The term “literacy” usually refers to the ability to read and write functionally. The emphasis is on interaction with the written word - taken for granted as the cornerstone of education. But momentum may be building in the direction of a more visual and auditory literacy. With greater numbers gaining access to more diverse formats and sharing them across social networks, there’s an ever-increasing amount of “live” documentation of personal experiences. If this form of storytelling is experienced in a way fundamentally different from strictly textual reading, it may also require a different understanding of literacy.
In this session, Razorfish Healthware's Erin Abler explores the concept of "interaction literacy," a potential framework for clarifying the elements of multi-mediated, participatory forms of experience. Presenting a model for further development, she explores how insights into the elements of human experience can be used to create new design processes.