About the Book
In The Semiotic Engineering of Human-Computer Interaction Clarisse Sieckenius de Souza proposes an account of HCI that draws on concepts from semiotics and computer science to investigate the relationship between user and designer. Semiotics is the study of signs, and the essence of semiotic engineering is the communication between designers and users at interaction time; designers must somehow be present in the interface to tell users how to use the signs that make up a system or program. This approach, which builds on - but goes further than - the currently dominant user-centered approach, allows designers to communicate their overall vision and therefore helps users understand designs - rather than simply which icon to click. According to de Souza's account, both designers and users are interlocutors in an overall communication process that takes place through an interface of words, graphics, and behavior. Designers must tell users what they mean by the artifact they have created, and users must understand and respond to what they are being told.
By coupling semiotic theory and engineering, de Souza's approach to HCI design encompasses the principles, the materials, the processes, and the possibilities for producing meaningful interactive computer system discourse and achieves a broader perspective than cognitive, ethnographic, or ergonomic approaches. De Souza begins with a theoretical overview and detailed exposition of the semiotic engineering account of HCI. She then shows how this approach can be applied specifically to HCI evaluation and design of online help systems, customization and end-user programming, and multiuser applications. Finally, she reflects on the potential and opportunities for research in semiotic engineering.
About the Author :
Clarisse Sieckenius de Souza is Associate Professor and Founder of the Semiotic Research Group, Department of Computer Science, at Pontifícia Universidad Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bonnie A. Nardi is Professor of Informatics in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, and Cofounder of Center for Research in Sustainability, Collapse-preparedness, and Information Technology there. She is the coauthor of Acting with Technology (MIT Press). Victor Kaptelinin is Professor in the Department of Informatics at Umeå University, Sweden, and Professor in the Department of Information Science and Media Studies at the University of Bergen, Norway. He is coeditor of Beyond the Desktop Metaphor: Designing Integrated Digital Work Environments (MIT Press, 2007). Kirsten A. Foot is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington, and lead author of Web Campaigning (MIT Press).
Review :
"By using new terminology to recast received HCI wisdom, de Souza suddenly expands our horizon with innovative and promising conceptual tools. She is mercifully sparing with semiotic jargon and her choice of examples is compelling. Enjoyable, stimulating, and unexpected."--Thomas Green, Department of Computer Science, University of Leeds "A revolution in design and the role of computer science is upon us: "Where the Action Is" describes the way. In the old days, the focus was upon the technology and "computing," hence the interest is the interface between humans and machines -- us versus them. Not anymore. As Dourish so cogently explains, design should not be about tasks and their requirements, or applications, or computing -- design is really about interaction, with a focus on ubiquity, tangibility, and most of all, shared awareness, intimacy, and emotions. This is a revolution badly needed: It's about time."--Don Norman, Nielsen Norman Group and Northwestern University, author of *Emotional Design* "Brenda Laurel's startup company, 'Purple Moon,' failed, but her travails provided a powerful learning experience. This engaging book, written in a style that is uniquely Brenda, tells the story. More importantly, it shows how to move forward to a positive humanistic culture, where technology and media provide rich, rewarding experiences."--Don Norman, Nielsen Norman Group and Northwestern University, author of *Emotional Design* "Paper is the old-fashioned technology that refuses to die--and for good reason. As this pioneering study by Sellen and Harper shows, paper supports many needs and work styles better than any other medium. As a result, paper is the perfect complement to electronic documents, superior at many things, inferior at many. Want to know if an organization is working efficiently? Sellen and Harper say to check the wastebaskets--they should be full. This book shows the power of studying the real behavior of people and organizations."--Don Norman, Nielsen Norman Group and Northwestern University, author of *Emotional Design*Please note: Endorser gives permission to excerpt from quote. "This is the first book to provide a broad view of how our interaction with computers is intertwined with our physical world. Dourish gives a wealth of examples of innovations in computer technologies, along with a deep grounding in the philosophical, psychological, and sociological issues and theories. The book is unique in combining great breadth of intellectual underpinnings with a clear explanation that elucidates the relationships between the fields without falling prey to the jargon of either. Everyone interested in seeing where computer interaction is leading us in the coming century will benefit from the wide view and clear perspective that Dourish presents."--Terry Winograd, Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University "Hurrah for Ben Shneiderman. The old computing was about technology, the new is about people. Easy to say, difficult to do. Shneiderman has long argued that people do come first: Now he tells how. Leonardo's Laptop is required reading for those who wish to use technology for the benefit of people."--Don Norman, Nielsen Norman Group and Northwestern University, author of *Emotional Design* "This will be *the* book -- the book that summarizes how the technology of interaction came into being and prescribes how it will advance in the future. Written by the designer who was there, who helped make it happen, who pioneered the digital revolution. Essential, exciting, and a delight for both eyes and mind."--Don Norman, Nielsen Norman Group and Northwestern University, author of *Emotional Design*
