify, smartphones, and gaming consoles, lack all three aspects of interactivity. For instance, while Siri can listen and speak, it doesn’t truly “think” independently yet. Despite this, humans continue to interact with these technologies frequently! This raises the question of whether these technologies were designed by user interface designers or whether these designers have somehow adopted the three key elements of interactivity. It also prompts a deeper examination of the author’s critique of designers who may have less expertise in the arts and humanities but are still creating interactive systems.
Now, the question you’ve been waiting for: What ideas do I have for improving user interaction in my p5 sketches? After reading this chapter, I plan to focus on integrating the elements of listening and speaking to make my sketches more interactive. Once I have mastered these two aspects, I will work on incorporating the third element—thinking. This will undoubtedly be a challenge, as figuring out how to make a p5 sketch “think” is no small task. However, it will be an exciting journey to explore how this can lead to truly interactive creations.