Title: The “IxD Bauhaus” – what happens next?
Context: Ornamentation in architecture is criminal says the Bauhaus. Perhaps the same thing is true for interaction design.
Synopsis: Interesting polemic that draws several parallels between the current evolution of interaction design and the historical Bauhaus design movement. The Bauhaus was devoted to reclaiming honest and integrity in the fields of architecture, product and graphic design. After years of superfluous ornamentation it was felt that modern production practices and materials should dictate the look and fell of objects and spaces, not a designer’s personal stylistic predilections (read: form follows function). Is this now starting to happen in our field as well? Is data and content driving layout and interactivity? Does the emergence of the NUI allow us to move away from glass buttons and stop relying on drop shadows as visual cues? Transformation in interaction design is inevitable as the delivery devices and user interfaces themselves change. The question is: are we on the cusp of a design revolution, or are we merely working off a new catalog of design patterns?
Best Bit: “A lot of the movement’s success depends on how users accept such a reductionist approach to visual interactive experiences where there are many hidden cues and authentic digital behavior. It remains to be seen how users respond to the lack of familiarity in the new UX metaphors that were formerly mimicking the physical world.”
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