Interactive Design Beyond the Desktop: User Experience Defined By Aesthetics

By Drew Kinney

Today's interactive design is a by-product of the 'desktop' metaphor used in computing since the 1970s. In this paradigm, design is a secondary consideration and largely treated as window dressing for information. Much of this was driven by necessity and progress of technology. With the advancement of technology, the old metaphor is being jettisoned. Designers must wake up and see the shifting paradigms or there will be more of the same; the user-experience will continue to be created by the programmer and not the designer, whose keen ability and insight are central to communicate deeper meanings to a user.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257616640

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Interactive Design Beyond the Desktop

User Experience Defined by Aesthetics

By Drew Kinney

A thesis submitted to the graduate school in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Fine Arts, Graphic Design. Miami International University of Art & Design

19 March 2009

Abstract

Today’s interactive design is a by product of the ‘desktop’ metaphor used in computing since the 1970s. In this paradigm, design is a secondary consideration and largely treated as window dressing for information. Much of this was driven by necessity and progress of technology. With the advancement of technology, the old metaphor is being jettisoned. Designers must wake up and see the shifting paradigms or there will be more of the same; the user-experience will continue to be created by the programmer and not the designer, whose keen ability and insight are central to communicate deeper meanings to a user.

Figure 1: Circles in a Suprematist Cross by ll’ia Chasnick, 1926. (Great Utopia 177)

Figure 2: Digg Arc, Data Visualization by Stamen Design (Stamen)

There are many people I would like to thank for their help and support during this project. Please accept my humble thanks, as I could not have finished this with out you!

Eva

Mary Ann

Mom

Beth

The Keck

Mike

Brittany

Charles

Octavius

Peggy-O

Lisa

Rainbow Monkey

Bernard Tschumi

Lars Lerup

Zaha Hadid

Ken Lambla

Jennifer Price

Elizabeth Tilak

Franklin Westbrook

Michelle Nelson

Janet Duncan

Julie Dixon

Roland Dahlquist

©2009 Drew Kinney. All rights reserved.

This work in whole or part may not be copied or reproduced by any means, known or unknown. The only exception when used in an educational setting, allows an educator to use this material as long as it is attributed to Drew Kinney. This exception generally falls under the fair Use doctrine.

Creative Commons License:

Interactive Design beyond the Desktop:

User Experience Defined by Aesthetics

by Drew Kinney is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by emailing [e-mail].

State of the Field

Between 1990 and 2000 a wave of upheaval in the world of interactivity forever changed the landscape of communication. The days of limited availability to information have largely vanished as a result. In the wild-west days of the early Internet, the medium was fresh and the possibilities were limited. The network we use today, the Internet, was envisioned as a medium to advance knowledge and ease the exchange of information (Veen 8). In these days, aesthetics were relegated to changing type size hierarchically utilizing