Interactive Communication - History of Interactivity

History of Interactivity

Interactivity is rooted in basic communication, the development of rhetoric, and the evolution of social interface. Gesture, touch and body language were the earliest forms of communication. The time line of spoken and written language’s emergence is still under debate. Rhetoric is the effective use of language.

Once human cognition and thought evolved, varieties of language and communication increased exponentially. Braille and sign language are forms of interface, as are the arts of music, cooking, photography and fashion. Politics, trade, international relations, immigration and war are examples of group interaction.

Industrial design, the aesthetics and engineering of human and machine interface, arrived with the Industrial Revolution. Examples of perfected usability include the chopstick, the corkscrew and the paperclip. The automobile dashboard, the iconic Fender Stratocaster electrical guitar, and popular telephones from the Western Electric Model 302 rotary dial to the Apple iPhone multi-touch screen are examples of effective control panels.

Interest in interactive communication has grown with the increase in human-computer interaction. Hardware peripherals include keyboards, mice, game controllers and webcams. Graphical user interface examples include the desktop metaphor, software programs like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop, websites and web browsers, search engines, and the increasing number of smartphone mobile applications.

An important consideration in the development of any modern user interface is its interactivity.