In search of lasting principles for designing interactive systems

ABSTRACT

Any area of research and education aims to build a body of validated knowledge (facts, theories, models, rules of thumb, etc.) that can form a stable foundation for practice, education and continued research. For the field of Designing Interactive Systems, what are the lasting principles that form the basis of our understanding of complex design problems and provide guidance to designers? In this talk, we will suggest some lasting principles for the Design of Interactive Systems.A unifying theme is the idea that interactive systems assume or contain conceptual models of the worlds with which they interact and in which they perform their functions. The critical success factors for interactive systems - how they achieve their goals, align with their environments, adapt to changing requirements, recover from errors, etc. - depend on the development of these conceptual models as much as on the development of the code. This perspective has consequences for the users, designers and sponsors of the artifacts we design. The talk will explore the role of models and modeling in the analysis, design, deployment and evolution of systems.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.4 OPERATING SYSTEMS
      D.4.7 Organization and Design
          Subjects: Interactive systems

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.6 Programming Environments
          Subjects: Interactive environments

  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)

General Terms:
Design, Theory