Interaction Design is a field and approach to designing interactive experiences. These could be in any medium, not only digital media. Interactive experiences, necessarily, require time as an organizing principle (though not exclusively) and Interactive Design is concerned with a user, customer, audience, or participant's experience flow through time. Interactivity should not be confused with animation in which objects may move on a screen; interactivity is concerned with being part of the action of a system or performance and not merely watching the action passively.
#19138
HCI Solutions for Managing the IT Infra-structure
In a kick-off Special Interest Group (SIG) at CHI 97, participants focused on key design challenges in the domain of network and system management. At the conclusion of the CHI 97 SIG the group decided it would be helpful to continue to meet and to provide a forum for exploring solutions to these key design challenges. The CHI 98 SIG provided an opportunity for over 30 HCI practitioners and researchers in the management domain to share information about work in several key areas.
Graefe, Thomas M. and Dennis Wixon. SIGCHI Bulletin (1998). Design>Human Computer Interaction>Management
#13280
HCI Usability: Impact of Style, Graphics, and Quality on Web-Site Effectiveness 
The rampant growth of the WWW has resulted in a very large number of web sites being produced and used before standards and guidelines for appearance and interaction could be developed and accepted. Two factors that could affect user performance and perceived quality of a web site are: surface blemishes added, and the presence of extra, gratuitous features. The effects of these two factors can be assessed through performance testing and attitudinal surveys. the approach or design criteria for each site. We chose as a basis, a classification presented by Karen Schriver of traditions that have shaped our thinking about, and approach to, document design and evaluation.
Grice, Roger A., Lenore S. Ridgway and Raymond A. Lutzky. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Human Computer Interaction>Web Design
#23118
Help Strategies and Their Effect on Graphical Icon Usage
An increasingly popular component of modern graphical human-computer interfaces are graphical command buttons. Studies have shown that graphical command buttons can enhance user productivity. However, two factors, the time required to acquire a working knowledge of the graphical command set and the need for frequent use to maintain the knowledge limit the effectiveness of graphical command buttons as a user interface strategy. This study attempts to quantify the effects of four types of help (balloon style, a mouse documentation line at the bottom of the screen, a help browser, and hardcopy documentation) on the ability of novice users to acquire a working knowledge of a graphical command set. The study did not find any significant difference (based on the anova and manova tests) between the four treatments.
McAlister, Britt and Chavi Greengart. SHORE (1997). Design>Documentation>Human Computer Interaction>Help
#18398
Human Error and the Design of Computer Systems
People err. That is a fact of life. People are not precision machinery designed for accuracy. In fact, we humans are a different kind of device entirely. Creativity, adaptability, and flexibility are our strengths. Continual alertness and precision in action or memory are our weaknesses. We are amazingly error tolerant, even when physically damaged. We are extremely flexible, robust, and creative, superb at finding explanations and meanings from partial and noisy evidence. The same properties that lead to such robustness and creativity also produce errors. The natural tendency to interpret partial information -- although often our prime virtue -- can cause operators to misinterpret system behavior in such a plausible way that the misinterpretation can be difficult to discover.
Norman, Donald A. JND.org (1999). Design>Human Computer Interaction>Usability
#26949
Human Factors is often used interchangeably with User Interface Design or Human-Computer Interface. There is a lot of overlap in these disciplines; however, Human Factors generally refers to hardware design while HCI generally refers to software design.
Usernomics. Design>Human Computer Interaction>User Interface
#20165
Human Factors for Web Page Design
Knowing the purpose of your web page is the most important step to applying human factors principles to your design. By understanding the special chahnges related to presenting information on a web page, in addition to understanding the way human-9 use their eyes, prioritize the information they process, and react to sound, you can apply principles of information design and interface design to create effective web pages. Numerous sources of information about what to do and what not to do on a web page are available from the World Wide Web.
