The importance of history for Interaction Design

As an interaction designer, it is very important to know the history of interaction design. On the one hand, learning history can help us understand where are the things that we learn and make come from. On the other hand, the experience from the predecessors will also enlighten us. These will help us find and solve problems in a better way. Interaction designers should not only be limited to individuals. We should satisfy the wider range of needs, thus creating more efficient and reasonable interaction logic and design.

Around 1041-1048, movable type printing was invented in China. Compared with handwritten words, movable type printing is more efficient, more standardized and don’t make misunderstand. it also reduces the cost of using words by ordinary people. But something more important is that it makes people think about the possibility of letter itself. In this way, different types have been invented, and as time goes on, people created more types which not only convey information in a better way but also take into account the aesthetic feeling.

Leonardo da Vinci was a great inventor and artist during the Renaissance. He trying to combined science and art. And he dared to think and record every idea with sketch faithfully. In my opinion, as the interaction designers, we also need to try bravely and find a logical and aesthetic solution between science technology, and human needs, just like Leonardo da Vinci.