BasicsBasics
What is aesthetics? What is aesthetics of interaction? Ideals.
Issues. Problems. Possibilities. Ideas.
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
What is aesthetics of interaction
What is aesthetics of interaction?
Write down your current idea in a yfew sentences.
Do NOT use fluffy terms like ”beauty” (what is beautiful
?beauty (what is beautiful,
anyway?) Try to be exact.
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Aesthetics
Which one do you find th ti ?more aesthetic?
– Snails?– Flowers?– The photo in itself?– Something else?– None?
Why?y
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Aesthetics = beauty?
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Aesthetics
Which one do you find th ti ?more aesthetic?
– Snails?– Flowers?– The photo in itself?– Something else?– None?
Why?y
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Aesthetics = beauty?
First issue: What is aesthetics?
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Aesthetics…
The word ”aesthetics” was coined by German philosopher Alexander Baumgarten in his book ”Aesthetica” in 1750.
The word is a combination of two Greek words:– Aisthonamai = (to) sense (as in: become aware of)– Aisthesis = to experience through the senses
--> dual meaning: knowledge vs experience via the senses
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Aesthetics in Philosophy 18th Cen.
Hume, Kant & others redefined Baumgarten’s i i l i th ti tt f t toriginal meaning…aesthetics = a matter of taste– Defines what is beautiful in a “measurable” way– Can be learnt by studying canon at concerts, exhibitions
and play
”Beauty is such an order and construction of parts, as either by the primary constitution of our nature, by custom, or by caprice, is fitted to give a pleasure and satisfaction to the soul.”
– David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature, Volume II,
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Book II, Part I, section VIII ”Of beauty and deformity”
Aesthetics in Philosophy: 18th Cen.
Kant: the aesthetic judgment– The aesthetic judgment of taste is not a cognitive
judgment, and therefore not logical, but aesthetical I d d l d b d l– It is individual and sincere, based on emotional response and esteem (not feelings, moral considerations etc.)
Th th ti j d t i li d th b tif l The aesthetic judgment is applied on the beautiful only, and it is disinterested
– Not on the pleasant/satisfying - we have an interest in it– Not on the good - since we want to attain it so we have an
i i iinterest in it.
Pure judgments of taste are in a sense universal
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Aesthetics in Philosophy 20ieth Cen.
Analyst aesthetics– objects can/should be analyzed from an aesthetical
standpoint regardless of context
“…it is necessary to consider what things are such that, if they existed by themselves, in absolute isolation, we should yet judge their existence to be good”
– G. E. Moore, Principia Ethica, 1903, § 112.
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Aesthetics in Philosophy 20ieth Cen.
Pragmatist aesthetics– John Dewey: the aesthetic experience– Several followers in interaction design
“An experience has a unity that gives it its name, thatl th t t th t t f f i d hi ”meal, that storm, that rupture of friendship”
– John Dewey in ”Art as Experience” 1934, p. 38
Somaesthetics (Shusterman and others)– Soma = body, involving the bodily experience in one’s
appreciation of the aesthetic; what is sensed by the senses b l h h b d d
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
but also how the body moves and operates
Aesthetics in Philosophy
– Baumgarten: knowledge through the sensesH B i f hi h b– Hume: Beauty is a matter of taste, which can be trained. ”Beauty [is what] gives a pleasure and satisfaction to the soul ”satisfaction to the soul.
– Kant: The aesthetic judgment is universal, disinterested, based on emotional response and esteemdisinterested, based on emotional response and esteem
– Analyst aesthetics: The properties of the artifact alone are what matters
– Pragmatist aesthetics: the aesthetic experience, a ”whole”
– Somaesthetics: Involving both mind and bodily sensation in the aesthetic experience
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Aesthetics in IxD
There are a some aesthetic ideals that surface i d i i diff t di i li d th tagain and again, in different disciplines… and that
reappear in interaction design too…
– CoherencyEmotion & Pleasure
(Coherency)(Emotion)– Emotion & Pleasure
– PragmatismSomaesthetics & Tangibility
(Emotion)
(Sensing)– Somaesthetics & Tangibility– Provocation & Criticism
Functionalism & Usability
( g)
(Criticism)(Effi i )– Functionalism & Usability
– Playfulness, Intrigue & Challenge(Efficiency)(Playfulness)
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Ideals…
Think of aesthetic ideals as ”beauty ideals”– They differ from time to time– People have different opinions
Self portrait by Raphael, Juan Gris’ portrait of Picasso (public domain), press picture of Robert Pattinson
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Aesthetic Ideals in Ixd
We will spend considerable time on these, but h ’ i k th hhere’s a quick run-through:
Ideal: Efficiency– Nielsen– Norman (in the early days)– HCI in generalHCI in general
Rooted in functionalism (”form follows function”)Rooted in functionalism ( form follows function )– Industrial design ideal…
d ld d l f & l
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
– …in turn rooted in older ideals from art & religion
