Design Heuristics - Computers as Theatre - page 156

impossibility). True, representations may not have any real-world counter-
parts, but they may exhibit clear causal relations. Second, effective repre-
sentation of such objects or actions probably requires a sensory (visual or
multisensory) component. The sensory component may even be expressed
in text, as interactive storytelling applications have demonstrated. Third, a
represented action or object must be self-disclosing in context, even if its at-
tributes or causes can only be determined through successive discovery in
the course of a whole action.

The Primacy of Action

One shortcoming of many metaphorical interfaces is that their design tends
to be guided by the goal of representing objects and relations among them as
opposed to representing actions . Often, the former seems easier to do.

Strategy and Tactics
I have found a strategic approach helpful in keeping focus on the action.
The foundations of strategy as I use the term are essentially military, as
expressed by Sun Tzu in The Art of War (written around 500 BCE) and more
explicitly by Liddel Hart in his book Strategy (1954, revised edition 1991).
But we apply strategic thinking to the work of design as well. Figure 5.1
shows a basic diagram.
The grand strategic goal is the main event. Tow (2004) calls this “a
three-level top-down structure.” Strategies are “distinct patterns of action”
in support of the grand strategic goal. The third level down gets us to tac-
tics, more detailed actions in support of strategies.

GRAND STRATEGY

STRATEGY STRATEGY STRATEGY

TAC T IC TAC T IC TAC T IC TAC T IC TAC T IC TAC T IC TAC T IC TAC T IC TAC T IC

Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action

Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action

Figure 5.1. A model of grand strategy, strategy, and tactics drawn from Lidell Hart