Interaction, Interface and Interactivity – The Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools

The rapidity of technological change has produced a myriad of disciplines in the past two decades: interaction design, interface design, user interface (UI) design, user experience (UX) design, experience design, interactive design. While these disciplines are distinct, there are also overlaps. However, there is one element that crosses the boundaries of all these disciplines – interactivity. The proliferation of digital media is happening so rapidly that those working in related design disciplines have little time to consider the new paradigms that have emerged. At the very least, it is important to critically examine these design disciplines, if only to clarify the distinctions between these disciplines. The paper seeks first to establish these distinctions, and secondly to highlight the ways in which interactivity connects them together. It is hoped that doing this will create a foundation upon which a common vocabulary can be developed: one that is shared and understood by all those who work in these disciplines.

About the author

Jo Li Tay is a PhD student in the School of Design and Art at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia. After previously working as a graphic designer in the advertising industry, she now runs her own design studio, Flintmaker, and teaches at Curtin University in the School of Design and Art. With a B.A. and first class Honours in Design and a Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Education, Jo Li’s interests include advertising, graphic design, education, marketing and psychology. She is currently conducting research into interactivity aesthetics and learning.