Take you step-by-step review of the history of interactive design

The development history of human-computer interaction design is like mess, but the messy and barbaric developments can collide with all kinds of opportunities.

These are the list of technologies that boast of technological innovation but are in fact outdated and unnecessary. Just last month at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show, a dizzying array of innovative technologies and products were dazzling from the touch-controlled extranet intelligent refrigerators to the portable projector dials that liberate drivers ' hands and eyes. But any modern product innovation Manager is free to add a touch screen to a product and introduce the product's new features and differences from past products. I think it is very important to reflect on what is missing.

Consumers seem to have been suffering from "new exotic" fatigue. People in the product to explore their significance, in the interactive design to find human nature. It seems to me that from the surface screen to the automatic analysis of the liquid components of the Smart Cup is a bit superfluous, these interactive designers are like any one in the market chain is delaying the problem of the same people to be criticized. Recognizing that this is only the first step, the future of interactive design lies in returning to humanity again.

　　Back to the future

The author hopes that the interactive designers should think about where we are going from where we come from before we open the design thinking mode.

As early as the early 20th century, interactive design is nothing, the market demand for it is almost zero, that era people rely more on physical physics buttons to directly manipulate a variety of mechanical equipment. The turning direction of the lathe handle is the direction of turning of the lathe gear, which is very intuitive. Perhaps the most that people need to do at the time is how to design a hand that is better suited to the hands, rather than interactive design, the underlying cognition often mentions such things as "How to get users to understand and value the interface," "How this obscure interface design works" or "What impact does this interactive design have on our product brands?" ?」

It seems that the early examples of interactive design today are typewriters, a super complex of word processors and printers, and no need to worry about electricity. Although the structure is completely mechanized, there is a one-to-one relationship between keyboard keys and output effects. Still, some people envision the use of a specific non-linear rule to arrange the keys in an abstract way in which words appear in real English. The keyboard keys also take into account human tactile factors, such as the farthest average distance that a person's fingers can cover and the spacing between keyboard keys.

This scientific innovation is more humane when it introduces a patented bending cap that caters to the shape of human fingers. This is the example of an early and interactive design that has never changed since the nearly perfect design for 140 years. Although the typewriter appears to be a more abstract device, the natural, human, simple and perceptual qualities that permeate the design kernel are indeed worthy of learning, understanding and mastery and application in future design work.

From 1878 to the production of Remington 2nd typewriter to 1984 the first generation of Apple Macintosh pc to 2003 BlackBerry launched the full keyboard smartphone and then to 2007 Apple's first IPhone smartphone virtual keyboard.

　　From the 70 's human-computer interaction design of the last century

Human interaction is so basic and natural, and tools are still evolving, and we have been in the process of human-computer interaction in the abstract and physical, digital and simulation of the constant entanglement and struggle. I really can't think of a more abstract invention or a way to highlight the man-machine conversation. Computers in the middle of the last century have been able to do any of the tasks that computers are doing today, albeit at a slower pace. In hindsight, the speed with which computers were handled was not an obstacle to public acceptance and recognition, but the problem was that even then the most powerful computers were invented, but few knew how to use them and were discarded.

The breakthrough in the digital age is not so simple as adding monitors and keyboards, nor is it the semiconductor miniaturization technology that will attract worldwide attention. As far as I am concerned, the advent of the digital age stems from the invention of the Super beast, a domesticated computer in the last century and 70, which is the most great idea and product in the history of the graphical user interface (GUI) and human-computer interaction design.

The world's first graphical user interface from the then-obscure Xerox (Xerox) Company Parker Research Center (Palo Alto, PARC), in fact, today everyone is familiar with the history of PARC and the world's first personal computer Xerox Otto ( The Xerox Alto) story, even Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were fans of Xerox, and the two computer giants stole the Xerox and finally made two big companies, Microsoft and Apple (and, if not, read "Nerd's triumph-Microsoft's Fortune History"). Xerox's first personal computer (PC) laid the foundation for modern computers, from web offices, WordPad, icons, menus, and emails (countless) to the influence of PC originator Xerox. It can be said that Xerox in the graphical user interface and "desktop analogy" (Desktop metaphor) The introduction of a modern computer pioneered.

