What Makes Sense.

Reading about the changes that have taken place for implementation of software and other interactive communication devices bring me to one conclusion, this makes sense.  Programmers can do some amazing things, yet, it simply makes no sense that they would do it alone.  Why not improve product, service or website by getting input from interactive designer before the programming happens.  Many of the issues that are dealt with in the field are interactive communications are small, although they often cause extreme frustration for end users.  Interactive designers and communicators can step in a take care of these problems before the programming happens.

A. Cooper says in The inmates are running the asylum;

“The key to solving the problem in interaction design before programming.  We need a new class of professional interactive designers who design the way software behaves.  Today, programmers consciously design the code inside programs but only inadvertently design the interaction with the humans.  They designs what a program does but not how it behaves, communicates, or informs.  Converesly, interaction designers focus directly on the way users see and interact with software-based products.” 2

What it takes to program versus what it takes to design the interactivity behind a program it a lot for one person to do.  There seems to be a need for both these professionals in order to build a successful product.  Programmers might not always be able to take the time and mind frame needed to find out what users want form their product, yet if an interactive designer does this from an interactive communications stand point they can pass this along to a programmer saving everyone time.

While this is not at all taking away from the hard, and amazing work of programmers, it just makes more sense to work together, in what seems like a natural order.  Find out what people want and/or need, test products, then do the programming ensuring that all that work will be well received. Programmers can make the program work, yet without reseaching how people want them to work what is the use?  D. Saffer says says in Designing for Interaction;

“Every moment of every day, millions of people send e-mail, talk on mobile phones, instant message each other, record TV shows with TiVo, and listen to music on their iPods. All of these things are made possible by goood engineering.  But it’s interaction design that makes them usable, useful, and fun.” 1

In order to make the most out of all Web 2.0 can offer programmers, engineers and interactive designers must be able to work together.  Each of these professions is vital to internet users, ideas from both groups is what has gotten then world wide web where it is today. If we can find a balance, or shall I say combine our powers, amazing things will happen.

1. Saffer, D. (2007). Designing for interaction. Berkeley: New Riders, pp. 1-68.

2. Cooper, A. (2004). The inmates are running the asylum. Sams-Pearson Education, pp. 1-38, 203-215.

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