Ideal: Coherency
Coherency in IxD– Hallnäs & Redström: expression logic– Coherency in design also strong HCI-ideal
Old, reoccuring ideal– Ancient Greece & Ulm industrial design school (1950ies):
Coherency by numbers– Alberti (15th cen.): Coherency by ”istoria”– Industrial design ideals: Semantics, gestalt
(Lecture on Friday)
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Ideal: Emotion & Pleasure
Emotion in IxD:– Donald Norman (2003); Emotional
design; why we love or hate everyday thingsthings
– Overbeeke et al (2002): ”interfaces should be surprising seductive smart ”be surprising, seductive, smart…
– Strommen (1998): When the interface is a talkning dinosaur; AIBOstalkning dinosaur; AIBOs
Evoking emotions has always been important in art
(L t t W d d )
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
(Lecture next Wednesday)
Ideal: Criticism
Criticism in IxD– Dunne & Raby– STATIC!-project (Backlund et al
2006)2006)– Slow Technology (Hallnäs &
R d t ö 2002)Redström 2002)
Rooted in art and literatureRooted in art and literature– Avant garde art– Memphis Group– Memphis Group– Performance art
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
(Lecure next Wednesday)
Ideal: Sensing
Sensing in IxD– Tangibility; Dajajdiningrat, Frens, Vensveen– Pragmatism; Graves Petersen et al– Somaesthetics
Rooted in philosophy & ergonomicsRooted in philosophy & ergonomics– Dewey & Shusterman
G b– Gibson– Laban
(Lecture week 3)
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Ideal: Playfulness
Playfulness, ambiguity, reflection– Playfulness: The whole game industry!– Reflection/intrigue: Dunne, Gaver– Intrigue, entertainment: Lundgren
Rooted in game design but also in artRooted in game design but also in art– Games are an ancient pastime
h A b ld– Intrigue in art: Escher, Arcimboldo– Playfulness in industrial design:
M di i Al iMendini, Alessi
(Lecture week 3)
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Ideals: Pros
Ideals work well as aims for design– Aims = a certain usefulness–Strong ideals
Inspiration, tools & techniques can be found in other disciplinesother disciplines
They help de-mystifies the ”aesthetic issue”; aesthetics is not One Truth
Allows for switching ideal(s) between projects
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Ideals: Cons
The list is by no means final– Sustanability, security, social…
More than one ideal in a designMore than one ideal in a design– E.g. wheelchair for kids; efficient and playful
AIBO d f l i d– AIBO dogs feature equal amounts emotion and playfulness?Coherency always present?!– Coherency always present?!
No clear borders between idealsNo clear borders between ideals– Ideals in a design can strengthen each other and be
unseparable; e.g. criticism & design
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
p ; g g
Ideals: Cons & Solutions
Ideals are too over-arching: Solution; three-level happroach
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Ideals: Cons & Solutions
Use ideals as a way to express aim, and discuss f lfill t?! Id th th tifulfillment?!: Idea – the aesthetic sun
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
This is where you come in…
In rationales:– Express three levels– Express sun
In feedback:– Express sun
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Summary: What is it
There are several different views on aesthetics of i t tiinteraction:
Coherency EfficiencyEmotion SensingCriticism Playfulness
They can serve as aims for design
They exist in other disciplines too, so inspiration and tools can be found thereand tools can be found there
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Second issue: Where ”is” it?
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Where ”is” it?
Analyst aesthetics: in the object’s properties alone
Pragmatist aesthetics: In the experience of using g p gthe object; i.e. object properties, user’s mind, use context… it all matters.
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Where ”is” it
IxD-views on the ”location”– Hallnäs & Redström: only in the object– Landin: In the object, but we aim to design an experience– Lim et al: Appears in interaction– Löwgren: Appears in use– Graves Petersen et al: In the experience of use– Djajadningrat et al: In the bodily experience of use
No consensus here either; we leave it out of the ;course for now
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
The ”location” has consequences
What do we need to consider when d i i th th ti ( )?desiging the aesthetic(s)?
– The shape, the materials, the color(s)
Analy
Com
m
Prag
– How it feels, looks, smells, tastes, sounds, moves...
h ”d ” h b hyst aesthe
mon desi
matist
– What it ”does”, how it behaves?etics
igner sta
– Context; when and where it is to be used
nce
– The user’s mindset, creating the experience
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
experience
Third issue: Is it ”good”g
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Does the aesthetic have to be ”good” or positive?p(and for whom)
Disc ss!Discuss!
Sus Lundgren fall 2010
Homework!
This afternoon: Read papers & prepare home work– Home work groups created now– Literature groups: Create yourselves
Homework: Show & TellFi d ONE i i d ( ) h hi k i– Find ONE interactive product (per group) that you think is really ”good” (what is good?)Find ONE interactive product (per group) that you think is– Find ONE interactive product (per group) that you think is really ”bad” (what is bad?)
Friday: Exercise – the New Office Assistant– Read Janlert & Stolterman
Sus Lundgren fall 2010