The term Interaction Design arose in the late 1980's to describe new design circumstances that materialised from the increasing use of technology within everyday machines and systems. Initially, designers would often apply technology without fully understanding the consequences to people, or the new possibilities that could arise by considering the cultures and behaviours of communiities and the machine systems used by them.

As technology became deeply embedded within products and services, the requirement for design became clearer, and new bodies of knowledge began to accumulate from practitioners of previously disparate areas bringing their skills to bear upon these new challenges. Graphic designers applied their knowledge of layout, typography and information from Print to that of the computer display. Cognitive psychologist brought their understanding of the process of learning to the design of technological products, so as to make them easier to understand and use.

Industrial design is reaching to new and adventurous ways to shape interactive process through embedded network systems within appliances, furniture and architecture. Design for the use of machines is now the design of the total experience, and brings with it new and sophisticated expectations to fulfill.

By applying design understanding to the interactions of objects, spaces and communities, we will be more able to gain real value from technology.