Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2011 of type Dual about Interaction Design and User Experience

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Sunday 13th March 2011

• The Music of Interaction Design

  by Cennydd Bowles and James Box

  While both music and design have theoretical underpinnings, they also share a certain ineffability. A musical masterpiece and an exceptionally crafted experience demand more than the simple application of theory. They also demand virtuosity. Designers must skilfully bring together clicks and gestures — the building blocks of interaction design — to form a meaningful experience. Although it's simple to describe these components, we often resort to vague shorthands like 'look & feel' to explain what happens at the experiential layer. Similarly, composers rely on formalised technique to write music; yet ask what makes a piece remarkable and the answer will be similarly nebulous. In this session, we will examine parallels between music and interaction design, including harmony, genre, rhythm, fashion and emotion. Along the way, we will learn how that which defies easy definition can elevate digital and musical works from good to miraculous.

  1. Why do some interactions and some pieces of music—even when they seemingly 'obey' all the rules—still feel wrong?
  2. What is it about music that provokes such a profound emotional response and how can designers learn from it?
  3. Why, despite all expectations, the overflow of information can actually be a rather lovely experience.
  4. Why does innovation actually feel bad?
  5. And finally, just what is 'The Brown Noise'?

  • Arts
  • Interaction Design
  • Music
  • Psychology
  • User Experience

  At 9:30am to 10:30am, Sunday 13th March

  In Ballroom A, Austin Convention Center

Unscheduled

• Adaptive Path: 10 Years Of Making Things Awesome-r [Cancelled?]

  by Jesse James Garrett and Laura Kirkwood-Datta

  Experience design company Adaptive Path launched at South by Southwest 2001 (on the rooftop of the old Waterloo Brewing Company!). Together, we’ve grown up, but we haven’t grown old. From the two guys who helped create a revolution (and some 4-letter neologisms along the way) -- learn how to continually revolutionize your own thinking and approach to your work.

  For 10 years now, Adaptive Path has maintained its position at the forefront of user experience. In that time, UX has emerged from the backroom to the boardroom, going from something that’s “nice to have” to an essential element of successful products and services. In this talk, founders Peter Merholz and Jesse James Garrett will chart where we’ve been, where we’re going, and how we’ll get there.

  This talk will draw from Adaptive Path's experiences working at the vanguard of social media (such as helping Blogger after it was acquired by Google), pushing the boundaries of interaction design (coining the term "Ajax"), developing new user experience methods (such as sketchboarding), defining a new field of experience strategy (we need to work on the why and what, not just the how), and helping companies of all sizes truly embrace the power of user experience to deliver superior products and services to their customers.

  If you’re familiar with Peter and Jesse, you know this session will be light on B.S., heavy on substance, and we’ll probably disagree with each other at multiple points.

  LEVEL: Intermediate

  • Ajax
  • Interaction Design
  • Social Media
  • User Experience

  In Ballroom A, Austin Convention Center

  Coverage link