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casing photographic images that illustrate how the
inputs are integrated into the product’s definition.
Saffer understands the pioneer’s desire to roll up
sleeves and create, and he points out the dangers of
overdocumenting. He shows a healthy respect for
the value of the designer’s instinct and an understanding of the fact that each project deserves a
unique approach that may be influenced, but is not
necessarily dictated by prior processes.
The vast array of examples will certainly whet
anyone’s appetite for creating gestural interfaces,
and many designers involved in either software or
hardware design will jump at the opportunity to
specify these new user behaviors. But once we peel
our faces from the candy-store window, we confront the actual daunting task—determining exactly which gesture is best in which context. We have
the responsibility to choose wisely, and to avoid
using technology for technology’s sake. With fewer
constraints than ever before, it is up to us to create
conceptual frameworks that are meaningful not
only in form but in behavior as well. Though the
book touches on this kind of insight, it fails to commit to any real exploration of the meaning of gestures within the context of physical product design.
Designing Gestural Interfaces is nearly encyclopedic
in its coverage of certain aspects of gesture- and
screen-based interfaces, but what it offers in quantity, it lacks in depth. It takes a good stab at the
“how” as well as the “what” for each gesture listed
but falls short when it comes to the “why.” While
it can be argued that the social, psychological, and
cultural significance of gestures can be subjective
and is not something one can learn about through
a book, having a keen awareness of the semantic
implied by product and user behaviors is where
great designers soar and less successful ones stumble. Designers needing inspiration and ammunition
to help them see the value of the end product—
especially in the face of questioning clients—won’t
find it in this book.
Another disappointment is the book’s failure
to discuss how the body’s relationship to physical objects influences gestures. Within the litany
of “free-form” gestures described in chapter 4 are
many that draw from human experience with real
physical objects. For example, “shake” has specific emotional and cultural references, such as
the playing of some vessel-like instruments, the
movement of a baby’s rattle, and the preparation
of Friday night martinis, but in the text it is used