I agree with Andrei in principle and practice. I think depending on the organization one is in, the exact skillset required does vary (frog for example defines separate IxD, VisD, and Design Technologist roles). But baseline skills across these areas is certainly advantageous.
I've been posting an exhaustive list of IXD - related skills every couple of years... maybe it bears posting again now. It might be hard to acquire all these skills with any level of proficiency, but ALL are useful in the work we do. INTERACTION DESIGN SKILLS & COMPETENCIES Core Skills Research techniques (qualitative, quantitative, when/why/how to use each) Ethnography and discovery (user goals, motivations, work patterns) User modeling (persona and scenario creation; role-playing) Product design (product-level interactionprinciples and concepts) Interaction design (function-level interactionprinciples and concepts) Interface design (component-level interactionprinciples and concepts) Information architecture/design (content structure/presentation principles) Business Skills Project management Time management Stakeholder/client management Basic business writing (letters, email, meeting notes, summaries) Communications Skills Rhetoric/persuasive writing Expository writing and composition Technical writing Public speaking/presenting Visual communication Interpersonal Skills Mediation & facilitation Active listening Interviewing/observation Team-building/collaboration Usability Skills Knowledge of usability testing methods and principles Knowledge of cognitive psychology principles Media Skills Handling bit-depth, pixel density, and resolution issues Managing color palettes Icon (pixel-level) design GUI/screen layout and composition Page layout and composition Animation Sound design Prototyping (Paper, Visual Basic, HTML, Director, Flash, etc.) Knowledge of file formats and tradeoffs Technical Skills Understanding of basic computer/programming principles, tools, technologies GUI development principles, tools, technologies Database principles, tools, technologies Understanding of software/hw development processes (specs, coding, testing) Knowledge of existing/new technologies and constraints Knowledge of mechanical engineering and manufacturing (for HW devices) Tools Skills PowerPoint Visio / Omnigraffle Photoshop / Fireworks Illustrator Flash/AfterEffects InDesign Word, Excel, etc. Dreamweaver, etc (for web-based applications) Personal Skills Empathy Passion Humor Skepticism Analytical thinking Ability to synthesize information (identify salient points) Ability to visualize solutions (before they are built) Robert Reimann IxDA Seattle Associate Creative Director frog design Seattle, WA On Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 10:40 AM, Andrei Herasimchuk < aherasimc...@involutionstudios.com> wrote: > > On Mar 10, 2009, at 8:59 AM, Russell Wilson wrote: > > Why is that surprising??? We (us, the industry, etc.) have to agree >> on a name for our role. >> > > Agreed. > > This contains two pieces: > > 1) A formal name, which has been beaten to death (by me of course). But too > many people still think is a non-issue when it's obviously been one for at > least two decades. I still claim "interface designer" is far more > appropriate for the *software* medium, which will also include pretty much > everything that requires code and a screen as its end product. I'm not > concerned with IxD as it pertains to industrial design or general product > design or systems design. However, if "interaction designer" is going to be > the term and that term is going to be pushed onto the software world and > shared by other industries, it has to stick. The HR people need something to > stick, and we do too. > > 2) What the role does. This is actually more important. > > I got derided at IxDA for making the claim that "interaction" designers > need to learn how to draw. I still found that reaction to be the most > telling moment of the conference and where this community stands in the year > 2009. (Which is, still not far along as some think is or wish it was) Some > agree with me, many vehemently seem to oppose the notion for reasons I have > yet to get. > > Well, it's 2009. Saffer said it as well, Time to wake up. > > If the title in the software world is going to be called "interaction > design" then that person needs to know these hard skills: > > * Understand type, color and layout composition/grid and can execute on > those design fundamentals with their own two hands > * Know the fundamentals of I/O and behavior with hardware (like a mouse and > keyboard, and now with multi-touch displays) > * Understand how algorithms, code, frameworks, databases and other software > engineering aspects of the product work under the hood > * Draw and sketch with real pen, pencil and paper > * Use professional software tools to make design and process deliverables > (specs, mockups, wireframes, posters, etc) > * Use professional creative software tools to make production ready, final > assets that ship in the release build > * Write code at the HTML, CSS and JavaScript/ActionScript level to build > prototypes; more is always better > * Create an interface architecture and strategy that can be coded and built > within schedule constraints > * Write specs and documentation > > There are a variety of softer skills needed as well: > > * Communicate product vision > * Conduct or lead research team with customers > * Be the customer/use advocate and expert > * Communicate with managers, directors and executives about the state of > the project > * [Insert a few of your own here] > > Without these skills, the Joel Spolsky's of the world will continue to do > what they do and claim someone else does your job, because in the end the > person they are looking for to help them design their software is what I > listed above. And they are right to do so quite frankly. > > -- > Andrei Herasimchuk > > Chief Design Officer, Involution Studios > innovating the digital world > > e. and...@involutionstudios.com > c. +1 408 306 6422 > > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