Billard, Trish. STC Proceedings (1997). Design>Web Design>Human Computer Interaction
#14258
Human Factors in Software Development: Models, Techniques, and Outcomes 
We present the results of a survey designed to identify ways that human factors engineers have been successfully involved in software projects. Surveys describing successful and unsuccessful outcomes were returned by 14 human factors engineers and 21 software and documentation engineers at Hewlett Packard. In addition to describing the type of involvement and techniques used, respondents were also asked to define what they considered to be a successful outcome and give their views on what factors contribute to success or failure. The results of this study suggest ways in which the human factors/R&D partnership can be more effective in current development scenarios.
Lundell, Jay and Mark Notess. ACM SIGCHI (1991). Design>Human Computer Interaction>Software
#25074
The phrase 'human error' is taken to mean 'operator error', but more often than not the disaster is inherent in the design or installation of the human interface. Bad interfaces are slow or error prone to use. Bad interfaces cost money and cost lives.
Dix, Alan. uiGarden (2005). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Usability>User Centered Design
#19004
Human Interface Design Principles
This section provides a theoretical base for the wealth of practical information on implementing the Aqua interface elements presented in the rest of this book. You’ll undoubtedly find that you can’t design in accordance with all of the principles all the time. In those situations, you’ll have to make decisions based on which principle or set of principles is most important in the context of the task you’re solving. User testing is often an excellent way to decide between conflicting principles in a particular context.
Apple Inc. (2003). Design>Human Computer Interaction>User Interface
#22463
Human-Computer Interaction and Your Site
Ever wondered what makes some websites easier to use than others, or why some people seem to master new navigation systems quickly while others struggle to learn? Do you know why users get lost in electronic space or find it difficult to communicate with others through the medium of technology? These questions are just some of the driving forces behind research in the developing field of Human Computer Interaction.
Danino, Nicky. SitePoint (2002). Design>Web Design>Human Computer Interaction
#10380
The Influence of Semantics and Syntax on What Readers Remember 
The objectives of the study presented here are to help writers and editors better allocate their efforts, increase the discipline’s knowledge about reader performance with technical documents, and examine many text variables in one study. For this study, participants read and recalled one of two technical texts. Results reveal that readers are more likely to recall more important versus less important information. Additionally, readers are more likely to recall information in clauses, in independent clauses, and in the first paragraphs of documents. The implication of these results for writers and editors is discussed.
Isakson, Carol S. and Jan H. Spyridakis. Technical Communication Online (1999). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Information Design
#19393
Information, Interaction and Place
In the graduate course Interactive Visual Communication and Interface Design students apply course principles by creating an interactive multimedia CD-ROM that integrates images, sound, and motion, founded on strong visual communication design principles. The course provides students with an opportunity to learn about important principles of interface design and the significance of integrating them with effective interaction design. It is also provides students with an adequate background in multimedia authoring and current associated technology. Students address issues concerning innovations in screen-based communication and the challenges associated with realizing them. Design solutions are directed to carefully address the specific requirements and abilities of the user audience; be easy to understand; and support the structure, meaning, and purpose of the information.
Stone, Brian. AIGA (2002). Design>Web Design>Interaction Design
#28256
Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction is an explanation of the design of the current and next generation interactive technologies, such as the web, mobiles, wearables. These exciting new technologies bring additional challenges for designers and developers - challenges that require careful thought and a disciplined approach. Written for both students and practitioners from a broad range of backgrounds, this book addresses these challenges using a practical and refreshing approach. The text covers a wide range of issues, topics and paradigms that go beyond the traditional human-computer interaction (HCI).
Perlman, Gary. Interaction Design (2002). Resources>User Interface>Interaction Design>User Experience
#26451
Interaction Design Association Resource Library
The IxDA Resource Library is an annotated collection of content on all aspects of interaction design.
Interaction Design Association. Resources>User Interface>Interaction Design
#27876
Interaction Design Encyclopedia
An open-source encyclopedia of terms from the fields surrounding interaction design.
Interaction-Design.org (2006). Reference>Encyclopedias>Interaction Design
#18722
Interaction Design History in a Teeny Little Nutshell
Before computers, there wasn’t 'interaction design.' But most of the qualities we seek have been valued through the ages.
