Interaction Design Foundations

Now that David Malouf works for a art school every problem look like a “art” problem? In art school you need to master the primitives. There are 6 elements:

1. line
2. plane
3. volume
4. value
5. texture
6. color

David asks if there are similar primitives to interaction design? Here are his 5 elements:

1. time
2. abstraction
3. metaphor
4. negativity
5. motion

David’s blog: Foundations of IXD

The only problem I have with this is that design school focuses on art. These 6 elements make for the foundations of understanding great art. I am not sure they are the foundation to design. The distinction I make is that art is for yourself and your expression. Design is for someone else. Design requires an enormous foundation of understanding the human:

1. physical abilities
2. cognitive abilities
3. empathy
4. context
5. communication

I believe these are more essential to interaction design then all of the abstraction in the world. I understand that these are not the “foundations” of the art of interaction design but they sure are for the business of it.