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INTERACTION DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR INTERACTIVE ...

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y the wider context of the program as a whole: “What makes the experience exciting,<br />

expressive, and empowering is the quality of the content itself and the relationship of the<br />

interaction to it” (Lamont, 2003a). In chapter three I surveyed many persisting television<br />

genres and analyzed the reasons why each type of programming is inherently conducive<br />

to interactivity. The interaction design and content of an iTV program are intimately<br />

connected because the content of the show shapes its form. The interaction model is<br />

derived from the television genre and platform affordances; the principles outlined here<br />

transcend any show in particular.<br />

Principle: Interactivity should be integrated into the program at its conception<br />

This principle may seem obvious, but it is worth stating, particularly because it is<br />

not yet in common practice in the United States. Emma Somerville, BBC’s Head of iTV<br />

Programming, presented this guideline as a vital piece of advice during her keynote<br />

address at the 2004 AFI enhanced TV Workshop. Today, networks often tack<br />

interactivity as a “bonus” onto shows that have already proven to be successful in the<br />

ratings. ITV is so new that even at the AFI workshop, the majority of proposed programs<br />

for the team to work with are established shows such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy<br />

and The Daily Show. It is not yet within the working model of these networks to conceive<br />

of original programming with elements of interactivity built into the program structure<br />

itself. However, to maximize the compelling experience of an interactive program, iTV<br />

programming should be designed from the beginning to be a convergent experience.<br />

According to Scott Gronmark, “currently, almost all interactivity is an afterthought”<br />

(quoted in Gawlinski, 2003).<br />

122

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