Rettig, Marc. MarcRettig.com (2003). Design>Web Design>Interaction Design>History
#28037
Interaction Design is Story Telling
Language is a unique communication system and fundamental to the survival of human beings. Story telling is a very old method to describe the facts, to spread knowledge, to share our experiences and feelings. A good story can be accepted and stored by our brain instantly, and leaving a long term effect on us. At the same time, it is also easy for people to understand and accept new facts and imagine similar scenarios as they happen in their own lives. In the following paragraph, let's examine why Interaction Design is story telling.
Jiang, Windy. uiGarden (2006). Design>Web Design>Interaction Design
#19355
This article covers the design stage that marks the next step in the design process after site visits have been conducted and evaluated: It describes the process of successively deriving an interaction design from the data. The following article describes the creating of an interaction design - one of the most important steps involved in the creation of a user-oriented application system. This step is taken directly after the collection and analysis of data in working practice, gathered during site visits. The user interaction design is derived from this data successively.
Fuss, Margarete. SAP Design Guild (2002). Design>Information Design>Interaction Design>Web Design
#26539
Interaction Designers: What We Are, What We Do, & What We Need to Know
A 2001 presentation by Robert Reimann and Jodi Forlizzi titled Interaction Designers: What We Are, What We Do, & What We Need to Know (ppt) provides a good overview of interaction design.
Reimann, Robert and Jodi Forlizzi. IxDA Resource Library (2005). Presentations>User Centered Design>Interaction Design
#26778
Interaction Modeling: User State-Trace Analysis
Interaction modeling is a good way to identify and locate usability issues with the use of a tool. Several methods exist. Modeling techniques are prescriptive in that they aim to capture what users will likely do, and not descriptive of what users actually did.
Queen, Matt. Boxes and Arrows (2006). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Interaction Design
#27875
A free, open-content, peer-reviewed Encyclopedia covering terms from the disciplines of Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Human Factors, Usability, Information Architecture, and related fields.
Interaction-Design.org. Resources>Directories>Interaction Design
#30796
Interactions 08 in the Garden of Good and Evil
An interview with Dan Saffer, 2008 Conference Chair and IxDA Director. Dan discusses the context of the organization, how the conference emerged and formed, what the conference will be like, and how one might get a flavor even if attendance is not an option.
Baum, Chris. Boxes and Arrows (2008). Articles>Interviews>Interaction Design>User Experience
#21332
Introducing Interaction Design
Well-designed interactive products allow people and technology to carry on a complex and elegant dance relying on multiple, simultaneous forms of communication. A new 12-part series will discuss the activity of interaction design as it relates to the Web, and the relative advantages and disadvantages of the Web as an interactive medium.
Baxley, Bob. Boxes and Arrows (2002). Design>Web Design>Interaction Design
#21553
Introduction to Interaction Design
I recently ran into a fellow STC member, Jennifer Square, in the elevator of a large company where I am contracting. We didn't have much time to catch up, so Jennifer e-mailed me later. Her e-mail signature contained an intriguing new job title: interaction designer. I had heard of interaction design but had never known anyone who actually did the work. I wondered what disciplines it encompassed. Was it just something that all good Web designers did anyway, unconsciously? How did it differ from information architecture? Did I do this in my job without realizing it? Was it something I could list on my résumé? In this column, I will define interaction design by comparing it to information architecture, a related field.
Leonard-Wilkinson, Theresa A. W-edge Design (2003). Careers>Web Design>Interaction Design
#18802
An Introduction to Interaction Design
The ability to build interactions that support, enable, and improve communication is a valuable skill for help developers, Web-site designers, multimedia content developers, information-rich user interface designers--anyone who designs and develops information to be used online. This paper presents the basics of interaction design for information products and describes some basic underlying human factors and user-interface design principles.
Ames, Andrea L. STC Proceedings (2002). Design>Web Design>Interaction Design
