ACM SETS THE STANDARD FOR GOOD INTERACTIVE DESIGN; Does your Java applet, cell phone interface, or VR helmet make the grade?

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 16, 1996--From hand-held devices to groupware applications, the bottom line for technology is a successful and satisfying experience. That is what you can expect if the product's interactive design can fulfill the criteria established from the 1995 ACM/interactions Design Award. The Association for Computing Machinery's (ACM) new interactions Design Award not only recognizes excellence in the emerging field of interactive design, but has established standards for evaluating good interaction between product and user.

Industry experts gathered in October and again in late February to evaluate the numerous and diverse entries. The judging process established eight criteria that designers and managers can use to evaluate interactive design.

"There is a quality about a great design that is difficult to put into words. It's always tempting to focus on just a few aspects of a design, separate from the whole problem," said Marc Rettig, co-chair ACM/interactions Award committee and features editor of interactions magazine. "Good looks, good flow, good content -- all those things are important, but how do you pin down that feeling of satisfaction you get when you encounter a tool or a toy that clicks with you on a deep level?"

To judge a users 'quality of experience' the award jurors established the following eight criteria: understanding of users (did designers understand the needs, tasks and environment of users?), effective design process (was the product well-thought out?), needed (does the product satisfy a need?), learnable and usable (is the product easy to learn and use?), appropriate (does the product solve the right problem at the right level?), aesthetic experience (is the product cohesively designed?), mutable (can the product be adapted to suit the needs of individuals?) and manageable (does the product move beyond understanding "use" merely as functionality?).

The May/June issue of interactions magazine, in addition to discussing their criteria in depth, honors six finalists: Apple Guide(a) (Apple Computer, Inc.), Meeting Manager(a) (The City of Edmonton), Nokia Feature Stereo(a) (IDEO London), Graphing Calculator(a) (Apple Computer, Inc. and Key Curriculum Press), New York Stock Exchange hand-held terminal (Mauro/Mauro/Designs), The Muse(a) (Derek Wahila, Christopher Graefe, Justin Maguire and Orya Dasna).

ACM, founded in 1947, is an 85,000 member international scientific and educational organization dedicated to advancing the art, science, engineering and application of information technology. ACM serves both professional and public interests by fostering the open interchange of information and by promoting the highest professional and ethical standards. This is accomplished through its many publications, conferences, special interest groups, chapters and network communications. Financial support for the ACM/interactions Award has been provided by Andersen Consulting. -0- (a) Trademark and/or registered trademark.

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