In a magazine, Architecture Review April 2007, there is an article by Francis Duffy entitled "Designing Interactions". The question asked is "What can architecture learn form the computing sector, and how might it influence the way architects think about offices and the city."
It was really great to see our field getting highlighted outside the industry. Felt even better that it was given such great importance and that someone was trying to incorporate our principles to help with the world of architecture. I found it funny that the article stated how we have taken their terminology such as "architecture" and "information architect" and applied it to our own domain. Duffy declared that it was time to take things from us to apply to them :)
Some of his main points were that architects need to be more consumer conscious and design buildings for the enhancment of quality interactions amongst people and their spaces wherever they may be (school, shop, offices). Duffy encourages architects to develop their version of interaction design to show how the "intelligent design of real places" can assist their clients.
It is interesting to read that architects will be turning to HCI principles to help them build better structures based on what is important to their clients. It seems like there will be a new mind set to build buildings based on the type of interaction its inhabitants will have instead of just constructing a building.
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2 comments:
very interesting! i will have to try and get my hands on that article.
i did notice when i went to architecture review's site, that they have an area called delight/outrage, which as the name suggests is just a laundry list of things going on architecturally which people are reacting to.
It's interesting that architecture has noticed that HCI is borrowing from them. One of the ways I've tried explaining to people (my mother, for instance) what I'm studying is an analogy to architecture. We're the equivalent in software development to an architect in building. The builder doesn't just go start putting up the building - first the architect comes and surveys the site, talks to the people who will be using the building to find out what sort of function it will serve, how the people will use it, special needs of individual interest groups, etc. Only then do they start designing, and usually there are several iterations before everyone is happy. Once the architect has completed the plans, only then is the builder allowed to start construction - once all the components of the building are in place.
Perhaps we should force this analogy into the "building" of computer programs more often - no code until the designers are done! And the designers have to go first!
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