Re: [microsound] music in the digital age

[Alex Young <alex@xxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 2004-02-12 at 14:44, tomoroh hidari stummer wrote:
> i think one of the problems here might be the confusion of the words 
> "interface" with "graphical interface".

You might want to consider 'human interface' and then everything else. 
Then you can have things like peripherals (mice, joysticks, keyboards),
the screen, the way they all work together, etc.


> this is connected to a second point, that those designing the interface
> often see it more as a feature to "sell" their product and not as a
> necessity to use the product, therefore they try to make it appeal to
> a target audience, as broad as possible.
> everything is constructed to appeal at first sight, but has no depth 
> (personal configurability) for personal indentification(adaption). or
> "everybody can use it, but few can put it to use properly".

People who design interfaces aren't marketing staff.  They are most
likely familiar and possibly take part in research in Human Computer
Interaction.  They attempt to understand how and why a user interacts
with software a certain way, using ideas from psychology where possible
(an obvious example is the 7 +/- 2 rule).

An example of what an interface designer might do is try to make certain
aspects of their interface afford certain actions.  When you see a door
knob, for example, it affords you putting your hand on it and turning
it.  When you see something change colour when your mouse moves over it,
it makes you want to click on it.

Commercial software is obviously influenced by the brand that produces
the software, as users of software made by Apple, Propellerheads, Native
Instruments and Steinberg will be aware.  However, this branding doesn't
necessarily dictate how the interface should behave, which is a separate
and very serious subject - not (just) an attempt to sell something.

> "meta-interfaces" or "lower level interfaces" in programs

Try doing:

define:"application program interface"
define:"message passing"
define:"interprocess communication"
define:"web services"

with google for some interesting reading on this topic :)

-- 
http://alex.bash.sh


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