Experiencing interaction design : a pragmatic theory

Experiencing Interaction Design: A Pragmatic Theory Ronald Lengkong Wakkary This thesis conlribules a theory for the field of interaction design based on philosophical pragmatism. The theory frames interaction design as a pragmatic experience shaped by the inquiries of designers. The contributions of the theory are that it positions the designer at the centre of a theory, describes interaction design practice to be more than a collection of methods and strategics, and provides a sound basis for generating and verifying new knowledge through design. The thesis describes and analyzes two interaction design research projects through selfrcflcxive accounts that illustrate the proposed theory. The projects are a tangible museum guide and a responsive environment for physical play. The thesis examines the value of understanding interaction design through pragmatism and how inieraction design when viewed as experience opens the field up to a new theoretical framework. The two interaction design research projects are described as design inquiries constituted by a design inquirer, designer intentions, and design rationales. Further descriptions of the projects show interaction design to bC'Comprised of design actions based on judgment and interpretation. Interaction design can be assessed by the degree to which there is integrity between the design inquiry and design actions, as well as by the transferability and discursiveness of the design inquiry findings that arc relevant to the wider field of inieraction design and related disciplines like human-computer interaction. The implications of the theory lead to new ways of mobilizing interaction design research and interaction design education. The pragmatic theory shows capacity for clear descriptions and analysis of inieraction design inquiries in ways that extract and communicate new knowledge from interaction design practice and research. The theory shows inieraction design to be a distinct and independent field of inquiry that generates knowledge through design. LIST OF CONTENTS VOL. 2 Copyright Statement 1 Abstract 3 List of contents Vol. 2 4 Appendix 4 Related publications: journal articles 5 Appendix 5 Related publications: conference proceedings 128 Appendix 6 Related publications: book chapters 243 Appendix 7: Abstracts of other publications 266 APPENDIX 4 RELATED PUBLICATIONS: JOURNAL ARTICLES Wakkary, R., Muise, K., Tanenbaum, K., Halala, M., Komfcld, L . , Situating Approaches to Interactive Museum Guides (2008). Journal of Museum Management and Curatorship, Vol. 23, Issue 4, pp. 367-383. Wakkary, R., Hataia, M. "Situated Play in a Tangible Interface and Adaptive Audio Museum Guide" (2007). Journal of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, Vol. 1 1, Number 3, March 2007, pp. 171 -191. I lalala, M., Wakkary, R., "Ontologies-Based User Modeling In An Augmented Reality System For Museums" (2005), User-Modeling and User Adaptation Interaction. The Journal of Personalization Research, Vol 15, Issue 3-4, pp. 339-380. Haiala, M., Wakkary, R., Kalantari, L . , "Ontologies and Rules in Support of Real-time Ubiquitous Application" (2005), Journal of Web Semantics: Science, Services and Agents on the World Wide Web, Volume 3, Issue 1, 5-22. Wakkary, R., "Framing Complexity, Design and Experience: A Reflective Analysis" (2005), Digital Creativity, Volume 16, Issue 2, 65-78. Budd, J . , Wakkary, R., "A New Educational Model for Interactive Product Design: The Integration Project" (2005), Innovation, Quarterly of the Industrial Designers Society of America, Winter 2005, pp. 58-63. Wakkary, R., Niedenthal, S., "Experience and Design Methods: Cross-Dressing and Border Crossing" (2004). Digital Creativity, Volume 15, Issue 4, pp. 193-196. Museum Management and Curatorship B5 Routledge Vol. 23. No. 4. December 2008. 367-383 w ^ M r « « o o Situating Approaches to Interactive Museum Guides Ron Wakkary*, Kevin Muise, Karen Tancnbaum, Marek HaUila & Leora Kornfeld School of Imeraclive Arts and Technology. Shnon Fra.ser University, British Cohunbia. Canada (Received I May 200S: fmal version received 29 July 200S) This piiper examines Ihe current sialc of museum guide technologies and applicalions in order to develop an nnalylic:il foundation for future research on an ad:iplive museum guide for families. The :malysis focuses on three critical areas of interest in considering group and social inlcriiction in museums: tangibility the role of tangible user interfaces; inieraclion visit types and visit flows; and adaplivity user modeling S approaches. Il concludes with a discussion of four interrelated trajectories for interactive u museum guide research including embodied interaction, ganieplay, transparent and I opaque interaction and the role of personal digital assistants. Q