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A pattern approach to interaction design

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Abstract

To create successful interactive systems, user interface designers need to cooperate with developers and application domain experts in an interdisciplinary team. These groups, however, usually lack a common terminology to exchange ideas, opinions and values. This paper presents an approach that uses pattern languages to capture this knowledge in software development, human-computer interaction (HCI) and the application domain. A formal, domain-independent definition of design patterns allows for computer support without sacrificing readability, and pattern use is integrated into the usability engineering life cycle. As an example, experience from building an award-winning interactive music exhibit was turned into a pattern language, which was then used to inform follow-up projects and support HCI education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Science Department, Stanford University, Gates Building, Room 201, 353 Serra Street, 94305-9020, Stanford, California, USA

    Jan O. Borchers

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  1. Jan O. Borchers
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Correspondence to Jan O. Borchers.

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An earlier version of this paper appeared in theProceedings of the DIS 2000 International Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (16–19 August 2000, New York) and appears by permission of the ACM Press.

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Borchers, J.O. A pattern approach to interaction design. AI & Soc 15, 359–376 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01206115

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