[Sigia-l] Programming IAs was: Little things an IA MUST know/do

[Dan Saffer]

I think an IA should know enough about the medium/environment she works
in (Java, HTML, Flash, C++, etc) to know what is possible, although
knowing how to accomplish (i.e. program) this need not be part of her
skill set.

Chris Crawford, in The Art of Interactive Design, is decidedly in the
other camp, however, and is adamant in his belief that IDs/IAs should
know how to program. To whit:

"There are at least 23.7 scads of reasons why the lead designer must be
able to program...Programmers always use trumped up technical excuses to
influence the design process. {You] must understand the technical
strengths and weaknesses of the target platform to best fit the design
to that platform...The prime reason...is simple: interactivity design is
an ambassadorship between user and computer; anyone who does not speak
both languages will fail."

He goes on to say that "the programming ability is so fundamental to
interactivity design that, within 10 years, this requirement will have
asserted itself in Darwinian fashion."

We've talked a lot about gaining business acumen here, but what about
technical acumen? Thoughts?

Dan

dan saffer
sr. interaction designer, ameritrade
http://www.odannyboy.com

"there's a lot of things 
 if I could I'd rearrange." -U2