A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
The article, “A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design” Criticizes the “Pictures Under Glass” approach in interaction design, where the author emphasizes the importance of tactile and hands-on engagement, which is frequently disregarded in preference to visual interfaces. The author asserts that touch is essential to our interactions with the world, highlighting the extensive tactile sensations we experience from common items such as books or glasses of water, and underlining the variety of hand motions required for activities like opening a jar. He analyzes the drawbacks of touchscreens, which primarily provide a flat, sliding motion that fails to reflect the depth of physical interaction we typically experience. Although he recognizes the visual energy of digital interfaces, Victor proposes that present technologies, such as the iPad, might not have lasting potential unless they develop to utilize more of our physical abilities. This made me think about how often we overlook tactile feedback in our daily activities and how digital interfaces, although visually engaging, frequently fail to deliver that deep physical interaction.