Thoughts on Interaction Design explores the theory behind the field of Interaction Design in a new way. It aims to provide a better definition of Interaction Design that encompasses the intellectual facets of the field and the particular methods used by practitioners in their day-to-day experiences. It also attempts to provide Interaction Designers with the vocabulary necessary to justify their existence to other team members. The book positions Interaction Design in a way that emphasizes the intellectual facets of the discipline. It discusses the role of language, argument, and rhetoric in the design of products, services, and systems. It examines various academic approaches to thinking about Design, and concludes that the Designer is a liberal artist left to infuse empathy in technologically driven products. The book also examines the tools and techniques used by practitioners. These include methods for structuring large quantities of data, ways of thinking about users, and approaches for thinking about human behavior as it unfolds over time. Finally, it introduces the idea of Interaction Design as an integral facet of the business development process.
*First book to provide a solid definition and framework for the booming field of interaction design, finally giving designers the justification needed to prove their essential role on every development team
*Provides designers with tools they need to operate effectively in the workplace without compromising their goals: making useable, useful, and desirable products
*Outlines process, theory, practice, and challenges of interaction design – intertwined with real world stories from a variety of perspectives
Jon Kolko is the Executive Director of Design Strategy for Thinktiv and is responsible for designing and delivering emotionally resonating and relevant products, services, and systems. Jon is also the Founder and Director of the Austin Center for Design, an educational institution in Texas. He has worked extensively in the professional world of interaction design, solving the problems of Fortune 500 clients. His work has extended into the worlds of consumer electronics, mobile, web, supply chain management, demand planning, and customer-relationship management. He has worked with clients such as AT&T, HP, Nielsen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ford, IBM, Palm and other leaders of the Global 2000. The underlying theme of these problems and projects was the creation of Design with a focus on Design Synthesis and the creation of meaning.
Prior to working at Thinktiv, Kolko has held the positions of Principal Designer and Associate Creative Director at Frog. He was also a Professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he was instrumental in shaping the Interaction and Industrial Design undergraduate and graduate programs. Kolko sits on the Board of Directors for the Interaction Design Association (IxDA), and is the Editor-in-Chief of Interactions Magazine, published by the ACM.
