NOVEMBER 30, 2006
Design
By Helen Walters
Thoughts of a Design Pioneer
In his new book, Designing Interactions, IDEO co-founder Bill Moggridge profiles the most influential designers in the history of Silicon Valley
This is one hell of a book, and not just because at 766 pages, it requires a certain amount of strength to merely pick it up. Part history lesson, part computer science thesis, part design education, part personal design philosophy, it is fascinating, inspirational, occasionally baffling, and often hilarious.
It also provides intimate insight into a time and place already legendary in both design and business circles—the beginnings of the first tech boom in Silicon Valley that flourished in the 1970s. The author, designer Bill Moggridge, may not have been on hand to witness what was going on from the very beginning, having only moved with his family from his native England to Palo Alto, Calif., in 1979, but he soon became close with many of those designers, scientists, and engineers who would later be recognized (in some cases, not widely enough) as the true pioneers of the time.
Well Connected Moggridge can easily lay claim to the title of pioneer, having been instrumental in designing the first laptop, the GRiD Compass of 1981. He has remained at the forefront of interaction design (he's widely credited with coining the phrase in the first place), and in 1991 he cofounded a firm that is now one of the most recognizable names in the creative industries: innovation/industrial/experience design specialists, IDEO. He remains immersed in both user interface design and design education, having lectured at the Royal College of Art in London, the London Business School and at Stanford University.
So it's safe to say that Moggridge knows what he's talking about, and the opening chapters of this hefty tome are a treat, as well as an impromptu history lesson. Interviews with key players such as Doug Engelbart (inventor of the original mouse), Larry Tesler (instrumental in the design of the early Lisa computer from Apple), and Tim Mott (who developed the first desktop publishing system and later went on to found both Electronic Arts (ERTS) and Macromedia) are a salient reminder of a time not so long ago, which now seems like the Dark Ages. Moggridge's personal connection with everyone he interviews makes it feel like you're eavesdropping at an affectionately nostalgic dinner party and allows a privileged insight into some very personal reminiscences.
Take GRiD founder John Ellenby's recollection of a 1982 meeting with Bill Gates, to discuss the potential of incorporating MS-DOS into a newer version of the Compass. "We showed them what we were doing and Bill says, 'This is great. Of course we'll do a special version of MS-DOS for you.' I could have reached across the table and given this guy a kiss." Then there's the photograph of Microsoft mouse developer, Paul Bradley, "enjoying karaoke". This is undoubtedly not the corporate portrait on file.
Respect for the Past But the book isn't all about happy nostalgia or mutual back slapping. Mistakes are cheerfully owned up to, and future hopes and dreams are outlined. What's striking about pretty much all of the designers Moggridge interviews is a sense of humility combined with a determination to continue their quest to achieve even more.
There's real respect for what has gone before—as well as a desire to overwrite it all together. Cordell Ratzlaff designed the operating system interfaces for Apple (AAPL), including the current OSX. Moggridge quotes him saying: "There is nothing that I would not consider changing.…The computer is just a tool. As interaction designers, we need to remember that it is not about the interface, it's about what people want to do! To come up with great designs, you need to know who those people are and what they are really trying to accomplish."
The absolute refusal to rest on laurels, or to feel that when a job is done, it is time to pack up and go home, is a prevalent attitude that contains a lesson for everyone.
Design's Future The second half of the book looks to the future of design, including interviews with important figures such as Will Wright (designer of The Sims), interactive design guru and MIT Media Lab professor, John Maeda; and British fine artists Tony Dunne and Fiona Raby, among many others. Thinking about future paradigms is another reminder to the reader that there's still much to be done. Maeda, for example, details his plans to create a Bauhaus for the 21st century and his quest to promote a return to simplicity within digital media. Again, there's an insightful, bluntly honest quote: "I think that anyone who says they know the future is on drugs or something. I mean, I don't know what the future is; I don't claim to. I claim that we can make our own future, and I'm making that future."
Criticisms? Well, sometimes there's an assumption that readers will be instantly au fait with some quite complex technical references, which can be a little baffling at times, though in the main all becomes clear before long. The book's design itself is well done, though some of the signposting of upcoming interviews or profiles can feel a little heavy-handed. More than likely, this is intentional, a tacit acknowledgement that a reader is less likely to choose Designing Interactions as ideal bedtime reading and much more likely to dip into a chapter here and there.
Fittingly, this book is more than just a book. An accompanying DVD contains two-to-three minute snippets from 37 of the 40 interviews. With 100 minutes of content, this is a chance to get to know some of the designers quoted on the page and to get a real sense of their often irreverent personalities. Some of their ideas are pretty complex, and the book can be quite dense at times, despite the charming writing. So the DVD offers great instant insights. Larry Page and Sergey Brin (interviewed in 2002 before Google went public) are endearingly geeky, Stanford professor Terry Winograd is impressively articulate, "digital diva" Brenda Laurel is charmingly insightful. An accompanying Web site is another great companion—with a simple, user-friendly interface. Well, anything else would just be embarrassing.
Published by The MIT Press, Designing Interactions is available now.
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