Relating User Interfaces & Security in Software
January 27th, 2008 by Mike KarleskyWe’ve been talking quite a bit these days in the office about user interfaces and interaction design. I came across an interesting post on the Architectures of Control | Design with Intent blog by Dan Lockton, a PhD researcher at Brunel University’s School of Engineering & Design.
In his post Interesting Parallels, Dan draws on unique definitions of interaction design and security (namely, that both are related to shaping human behavior) to tie the two together. He quotes a computer security specialist and interaction design expert to draw the parallel:
“Security is about preventing adverse consequences from the intentional and unwarranted actions of others. What this definition basically means is that we want people to behave in a certain way… and security is a way of ensuring that they do so.”
“A simpler way of thinking about Interaction Designers is that they are the shapers of behavior. Interaction Designers… all attempt to understand and shape human behavior. This is the purpose of the profession: to change the way people behave.”
It’s a rare software project that doesn’t require a developer to think about and implement user interfaces or security in some fashion. So it seems immensely useful for a software developer to view himself or herself as a shaper of human behavior, asking questions as a behaviorist to effectively create useful interfaces and secure software.