In the inaugural episode of their podcast, Jamie McDonald and John N A Brown, delve into the realm of human-computer interaction with a focus on its future trajectory and was produced by Zhaklina Velcheva at the Robert Gordon University School of Computing.
Jamie and John examine the evolution of human-computer interfaces (HCI), questioning the wisdom of designing technology that demands too much conscious attention. From the limitations of legacy systems like the keyboard and mouse to the challenges of augmented reality (AR), they grapple with the ethical implications of technologies designed to blend seamlessly with our perception, shaping how we communicate and even altering how we see the world. They conclude that the future of a healthy relationship between humanity and technology rests on designing systems that support our conscious goals unconsciously, while protecting us from the dangers of distraction in the real world.
Key Points and Discussion Topics:
- Interfaces Beyond the Screen: The pursuit of intuitive interfaces that move beyond legacy 2D displays to richer 3D interactions.
- The Constraints of Legacy Technology: How keyboards and mice limit our interactions, and why designing for seamless experiences might lead to unintended consequences
- Augmenting (and Altering) Reality: The potential benefits and dangers of AR that manipulates our perception of the people and world around us.
- The Ethics of Seamlessness The pitfalls of a “no-interface” future and why technology must not put us at risk in the real world.
- Conscious Design for Unconscious Use: Imagining technologies like VR and AR that intuitively support our needs, empowering us to decide consciously how and when to engage.
- The Paradox of Control: Are humans cultivating technology, or is technology subtly influencing us? How do we maintain conscious control in this complex relationship?
Show Note: Douglas Engelbart was the inventor John mentioned. The engineer who built that mouse and first used it is his employee/coworker Bill English. This happened in 1963, at Engelbart’s lab, the Augmentation Research Center (funded by DARPA’s IPTO at Stanford because of a paper Englebart wrote called “Augmenting Human Intellect”).
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