In the first chapter of Chris Crawford’s The Art of Interactive Design, I found myself engaged with the foundational ideas presented. From Crawford’s exploration into the nature of interaction as the core of design, one of the key takeaways for me was Crawford’s emphasis on interaction being the core of design. Before reading this, I often saw interactivity as an added feature rather than the fundamental aspect of the user experience. It was like a light bulb went off when he explained that interaction isn’t just about adding clickable elements but about making the whole design process revolve around the user’s actions and reactions. This perspective has made me question my approach to design—am I truly focusing on how users interact with my work, or am I just ticking off boxes?
I agree with him on the definition of interactivity. If I am creating an interactive device/art/product, I should always remember how four parameters, aka listening, speaking, thinking, and responding, work on my idea. I really enjoyed how he explained interactivity with examples, making it easier to even teach my 7-year-old brother about interactivity in technology.
Lastly, on the notion of traditional entertainment like movies being non-interactive, I think that might get shifted with emerging technologies. Digital media, including interactive films, virtual reality experiences, and even interactive web-based stories, demonstrate that interactivity can be a fundamental aspect of various media forms. The rise of these new media formats challenges the traditional notion that interactivity is limited to games or other explicitly interactive experiences.