pS[01]. joey.dt:FB.II.97
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Why am I interested in interface design? It is the core issue in user and computer communication. Without interface, there is no understanding. Without design, the understanding is limited. It is shallow and flacid. It is devoid of the expressive qualities which should prevail in all forms of communication. I find the stage that this discipline is at right now quite depressing. Engineers create interfaces that are more one-to-one mappings between function calls and buttons or dialog boxes. Artists create interfaces heavy with "interface metaphors" and gratuitous visuals. My work tends towards the latter, but I still respect and strive towards cleaner, minimalist design, which embodies the salient features of the interface. The following is an excerot of my general thoughts and goals on interface issues:

Interaction between humans and computers hinges on the development and mutual understanding of new languages and communication models. These are referred to as interface. They involve the mapping of concepts and user actions onto elements of cultural and technological iconography, which are themselves representations of particular digital events. Interface metaphors must partake in and reflect the concept, the physical action and the digital event, as well as bridge the gap between the user and the machine. As such, interfaces often become complex and clumsy. Innovation in the area strives to reduce them to artifacts that are transparent and intuitive, in both a cultural and biological sense.

My interest is not to reduce or simplify the interface metaphors, but to formalize them into new languages, and explore their effect on creative expression and cognitive perception. I am interested in using explicit formal mappings between distinct vocabularies and grammars to facilitate the creation of expressive works. Instead of attempting to hide the interface elements, and assuming that the particular mapping used is irrelevant to the resulting work, I want to place the emphasis on the mapping, and exploit its role in producing content.