Press On: Principles of Interaction Programming (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Interaction designers often espouse general principles for creating more usable and satisfying systems. This book shows that to make those principles work, the designer needs to conduct rigorous analysis of the details of interaction, within a coherent formal framework. Through a wide-ranging collection of interaction examples and clear expositions of the relevant mathematics, Thimbeleby demonstrates that careful analysis can improve our interactions with digital devices of all kinds. The book will be of value to anyone who creates interfaces to computers and electronic devices, from the smallest to the most complex."
—Terry Winograd, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University

"Interface device design and computer science theory often seem worlds apart, where each challenges the constraints and demands of the other. This unique book is a counterpoint. Thimbleby clearly shows how hard-core computer science concepts contribute to the clarity and precision of device design, leading in turn to better design critique and redesign."
—Saul Greenberg, Professor and iCORE/SMART Industrial Research Chair, University of Calgary

"This is an important book, moving interaction design from an art form to a science. Harold Thimbleby provides a treasure trove of information, introducing powerful methods, yet so skillfully explained that even the non-technical reader can follow and learn. The methods promise to make dramatic improvements in the design and evaluation of interactive systems. Don't worry: the formal tools are introduced slowly, step-by-step. Even if you normally fear such methods, you will be entranced and enchanted. Buy this book and use it. I know I will."
—Don Norman, Nielsen Norman group and Northwestern University, author of The Design of Future Things

Product Description

Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2008. and Winner, Computer and Information Sciences category, 2007 Professional/Scholarly Publishing Awards for Excellence Competition presented by the Association of American Publishers, Inc.

Interactive systems and devices, from mobile phones to office copiers, do not fulfill their potential for a wide variety of reasons—not all of them technical. Press On shows that we can design better interactive systems and devices if we draw on sound computer science principles. It uses state machines and graph theory as a powerful and insightful way to analyze and design better interfaces and examines specific designs and creative solutions to design problems. Programmers—who have the technical knowledge that designers and users often lack—can be more creative and more central to interaction design than we might think. Sound programming concepts improve device design.

Press On provides the insights, concepts and programming tools to improve usability. Knowing the computer science is fundamental, but Press On also shows how essential it is to have the right approaches to manage the design of systems that people use. Particularly for complex systems, the social, psychological and ethical concerns—the wider design issues—are crucial, and these are covered in depth.

Press On highlights key principles throughout the text and provides cross-topic linkages between chapters and suggestions for further reading. Additional material, including all the program code used in the book, is available on an interactive web site. Press On is an essential textbook and reference for computer science students, programmers, and anyone interested in the design of interactive technologies.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (November 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262201704
• ISBN-13: 978-0262201704
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #655,515 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From a software project manager's perspective, November 22, 2008

By	C. Shen - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Part of my job is to analyze customer needs for enterprise web applications and then translate the needs into requirements for developers to implement. I have been enjoying this book and its treatment on taking computer science approach to design better user experience. The author Harold Thimbleby has done a good job in presenting the material in a very engaging approach.