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What do HCI experts think of aesthetics in existing interfaces?
If the artists aren't thinking about it yet,[4] Who is? In
the literature of graphical user interface design, Opinions on
good-looking GUI's ranged from enthusiasm to resigned acceptance.
Bruce Tognazzini, living up to his job title of `User Interface
Evangelist,' tackles the aesthetic design of interfaces with the
attitude that ``We, as designers, are not simply assembling dialoguing
systems, we are building worlds, carefully crafted virtual realities,
in which users will live and work.''[16] A user would
probably enjoy working all day `in' an interface designed with such a
sense of responsibility and enthusiasm--especially compared to
working in an environment constructed from the following
point-of-view, in which the author sounds like he is stubbornly
giving in to the concept of an aesthetically pleasing interface: ``Now
the technologies of computer display systems have improved, and the
user population has expanded to such an extent that it is now
advisable to include `attractiveness' as a tool for improving usage of
information systems.'' [18] Perhaps this point of view
stems from the ancient feud between programmers and artists.
Next: The Artist-Programmer Dichotomy
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sean dreilinger