Designing Interactions

Published by The MIT Press in 2006, Designing Interactions was written by Bill Moggridge, a seminal figure in the field of interaction design and a co-founder of the design firm IDEO. Moggridge conceived the book as an oral history of the discipline, aiming to document the evolution of human-computer interaction by interviewing the pioneers who defined the field, including figures like Bill Verplank, Joy Mountford, and Douglas Engelbart. The work is structured as a series of long-form conversations that explore the shift from command-line interfaces to the intuitive graphical and physical designs that characterize contemporary technology.

The book's design reflects Moggridge’s commitment to accessibility and narrative, utilizing a rich, visual-heavy layout that intersperses personal anecdotes with technical reflections. It was widely received as a definitive resource for designers, educators, and students, serving to codify interaction design as a distinct professional practice rather than a sub-discipline of engineering or graphic design. By focusing on the intent and philosophy behind iconic products like the early Macintosh or the Palm Pilot, Moggridge provided a unique lens on how technology has been shaped by the needs and behaviors of its users.