Abstract

This paper describes the role of interaction design in information and communication technologies (ICT) embedded product design and development activity. Besides presenting the relationship between industrial design and interaction design in the same activity, it also re-defines this relationship in terms of roles in ICT embedded product development activity. This research has been accomplished by having an extensive interdisciplinary literature review, a series of interviews and also a case study based on a specific product’s development process. The series of interviews have been conducted face to face in USA with professionals from 5 different industrial design and interaction design based consulting firms such as IDEO, Cooper Interaction, Smart Design, Swim Interaction Design Studio and LUNAR Design. The next step of the field research has been a case study based on gathering information of a spesific product through secondary sources and then conducting in-depth interviews with designers, who have worked in that product’s development process, from different professions. Major conclusions of the research include as follows: Being a younger discipline relative to industrial design, the role of interaction design in ICT embedded product development activity has the similarities to that of industrial design in the same activity. The most extensive collaboration between industrial design and interaction design is seen at Planning and Concept Design phases in ICT embedded product development activity. As the products become more complex in terms of interactions, interaction designers will gradually need to manage the design teams. There will be a need for a new sub-field of interaction design which is supposed to emerge as interaction design management. Comparing with industrial design, interaction design is foreseen to have a wider activity area in Planning, Concept Development and System Level Design phases of ICT embedded product development activity. As interactions with products become more and more immaterial, be a new actor from service design is supposed to have a role in ICT embedded product development activity.

Keywords

Interaction Design, Industrial Design, Information And Communication Technologies, Role Of The Designer, Product Development Activity

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Jul 7th, 12:00 AM

The Role of Interaction Design in Information and Communication Technologies Embedded Product Development Activity

This paper describes the role of interaction design in information and communication technologies (ICT) embedded product design and development activity. Besides presenting the relationship between industrial design and interaction design in the same activity, it also re-defines this relationship in terms of roles in ICT embedded product development activity. This research has been accomplished by having an extensive interdisciplinary literature review, a series of interviews and also a case study based on a specific product’s development process. The series of interviews have been conducted face to face in USA with professionals from 5 different industrial design and interaction design based consulting firms such as IDEO, Cooper Interaction, Smart Design, Swim Interaction Design Studio and LUNAR Design. The next step of the field research has been a case study based on gathering information of a spesific product through secondary sources and then conducting in-depth interviews with designers, who have worked in that product’s development process, from different professions. Major conclusions of the research include as follows: Being a younger discipline relative to industrial design, the role of interaction design in ICT embedded product development activity has the similarities to that of industrial design in the same activity. The most extensive collaboration between industrial design and interaction design is seen at Planning and Concept Design phases in ICT embedded product development activity. As the products become more complex in terms of interactions, interaction designers will gradually need to manage the design teams. There will be a need for a new sub-field of interaction design which is supposed to emerge as interaction design management. Comparing with industrial design, interaction design is foreseen to have a wider activity area in Planning, Concept Development and System Level Design phases of ICT embedded product development activity. As interactions with products become more and more immaterial, be a new actor from service design is supposed to have a role in ICT embedded product development activity.

 

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