The importance of facial features [and] Why tummeling matters: Human-human interaction for social engagement

The Importance of Facial Features
Gretchen Anderson

The controls of an electronic, interactive product form its most recognizable aspects, or “facial features.” Choosing which controls to emphasize and how they appear has an enormous impact on the impact the product makes on first impression. The process of deciding on your product’s facial features is tricky; a team must collaborate closely across multiple disciplines to determine what controls are needed, how they should appear, and how they relate to the product’s form. Even with touch- and gesture-based interfaces, people need cues that point to (or obscure) the function, value, and lust-factor of the product.

Why Tummeling Matters: Human-Human Interaction for Social Engagement
Heather Gold

A conversational "talk" about the importance of emotion and tummeling, and why we need to understand human interaction not simply in terms of interfaces but as something we humans do with each other.

If we are to have social spaces that encourage and support human-human interaction, then this needs to be a central goal for those who create virtual and real-life social spaces.

The role of interaction designers, coders, and other UX folks are critical if we are to have a web that serves human needs rather than the other way around.