A Unified Theory of Design

Nathan Shedroff has also been another source material that I've been reading up on over the Christmas, as pointed out in one of my tutorials before. He offers a unified theory of  information, interaction and sensorial design. As one can see, it has been represented through a Venn diagram, illustrating that one encompasses the other and vice versa. However, it is not just limited to this framework.

According to Nathan, the three disciplines are defined as follows:

• "Information Design addresses the organization and presentation of data: its transformation into valuable, meaningful information. While the creation of this information is something we all do to some extent, it has only recently been identified as a discipline with proven processes that can be employed or taught."

• Interaction Design "is essentially story-creating and telling, is at once both an ancient art and a new technology."

• "Sensorial Design is simply the employment of all techniques with which we communicate to others through our senses."

Information Design does not replace that of graphics and other visual design, but rather it acts as a larger structure in which these types of disciplines are expressed. As mapped by this continuum, we see the extensive relationships between data, information, knowledge and wisdom.

The Continuum of Understanding

We start with the least useful understanding in the continuum: data. It is generally not seen as a product of communication because most of us won't be interested in raw, abstract findings. However, it is first and foremost the product of discovery for the designer. Contextualising this outlook with my academic background in Fine Art, I wholeheartedly agree. The backing work and research that one often produces for assessments in support of the final product, i.e. the finished artwork installed and exhibited. The backing work will only serve as clutter after the ouvre has been marked. Usually, the backing work is withdrawn and the final product remains to be presented in public view. I usually get iffy when I see a sketchbook or a pile of papers near an exhibit. It suggests to me that the artwork itself will not work alone without the rough backing work, and I find that I frown upon that. A sketchbook can be nice at times, but when attending an art exhibition, I wish to make the interpretation of the final pieces themselves and not have developmental litter obscure it. Artist statements I'm a bit more lenient about.

Anyway, data then becomes information when it is collated, organised and presented in a context that delivers more coherent patterns and meanings. The data is also determined in what is the most appropriate information that can be presented (and in my arty view: the artwork itself, and maybe a definitive statement). 

Knowledge is then produced by the incorporation of information with our existing understanding and in this continuum is the participatory stage of communication. But it can only be communicated through persuasive interactions that allow people to recognise the patterns and meanings in information per se.

Wisdom, right at the end of the continuum, is perhaps the most abstract of all understandings. At this word, I can only imagine a viewer stopping to look at an artwork in a gallery, interact with it maybe, break down and weep tears of joy/sadness in the grip of an overwhelming revelation. As described by Nathan, wisdom is "the 'meta-knowledge' of processes and relationships gained through experiences. It is the result of contemplation, evaluation, retrospection, and interpretation--all of which are particularly personal processes." It is hard to share this kind of understanding, and we certainly cannot create it like data and information. Wisdom is solely for the individual, which is why another could never comprehend what the weeping spectator is going through. I think this is where emotional design would come in. An experience I can relate to this understanding may come through the 2012 game, Journey (see previous posts on video games).

Organising

Organisation is the crucial element into collating and arranging data into information for effective communication. This process determines the impact in which it is understood by others. There are many ways of organising data into comprehensive information, depending on what context they're in e.g. time sequences, alphabetical, numbers, etc.

Interaction Design focuses on the creation of experiences that are effective, helpful and appropriate. Looking at my own course, Interaction Design is mostly under the umbrella of the Performance Arts, considering that some of my lessons are shared with those doing Puppetry, Animation and Film-making. On my part, Performance focuses more the interactivity of products and designs.

Nathan has again provided another continuum of this discipline:

The Continuum of Interactivity

Feedback in an interactive product would enable the person to perceive his/her actions when engaging it. This can be related to control, as people at this stage control what happens to the response of their interaction.

Creativity and productivity are also related aspects of the continuum. For example, if you remember me linking Silkweave a few months back, you'll find that I also posted a few examples of what others had created from it. A quick google search can yield a lot more. Higher interactivity basically helps more in creative and informative endeavours; especially artistic ones like Silkweave. Simply put, creative interactivity means more creativity. Productivity can be said for, say, any musical instrument when learning to play one. I'm currently learning the piano, and have a proper chair, stand and keyboard that behaves exactly like an authentic piano to learn, and eventually compose my own music (once I get the hang of music theory).

Communication is where we interact with others, and is such a broad spectrum of anything in Performance Art. One shares experiences, stories and opinions with others in this light. It can happen at an exhibition, a musical concert, a multiplayer video game, the telephone, cocktail parties (as Nathan describes) etc. 

Then you finally have adaptivity. This is where the technology that changes the experience based on the behaviour of the user, which include agents, which "are processes that can be set to run autonomously, performing specific, unsupervised (or lightly supervised) activities and reporting back when finished. Modifying behaviors are those that change the tools and/or content involved based on the actions of techniques of the user." This is very apparent in video games, where the levels get harder as the player becomes more proficient and progresses further. 

Another way to illustrate adaptivity is through Nathan's Experience Cube:

The cube basically maps feedback and control as a single-dimension, with creativity, productivity and communication grouped in another. Adaptivity remains in its own dimension.

Sensorial Design simply encompasses all categories of those disciplines involved with the creation and presentation of media. It includes any design undertaking associated to the purposeful stimulation of senses.

I have interpreted this information mainly from Information Interaction Design: A Unified Theory of Design. A far more detailed insight into the Unified Theory of Design can be found here in nice, crispy pdf form.