Principles, techniques, and ethics of stage magic and their application to human interface design

ABSTRACT

Magicians have been designing and presenting illusions for 5000 years. They have developed principles, techniques and ethical positions for their craft that this paper argues are applicable to the design of human/computer interfaces. The author presents a number of specific examples from magic and discusses their counterparts in human interface design, in hopes that human interface practitioners and researchers will, having recognized the applicability of magic, go further on their own to explore its domain.

REFERENCES

• 1: Bergman, Hans, Brinkman, Albert, and Koelega, Harry S., "System Response time and Problem Solving Behavior," Proceedings of the Human Factors Society, 25th Annual Meeting, (Rochester, NY, October 12-16, 1981), 749-753
• 2: Burger, Eugene. Strange Ceremonies, Bizarre Magick for the Modern Conjuror, published by Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg, 1991.
• 3: Dawes, Edwin A. and Setterington, Arthur, The Encyclopedia of Magic, W. H. Smith Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, 1986.
• 4: Fitzkee, Dariel. Showmanship for Magicians, ~ Copyright 1943, 1945 Dariel Fitzroy. Used by permission of the publisher: Lee Jacobs Productions, P. O. Box 362, Pomeroy, Ohio, 45769-0362, 1943, 1945
• 5: Fitzkee, Dariel. The Trick Brain, ~ Copyright 1944, 1976 Dariel Fitzroy. Used by permission of the publisher: Lee Jacobs Productions, P. O. Box 362, Pomeroy, Ohio, 45769-0362, 1944, 1976.
• 6: Fitzkee, Dariel. Magic by Misdirection, ~ Copyright 1945, 1975 Dariel Fitzroy. Used by permission of the publisher: Lee Jacobs Productions, P. O. Box 362, Pomeroy, Ohio, 45769-0362, 1945, 1975.
• 7: Gibson, Walter B. & Young, Morris N., Houdini on Magic, Dover Publications, Inc., NY, NY, 1953.
• 8: Grossberg, Mitchell, Weisen, Raymond A., and Yntema, Douwe B., "An Experiment on Problem Solving with Delayed Computer Responses," IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, (March 1976), 219-222
• 9: Paul Heckel, The Elements of Friendly Software Design, SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA, 1991
• 10: Henning, Doug, "Houdini," The Congress Video Group, NY, NY, Video, 1986.
• 11: Jillette, Penn, and Teller. Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends, Villard Books, New York, NY, 1989.
• 12: Kay, Alan. "User Interface: A Personal View," In Brenda Laurel (ed.), The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1991.
• 13: Brenda Laurel, Computers as theatre, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1991
• 14: Miller, Robert B., "Response Time in Man- Computer Conversational Transactions," Proceedings Sprint Joint Computer Conference, 33, AFIPS Press, Montvale, NJ, 1968, 267-277
• 15: Nelms, Henning. Magic and Showmanship, A Handbook for Conjurers, Dover Publications, Inc., New York, NY, 1969.
• 16: Nelson, Theodor Holm. "Interactive Systems and the Design of Virtuality," Creative Computing, Vol 6, Nos. 11 & 12, (November and December, 1980).
• 17: Nelson, Theodor Holm. "The Right Way to Think About Software Design," In Brenda Laurel (ed.), The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1991.
• 18: Norman, Donald, "Some Observations of Mental Models," In Gentner, Dedre & Stevens, Albert L. (Eds.), Mental Models, Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1983
• 19: Norman, Donald, Cognitive Engineering. In D. A. Norman & S. W. Draper (Eds.), User Centered System Design, Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1986
• 20: Norman, Donald, Psychology of Everyday Things (Now Design of Everyday Things). Basic Books, 1988.
• 21: Rubinstein, Richard and Hersh, Harry M. "Design Philosophy." Chapter 2 in The Human Factor: Designing Computer Systems for People, Digital Press, Burlington, MA, 1984.
• 22: Ben Shneiderman, Designing the user interface (2nd ed.): strategies for effective human-computer interaction, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1992
• 23: Shneiderman, Ben. "A Nonanthropomorphic Style Guide: Overcoming the Humpty Dumpty Syndrome." The Computing Teacher (October, 1988) 9-10.
• 24: Bruce Tognazzini, TOG on Interface, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1992

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  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)
          Subjects: Evaluation/methodology

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.1 MODELS AND PRINCIPLES
      H.1.2 User/Machine Systems
          Subjects: Human factors
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems
          Subjects: Artificial, augmented, and virtual realities
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Theory and methods

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors

Keywords:
HCI design, anthropomorphism, characters, dissimulation, ethics, illusion, magic, magician, misdirection, principle, response time, technique, theater, time