Interfaces are the most direct manifestation of the wider field of interaction design, one of the most important and oft-discussed expressions of contemporary design creativity. What are the criteria to evaluate this relatively new form of design? How can museums and galleries select, display, collect, and preserve interfaces and interaction design? What opportunities does it open not only for designers and architects, but for all people? This presentation will address not only visual quality and aesthetic experience, but also the many other aspects—from the elegance of the code to the manipulation of the user’s behavior—that pertain to interaction design.

Paola Antonelli is senior curator in the department of architecture and design and director of research and development at the Museum of Modern Art. Her most recent exhibition is Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects.