The discipline of interaction design is currently defined as the ability to design both the physical and cognitive product interface and to integrate them into a successful whole. Working with New Specialists Interaction designers are becoming accustomed to working with new specialists, such as computer programmers and behavioural scientists, in the same way that traditional industrial designers communicate with mechanical engineers and material specialists. This tradition has been strongly present within the practice of industrial design. Rapid and effective methods for studying user performance and behaviour have been developed and consistently applied in product development, often leading to improved product performance and increased market share. Actively involving users in design projects has become a central feature of the industrial design course at the Institute of Design and this has been carried through into the interaction design programme.
Emphasis is placed on user involvement in the design process and early prototype evaluation.
The course has been structured to introduce theory and skills at a point when they are most relevant to concrete project work. At the beginning of each term a major term-project is introduced around which subsequent theoretical courses are built to ensure that skills and knowledge gained have an immediate and practical application. Projects are always carried out in cooperation with companies. Projects have ranged from work on mobile telephones to the control layout and interfaces in logging machines. Range of Skills Students admitted to the interaction design course are expected to have studied traditional design skills such as sketching techniques, form studies and model making, even though additional courses are provided in these subjects.