A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
Bret Victor prompts us to question whether the future of interaction design in the form of screens is visionary. Through his unique take on the topic, with a focus on human capabilities to understand the ideal nature of design, the author emphasizes the need to incorporate the use of hands in design. This would not only lead to a true sense of interaction but also prevent the mighty capabilities of our hands from being reduced to tapping a screen. Throughout the reading, I was able to resonate with the argument as I reflected on my reading experience. While a Kindle does offer a sustainable solution, in my opinion, it can never replace the experience of reading a physical book. When I read a book, I enjoy engaging my sense of touch with the pages. Feeling the thickness of the divided pages between my fingers provides a sense of the passage of time in the reading, along with an anticipation of what lies ahead. All these involuntary thoughts seem to vanish as I slide to turn page after page on a Kindle and find myself distanced from the story.
What I inferred from the reading and the responses to it was that the author does not deny the development of technology in the form of screens for it has certainly simplified our lives. However, he is against the idea of limiting ourselves to this model for future innovations and urges redefining visionary in terms of making the best use of human capabilities in addition to technology.