FBI Lab

International Journal of Design
網址：www.ijdesign.org

Aesthetics of Interaction 2010
Designing for Aesthetics of Interaction
— special issue of International Journal of Design

Department of Industrial Design
Eindhoven University of Technology,
the Netherlands
Tel: +31 40 2475964
E-mail: C.J.Overbeeke@tue.nl

Now that the world of HCI has united with the world of product design, and computers are no longer merely a means for doing our jobs but also an integral part of our lives, one might question the appropriateness of functionality and efficiency as the main guiding principles for design. The spectrum of efficiency, productivity and, in general, “getting things done” has been enriched by other values, such as those represented by curiosity, playfulness, intimacy and creativity. User experience and the aesthetics of that experience are becoming increasingly paramount.

Furthermore, when we look at the abundance of interactive products on the market, we can see a shift in aesthetic focus, moving from aesthetics of appearance to aesthetics of interaction. Can designers design products that not only look attractive at first sight, but are also beautiful to use? What makes for aesthetics of interaction, how can we design for such an interaction, and how can we model and study the interactive experiences that are central to such an approach? Some more specific questions might be: What is the role of embodiment and narratives in the interactive experience? Does aesthetics of interaction require a phenomenological point of view? Can one study aesthetics of interaction without using one’s hands, that is, without actually designing and building experiential prototypes?

The field of Aesthetics of Interaction is indeed emerging, and emerging in many different directions, with different definitions, different models, different implementations. This special issue of the International Journal of Design aims to reflect on the status quo and to find new paths toward a maturity of this area of research. We are seeking high-quality, original papers that address conceptual, theoretical, methodological and practical issues of designing for aesthetics of interaction—papers that will serve to enhance the overall body of interaction design knowledge. Possible topics include:

• Theoretical approaches to aesthetics of interaction–foundational notions, theoretical frameworks, philosophical embedding, and links to existing theories that are relevant to interaction design
• Methods, tools and approaches for designing and evaluating aesthetics of interaction
• Design and evaluation cases, including experiential prototypes