By Rikki Teeters, President, IxDA Miami
Interaction Design (IxD), according to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA), defines the structure and behaviors of interactive products, experiences, and services, and user interaction with those products, experiences, or services. I would define Interaction Design as the art of designing for human interaction. Whether the interaction is between two humans or a human and an object, experience, or interface.
In the fall of 2011, senior Rikki Teeters founded a student chapter of the Interaction Design Association (IxDA) at Miami University. The IxDA is an international professional organization comprised of over 30,000 people who share a love for interaction design. According to IxDA.org, IxDA members encourage innovation, facilitate network engagement, and work to create better human experiences.
Local Leader/President Teeters recruited 4 seniors to be the executive members of IxDA Miami. Within two months, the group grew by 40 members. In February of 2012, the IxDA Miami president attended the Interaction12 conference in Dublin, Ireland. There, Teeters worked with teams of professional interaction designers, attended Google’s Interaction Design Awards, and participated in Microsoft’s closing party.
IxDA Miami brought attention to the discipline of interaction design by hosting many events throughout the spring semester. The group hosted several workshops, teaching professional skills such as design process and resume building. In April, IxDA Miami hosted TED Speaker: Fabian Hemmert, who spoke about The Future of Physical Mobile Interaction. They also increased their online presence by hosting an advanced screening of an NBCUniversal movie.
Peg Faimon received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Indiana University and a Master of Fine Arts from Yale University, earning the Norman Ives Memorial Award. She is currently Co-Director of AIMS, Director of the Miami Design Collaborative and a Professor of Graphic Design. She Is also an affiliate faculty member of Miami’s Department of Architecture and Interior Design. She was named the Miami University School of Fine Arts Crossan Hayes Curry Distinguished Educator in 2000 and the Naus Family Faculty Scholar in 2008. In addition to teaching, Ms Faimon maintains a design consultancy and she has received national and international recognition for her design work. Peg Faimon is also the author and designer of Design Alliance: Uniting Print and Web Design to Create a Total Brand Presence, and the co-author, with John Weigand, of The Nature of Design: How the Principles of Design Shape Our World - from Graphics and Architecture to Interiors and Products, both published in 2003 by HOW Design Books. Her third book, The Designer’s Guide to Business and Careers: How to Succeed on the Job or on Your Own, was just published in June 2009 by HOW Design Books.