Multimedia Experience: Reading response #2

Cinema, HCI: Representation vs. Control
People who use computers are able to interact with the computer in a more active way than people who watch movies can interact with the movies. This is because computer users understand the language of the interface and actively use it to perform tasks. People are able to learn new cultural interfaces because they are always based on a previous and commonly understood form.

The traditional use of a rectangular frame in the cinematic interface stems from Western painting, where the frame "acted as a window onto a larger space that is assumed to extend beyond the frame." This rectangular shaped screen is used at movie theaters, wide screen televisions, etc. and has carried over into the computer screen. The rectangular computer monitor screen acts as a window to the content within the computer. By being able to scroll through the window's contents, we are doing what is done in cinema- moving through frames.

This idea of the rectangular frame of the screen limiting what can be seen made me think about how i could work this "cutting off" idea to my advantage. While designing my portfolio website, I've been keeping in mind that in order to use a function that seems unique and playful, it needs to have a purpose...or else it might just raise the question, "ok, this is neat, but WHY do I have to drag these triangles around? What's the point of it?" So..to answer this, I decided that I would make the work that is attached to each triangle flirt with the edge of the screen (depending on the location of the triangle) so that way, if for example the furthest triangle to the right reveals a box that is bleeding off the screen, the drag and drop function allows the user to pull that box into full view. Now, the playful nature of dragging and dropping serves a legitimate purpose in a subtle, unconscious way by allowing the user to control what they are seeing and how much of it.

Cinema has heavily influenced the computer interface and what we do as users interacting with the content presented to us. I will probably start designing with the user and experience in mind, pushing the limits of what can be done with the tools that cinema has provided. It would not be enough to just mimic the existing conventions of older cultural forms found in the printed word and in cinema, because the capabilities and technological advancements provided by the computer are important to explore and embrace.