Interaction and cognition in the wild, wild web

Abstract

Taking human cognitive and interactive capabilities into account in the design of multimedia and web applications is now common and accepted. However, aside from the verbal recognition of the importance of the cognitive aspects and their implementation through Usability and Human Factors, I maintain that their consequences have not systematically changed new product development and design practices. Even the established Cognitive Science approaches like Situated, Embodied Cognition view (which has been going strong since the 1980s) play a minor role in comparison to technical possibilities, process management and economic considerations in the development phase. At times, cognition even seems to be accorded a role similar to the one given to invited speeches by psychiatrists by Hector, the main character in Francois Lelord's novels: They are like the Gravad Lax on a buffet -- it might not always be good, but if it's not there people are bound to notice it is missing. So what effect would it have if we took the Situated, Embodied Cognition view seriously? Would it really make a difference in design and development practices? And would it make a difference to the implementation of even older cognitive approaches like the Symbol Manipulation (Information Processing) or Connectionist (Parallel Distributed Cognition) views that might play a background role in guiding professional practices? This speech draws parallels between the development of Cognitive Science and HCI/Usability and puts forward the claim that a serious consideration of current thinking and knowledge regarding the situatedness and embodiment of human cognition fundamentally changes our assumptions and actions regarding• the role of schemes,• the role of situations,• the role of intentions and functions,• the role of tools and environments, and• the role of cooperation.