Short answer
When designing interactive systems, consider how the system itself influences the user's behavior and experience, moving beyond a purely user-centric input model to a more co-creative understanding of the interaction.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Academic Publication (2017)
- Method
- Literature review and conceptual analysis
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
A robust definition of interaction must encompass not only user input but also the computer's agency and its impact on the user's experience and behavior. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2017 study published in Academic Publication. Using Literature review and conceptual analysis, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing interactive systems, consider how the system itself influences the user's behavior and experience, moving beyond a purely user-centric input model to a more co-creative understanding of the interaction.
Defining Interaction: Beyond Dialogue to Embodiment and Agency
A robust definition of interaction must encompass not only user input but also the computer's agency and its impact on the user's experience and behavior.
Academic Publication · 2017
Key Findings
- 01Few direct definitions of interaction exist in HCI literature.
- 02Existing concepts of interaction (e.g., dialogue, transmission, embodiment) have varying scopes and causal assumptions.
- 03Current definitions often underemphasize the computer's agency and its effects on interaction.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing interactive systems, consider how the system itself influences the user's behavior and experience, moving beyond a purely user-centric input model to a more co-creative understanding of the interaction.
How to apply
When evaluating or designing an interactive system, ask: 'How does the system's behavior shape the user's actions and perceptions, and how can we better model this reciprocal influence?'
Project actions
- 01When defining your interaction, be specific about what 'interaction' means in the context of your design project.
- 02Consider the 'agency' of your designed system – how does it actively influence the user's experience?
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a critical overview of existing interaction concepts.
- +Offers clear directions for future research and conceptual development.
Limitations
This is a conceptual paper, so direct experimental replication is not applicable. The definitions are broad and may require further refinement for specific design contexts.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the findings rests on the comprehensive review of literature. Validity is addressed through the logical analysis of concepts and their implications for design and research.
Think critically
If interaction is a dialogue, what are the 'grammatical rules' and 'semantics' of human-computer dialogue, and how do they differ from human-human dialogue?
Design Principles
"Interaction is a reciprocal process where both human and machine exhibit agency and influence the outcome."
Understanding the multifaceted nature of interaction is crucial for designing effective and engaging user experiences. By considering the computer's active role and the broader context of interaction, designers can move beyond simplistic input-output models to create more sophisticated and responsive systems.
What This Means for Your Design
Think of interacting with a computer like a conversation. It's not just you talking; the computer 'talks' back by showing you things, reacting to your actions, and sometimes even surprising you. Good design understands this two-way street.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this paper to justify your definition of interaction and how you approached designing the user experience in your design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights the importance of defining interaction beyond simple input-output models. By considering the computer's agency and the reciprocal nature of the interaction, as discussed by Hornbæk and Oulasvirta (2017), my design project aims to create a system where the technology actively contributes to the user experience, rather than merely responding to commands.
Source
Questions About This Research
- What does the research say about defining interaction: beyond dialogue to embodiment and agency?
- When designing interactive systems, consider how the system itself influences the user's behavior and experience, moving beyond a purely user-centric input model to a more co-creative understanding of the interaction. Evidence: Academic Publication (2017).
- Why does "Defining Interaction: Beyond Dialogue to Embodiment and Agency" matter for design?
- Understanding the multifaceted nature of interaction is crucial for designing effective and engaging user experiences. By considering the computer's active role and the broader context of interaction, designers can move beyond simplistic input-output models to create more sophisticated and responsive systems.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing interactive systems, consider how the system itself influences the user's behavior and experience, moving beyond a purely user-centric input model to a more co-creative understanding of the interaction.
- What were the main findings?
- Few direct definitions of interaction exist in HCI literature.. Existing concepts of interaction (e.g., dialogue, transmission, embodiment) have varying scopes and causal assumptions.. Current definitions often underemphasize the computer's agency and its effects on interaction.
- What research method was used?
- Literature review and conceptual analysis.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2017 journal from Academic Publication.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When evaluating or designing an interactive system, ask: 'How does the system's behavior shape the user's actions and perceptions, and how can we better model this reciprocal influence?'
- What are the limitations?
- The paper focuses on conceptual analysis and does not present new empirical data. The proposed desiderata for future work are aspirational rather than prescriptive.