restriction in interfaces

Our physical senses make up an extremely complex system that lets us interact with the world, taking in and interpreting vibrations in the air, light, etc. Any digital interface is an attempt to extend this natural one so that we can take in other types of data and interact with new environments in new ways. Digital interfaces, however, don't only extend our capabilities, but also restrict what we can do in a given environment. They often focus on a certain goal or aspect of our perception. They let us feel like we're moving through a space or controlling a sound, for example. They are more specialized then the senses we use to get around the world and this is part of the reason they are restricted. While reading Soren Pold's article I became interested in this idea of the restriction that comes with any interface and how it affects the experience of interactivity. Pold talks about how the game Max Payne "does not aim to fulfill the notions of interactivity," as players simply follow "a plot that is static, in the past tense, linear, and prescripted." While the progression of the game is clearly pretty limited (which is emphasized by the fact that you start at the end of the story and then work your way back up to that point), I feel it's still interactive and that this kind of interaction can be meaningful and fulfilling. There are restrictions built into the interaction, but this seems impossible to avoid. As S.E. Chaloner pointed out in his post this week, any interface will have boundaries.

However, these boundaries don't need to deny interactivity or freedom to participate. One article I read for another class explains this well. In this article, David Rokeby writes about the experience of certain interactive video pieces: "There is no question that people are given a tangible and 'empowering' experience of creativity from an interaction of this sort. This is preciesely because the medium is 'restricted'. Presenting a limited range of possibilities reduces the likelihood that the interactor will run up against a creative block, and allows the medium to guide the inexperienced hand of the interactor, reducing the fear of incompetence." (Transforming Mirrors, page 8) It's an interesting idea that the restriction is what frees people to interact in new ways. This is true for many examples of digital interfaces, from video games like Max Payne to interactive art work like the video painting pieces I mentioned in my last blog post. By definining what the participant can do (such as carry out a predetermined plot or make colored brushstrokes on a screen), these interfaces push the user to fully explore the possibilities of the system.