Where the Action Is
Paul Dourish • 2001
In Short
A computer scientist uncovers foundations for an embodied perspective on interactive technology.
In Depth
Who's the author?
Paul Dourish is a computer scientist and professor of informatics researching human-computer interaction. He teaches at University of California, Irvine. He has also done work at Xerox PARC and the Apple’s research labs.
What's the intention?
Dourish is writing towards a specific thesis on the role that the concept of embodiment can play in the design of computer technology. Drawing from theory in phenomenology and sociology, his idea of embodied interaction is focused on how meaning is uncovered not through abstract models, but through direct experience of the everyday world and our technologies. He believes this is in contrast to the prevailing perspective in computer science and aims to set foundations for this alternative approach, using tangible and social computing as examples.
Who's it for?
The book is written for computer scientists and technology designers. It is also somewhat academic and proposes a number of potential interdisciplinary bridges for researchers of technology and society. Overall, it feels written as a primer for the idea of embodied interaction and offers more intriguing possibilities than defined practices.
So what?
As someone with a background in computer science, I recognize the abstract, cognitivist perspective to which Dourish is trying to provide an alternative. It permeates the way technologists think about technology and lets them accomplish much. But the problem comes when we realize that computer systems involve both technology and people, at which point abstraction proves to be a poor practice for accommodating human experience. I think the book is worth reading because in presenting even a sketch of an alternative, it causes us to consider that the dominant approach to technology design is not the only one available.
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On Embodiment and Meaning
Embodiment • Everyday
The cognitivist frame, one that separates representation from action, has shaped the design of computer technologies. Embodied interaction is an alternative perspective that prioritizes our interaction with the real, everyday world as the site of meaningful experiences with technology.
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On Coupling By Users, Not Designers
Embodiment • Human-centeredness • Participatory Design
Users build the intentional relationships between objects through use, not the designer. Instead of planning for specific scenarios of use, designers should consider how an object is made available for appropriation and adaptation.
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On How Technologies Participate in the World They Represent
Technology • Embodiment
Technology can represent information, but it also embedded in the world and practices of the people who use it. When designing, consider the information that is not carried directly by the technology, but communicated through its use.
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On Accountability in a Community of Practice
Human-centeredness • Situatedness
When designing technology for a community of practice, pay attention to how action is taken, not just what action is taken. The observability and understandability of action in context, its accountability, is a necessary part of how a result is achieved.