Over the past few weeks our class has debated the definition of an interface. While opinions have varied from “everything is an interface” to very specific terms that rule out nearly everything besides iTunes or Facebook we have yet to reach a consensus. While I’m not sure exactly where the truth lies I’m confident enough in my opinion to put my foot down.

For starters, YES, a face is an Interface. Actually it was probably the first interface.

I think as we move to carving out a space for further investigation it is important to think of interfaces along a spectrum from simple and crude to complex. I do believe that simple objects have simple interfaces. I’m probably a little sympathetic to the product and material designers that have spent many hours sculpting forms and selecting materials in an effort to create a curated experience. We also encounter much more complex interfaces that include Operating Systems, Facebook, etc…

While these are defined by specific intentions of individuals inputting information and receiving some sort of output in return, if we do not account for devices that require less conscious interaction we are limiting our scope to a very narrow set of experiences. Trying to define ‘interface’ has raised a number of questions that equally as difficult. Particularly what is the purpose of interface? If an interface is created to facilitate an experience, even the most mundane I think that this spectrum of complexity has to be acknowledged.

I’m sure this will be an ongoing investigation/thread throughout the semester so I’ll be interested in seeing what other insights and opinions present themselves.