Designing with Blends – Conceptual Foundations of Human–Computer Interaction and Software Engineering - Hardcover

Imaz, Manuel; Benyon, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0262090422 ISBN 13: 9780262090421

Publisher: MIT Press, 2007

Synopsis

The evolution of the concept of mind in cognitive science over the past 25 years creates new ways to think about the interaction of people and computers. New ideas about embodiment, metaphor as a fundamental cognitive process, and conceptual integration--a blending of older concepts that gives rise to new, emergent properties--have become increasingly important in software engineering (SE) and human-computer interaction (HCI). If once computing was based on algorithms, mathematical theories, and formal notations, now the use of stories, metaphors, and blends can contribute to well-informed, sensitive software design. In Designing with Blends, Manuel Imaz and David Benyon show how these new metaphors and concepts of mind allow us to discover new aspects of HCI-SE. After 60 years, digital technology has come of age, but software design has not kept pace with technological sophistication; people struggle to understand and use their computers, cameras, phones, and other...

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Review

"Temperley has made a seminal contribution to the emerging fields of empirical and cognitive musicology. Probabilistic reasoning provides the glue that attaches theory to data. Temperley, an accomplished and imaginative music theorist, knows the data of music to which he lucidly applies probabilistic modeling techniques. The emphasis is on Bayesian methods and the result is a firm empirical grounding for music theory."--David Wessel, Professor of Music, University of California, Berkeley

" For too many years, software engineers and computer scientists have deliberately designed human beings out of the systems they developed. In "Designing with Blends," Benyon and Imaz bring to these fields the sensibility of cognitive scientists: a concern for how ordinary people think, not simply how systems work. In the process, they show that conceptual blending is an even more powerful tool for good software design than metaphors were. As we move into the age of embodied computing, designing with blends will become what all software programmers do, whether they are aware of it or not." --Tim Rohrer, Director, Colorado Advanced Research Institute

& quot; For too many years, software engineers and computer scientists have deliberately designed human beings out of the systems they developed. In Designing with Blends, Benyon and Imaz bring to these fields the sensibility of cognitive scientists: a concern for how ordinary people think, not simply how systems work. In the process, they show that conceptual blending is an even more powerful tool for good software design than metaphors were. As we move into the age of embodied computing, designing with blends will become what all software programmers do, whether they are aware of it or not.& quot; -- Tim Rohrer, Director, Colorado Advanced Research Institute

"For too many years, software engineers and computer scientists have deliberately designed human beings out of the systems they developed. In "Designing with Blends, " Benyon and Imaz bring to these fields the sensibility of cognitive scientists: a concern for how ordinary people think, not simply how systems work. In the process, they show that conceptual blending is an even more powerful tool for good software design than metaphors were. As we move into the age of embodied computing, designing with blends will become what all software programmers do, whether they are aware of it or not."--Tim Rohrer, Director, Colorado Advanced Research Institute

Synopsis

This work talks about how recent research in cognitive science offers new ways to understand the interaction of people and computers and develops a new literacy for well-informed, sensitive software design. The evolution of the concept of mind in cognitive science over the past 25 years creates new ways to think about the interaction of people and computers. New ideas about embodiment, metaphor as a fundamental cognitive process, and conceptual integration - a blending of older concepts that gives rise to new, emergent properties - have become increasingly important in Software Engineering (SE) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). If once computing was based on algorithms, mathematical theories, and formal notations, now the use of stories, metaphors, and blends can contribute to well-informed, sensitive software design. In "Designing with Blends", Manuel Imaz and David Benyon show how these new metaphors and concepts of mind allow us to discover new aspects of HCI-SE. After 60 years, digital technology has come of age, but software design has not kept pace with technological sophistication; people struggle to understand and use their computers, cameras, phones, and other devices.

Imaz and Benyon argue that the dominance of digital media in our lives demands changes in HCI-SE based on advances in cognitive science. The idea of embodied cognition, they contend, can change the way we approach design by emphasizing the figurative nature of interaction. Imaz and Benyon offer both theoretical grounding and practical examples that illustrate the advantages of applying cognitive concepts to software design. A new view of cognition, they argue, will develop a cognitive literacy in software and interaction design that helps designers understand the opportunities of digital technology and provides people with a more satisfying interactive experience.

Edition details

• Publisher: MIT Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0262090422
• ISBN 13: 9780262090421
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 224