SITUATED INTERACTION AND COGNITION IN THE WILD, WILD WORLD: UNLEASHING THE POWER OF USERS AS INNOVATORS
Keywords:
Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Situated Cognition, Usability, Multimedia, Mobile ApplicationsAbstract
Taking the user into account in the design of multimedia and mobile applications is now common and accepted. However, aside from the verbal recognition of the importance of the role of users and the implementation of usability and human factors, their consequences have not systematically changed product development and design practices. Usability research and testing play a minor role in comparison to technical possibilities, process management and economic considerations in the development phase. Therefore, we take a closer look at the user and the human cognitive and interactive capabilities according to today’s Cognitive Science approaches like Situated Cognition. What effect would it have if we took the Situated, Embodied Cognition view seriously? Would it really make a difference in design and development practices? And would it make a difference to the implementation of other cognitive approaches like the Symbol Manipulation (Information Processing) or Connectionist (Parallel Distributed Cognition) views that might play a background role in guiding professional practices? This paper draws parallels between the development of Cognitive Science and the fields of Human Computer Interaction and Usability and puts forward the claim that a serious consideration of current thinking and knowledge regarding the situatedness and embodiment of human cognition fundamentally changes our assumptions and actions regarding the role of schemes, situations, intentions and functions, tools and environments, and the role of cooperation in the design of mobile and multimedia applications.
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