Interactive design is the design of how two parties interact with each other, which is generally between a human entity and a product/system. When designing an interactive product/system, the aim is to create it so the interaction is fluid and simple. It must feel natural to the user to allow the best and smoothest interactive experience.
The tool bar appears at the top of most Window and Mac applications which gives the user a logical arrangement of options that is easy to understand.
When designing an interactive product/system, one must think about how to address the needs of the user and how to make the interaction easy and smooth for them. Issues such as the capability of the machine, both physically and intellectually, the responsiveness of the machine, the smoothness of the interaction between machine and user, must all be considered when designing an interactive product/system. These issues are very important because they contribute to the natural way of interaction between user and machine.
Nintendo DS, a handheld gaming console that utilises a touch screen for a more interactive gaming experience.
When people think of interactivity, they think touch screens. Today, a lot of new technological devices come with a built in touch screen such as mobile phones, iPod, GPS, Nintendo DS and many other devices. This gives the user the ability to interact with the screen instead of pressing physical buttons. This allows more control than having a single form of input like a button assigned to do a specific task. Touch screens allow many forms of input such as a press of a button or the movement of an on screen pointer. Although it is not always the best idea, because touch screens can sometimes be not as responsive as we want them to be and this creates a disrupted experience for the user. It also means sacrificing the physical feel of the buttons and this rules out users that have a blindness disorder. An interactive designer must ensure that the product is responsive yet give most, if not all users, the best interactive experience possible.
iPhone, a mobile device that can utilise a touch screen keyboard to mimic a computer keyboard for easy typing.
The decision to change the way we use devices that manufacturers have created is all part of the process of creating a better interactive experience, that matches our current lifestyle. They are adopting a design that accommodates our needs in the form of user friendly technology to assist us in our ever changing lives.
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