While both music and design have theoretical underpinnings, they also share a certain ineffability. A musical masterpiece and an exceptionally crafted experience demand more than the simple application of theory. They also demand virtuosity. Designers must skilfully bring together clicks and gestures — the building blocks of interaction design — to form a meaningful experience. Although it's simple to describe these components, we often resort to vague shorthands like 'look & feel' to explain what happens at the experiential layer. Similarly, composers rely on formalised technique to write music; yet ask what makes a piece remarkable and the answer will be similarly nebulous. In this session, we will examine parallels between music and interaction design, including harmony, genre, rhythm, fashion and emotion. Along the way, we will learn how that which defies easy definition can elevate digital and musical works from good to miraculous.
Cennydd Bowles is a user experience designer and writer. He works for Clearleft, speaks at design events across the world, and wrote a book called Undercover User Experience Design.
A self-confessed ‘user experience professional’, James works for Clearleft in the seaside town of Brighton, England. Part information architect and part interaction designer, when he’s not building sandcastles on the beach, James crafts websites that are fun and easy to use. In 2010 his first book 'Undercover User Experience Design' (co-authored with colleague Cennydd Bowles) was released to critical acclaim and has been described as a 'a must have for your bookshelf' that teaches how to 'create a culture of UX from the ground up'.
