Industrial design engineering and the theory of direct perception and action

Journal/Book: Ecol Psychol. 1995; 7: 10 Industrial Ave, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2262. Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc Inc. 329-374.

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to examine and describe how designers-industrial design engineers in particular-can benefit from the ecological theory of perception or, as it is sometimes called, the theory of direct perception, the foundations of which lie in the work of J. J. Gibson (1986). The outcome of this quest is at once disappointing and promising. It is disappointing in the sense that, although the theory is booming in the design of computer-human interaction and is beginning to have an ergonomic impact, it has nevertheless achieved little in the development of new technological products or their aesthetic design. It is promising in the sense that greater achievement in the future is both possible and, for two reasons, I believe, probable. The first reason is the observation that, as times goes by, the practice of industrial design and this kind of research into perception are gradually growing closer and closer together. Both of them are concerned with the functionality of a product, without forgetting that the feelings that a product elicits can be highly functional; for this reason, both of them are concerned with visualizing the possible ways of holding and using a product. In the case of product design, this is elucidated by reference to examples developed on an intuitive basis, and in the case of the theory of perception, by reference to examples of the neatly formalized affordances of human-environment interactions. However, the list of these has yet to become long enough to be genuinely useful to a designer. The second reason is more important. It states that the research methodology of the ecological theory of perception is gradually growing closer and closer to the methodology of design. It concentrates on the measurement of interaction patterns, rather than the measurement of elements of interaction. This is tellingly illustrated by the Koenderink, Van Doom, and Kappers (1992) method. Most important of all, however, is that it has room for a simulation of human-product interactions (the perception-action loop) that can evolve as a product is being used. It offers a dynamic, evolving simulation instead of a snapshot. This is illustrated by reference to a software package that can be used for design with a virtual reality computer system.

Note: Article G Smets, Delft Univ Technol, Fac Ind Design Engn, Jaffalaan 9, NL-2628 Bx Delft, Netherlands

Keyword(s): SCALED INFORMATION; VISUAL GUIDANCE; AFFORDANCES

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