Dan Saffer: 'Interaction design is an applied art'

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Dan Saffer: 'Interaction design is an applied art' August 13 2008

Who is Dan Saffer? Dan Saffer is an experience design director at the design consultancy Adaptive Path, specializing in interaction design.

After reading this inspirational interview with Saffer, it is apparent that Interactive Design is more than just design, as he states “Knowing some programming/scripting is also important; it's like a sculptor knowing clay and stone”. He also states that many other skills are required within interaction design…“writing, especially technical writing, is another essential skill. You need to be able to write in order to convey clearly how a design works and why.”

Having read the interview, it obvious that Saffer is passionate about his job and how much his work varies from day to day. “One of the great things about my job is that only a percentage of my days are alike.” This, to me, is a positive aspect of the industry, as every day won’t be the same routine.

Towards the end of the interview, Saffer provides general information, such as what distracts him from work, and what drink he prefers to stimulate himself during the design workflow. Even though they are casual questions, he still responds in a professional manner.

Finally, two quotes that have made an impression on me…

'If it was easy, then everyone would do it.'

“The way to become a great designer is to learn as much as you can and put what you've learned into practice by designing a lot.“