Icon: 1979 Xerox Personal Computer user interface and Apple 1984 first generation Macintosh personal Computer user interface contrast.

It can be said that Xerox to the computer in the only technical home can understand the obscure abstract tools to visualize as a child can understand and master the graphical interface. All of this is due to the "desktop analogy" to "translate" the abstract digital world into concrete graphics. Now we have already understood how to do computer operations, such as files, folders, Recycle Bin. Cut and paste, and so on. These concepts, which were quite abstract before the 70 's, have become an inseparable part of our modern life. It is a little strange to say, I sometimes actually cut and zoom the real photo files, now the highly developed graphical interface really blurred the virtual and real world boundaries.

　　The Lost and epiphany of interactive design

In fact, we can do research in hundreds of people in many countries and regions to find out how people relate to these tools. We can certainly find some useful, usable and satisfying results from these specific investigation cases. But for the writer, watching the 6-month-old son play alone is illuminating. Children prefer tactile physical objects and movements, such as clicks, distortions, foam packs, bells and block toys.

Even for adults, using the most sophisticated equipment that goes at the forefront of human technology, the best micro-interaction is the direct, humane, materialized, and human-sensory logic (Google's Material UI appropriately grasps this delicate balance). How humans feel and understand everything around the world is of course fundamental, but don't forget that interactive design is also creating a new experience, whether in retail, digital or consumer electronics.

Creative designers should have the ability to express things succinctly and clearly, rather than just solving problems. Ultimately, we translate these interactions into human, sensory, emotional, and functional expressions. It sounds simple, but it's not easy to really implement it. "Add a touch screen" is very simple, but this is missing the fundamental sense of the return to the simple spirit of innovative interactive design of the spiritual core.

　　Show Extra Touch Design

Now the whole town is full of touch screen, many places should not use touch screen design. Even the most popular creative designers of Tesla Motors are slant on model S models, ignoring the potential of the traditional driving experience. As far as I am concerned, the more willing to redesign Model S of the central control console, the oversized size of the iPad-like control touch screen thrown out of the car. It is believed that touch screen control in the convenience of driving, security and stability can not match the traditional physical entity keys.

Of course, we can not rely on any single environment in the application of PARC-style analogy design ideas. Interaction designers must repeatedly evaluate the trade-offs between digital and analog interactions. Putting a huge touch screen in the middle of the car and integrating almost all of the car's controls, the user loses something in the "translation" of this interactive design. In touch screen control is really cool, but this thing is too good suction, do not forget you are driving, with eyes to observe the road situation. For security reasons, sensory gratification is not enough.

Interactive design product case list of black and white charts.

1800 Typewriter, 1970 Xerox Personal computer, Apple Macintosh PC in 1980, Muji Radio in 1990, 2000 IPod Multimedia player, 2005 Nike motion sensor, 2007 D IPhone Mobile phones and the 2014 Google Material design are in the white list, and 1980 with a calculator function of the watch, 2000 Sony's Love Treasure Machine dog, 2005 Laser Projector Keyboard, 2007 with touch display of the fridge, 2012 Tesla Model S Electric cars, 2014 of Google glasses and then to the current Samsung's curved screen and vessyl smart Water cups are unfortunately ranked black list.

　　The interactive design that understands human nature is true

The essence of the humanized Interactive design is to find the balance in sensibility and abstraction according to the situation environment, which requires the designers to have a thorough understanding of the risks faced by each new design, and must devote himself to the deconstruction and novelty of the new technology, and to weigh the loss and gain of the new technologies accurately. To sum up, to find the perfect balance of the interactive design, the return to the humanistic attention is the end point.