What Does an Interactive Designer Do?

An interactive designer creates processes that make working with product and service-oriented technology easier for people. They understand how certain products work and can assist people in becoming more comfortable with technology and the high-tech electronic gadgets that are so prevalent in today’s world. One of their responsibilities is to assist in the successful interaction of humans and electronics. Non-technological areas such as retail stores and government agencies employ interactive designers.

Interactive designers’ main goal is to make technology more user-friendly and functional. The idea is straightforward: create processes, functions, or operations that entice people and lead them toward a specific goal. These designers are trained to take a system or process and turn it into a design that will attract, inform, or direct people to take action. Although academics may disagree about the type of formal education required, most schools or training centers agree that the basic function of interactive designers combines traditional design, psychology, and technology. These abilities are combined to aid the interactive designer in developing ways to encourage people to use technology.

Websites, software, and mobile electronic devices are used the majority of interactive designers. Many interactive functions designed to help users navigate through a website, make a purchase, or simply find information are very common on websites. Many types of software include an interactive feature to assist users in getting the most out of what the software has to offer. When a smartphone rings, for example, the user touches the screen to get the desired response. An interactive designer was most likely responsible for this function’s conception and development.

Working with high-tech electronic devices is only part of an interactive designer’s job description. They sometimes create objects that have no technological component at all. When interactive designers examine the layout of a retail store, for example, they may be looking for ways to direct customers in a specific direction creating signs or displays that visitors can interact with. Other interactive designers use a mix of technological and non-technological processes to create their work. Governments use them to improve processes that most people find difficult and unpleasant, such as paying taxes in line or getting a new driver’s license. An interactive designer’s primary responsibility is to create processes that are beneficial to people.