TY - JOUR
T1 - Interactivity in an age of immersive media
T2 - Seven dimensions for wearable technology, internet of things, and technical communication
AU - Tham, Jason Chew Kit
N1 - Funding Information:
The author would like to thank Jeremy Rosselot-Merritt at the University of Minnesota––Twin Cities and the three anonymous reviewers of this journal for their helpful comments on the early drafts of this article.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, Society for Technical Communication. All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/2
Y1 - 2018/2
N2 - Purpose: Interactivity in virtual environments has been a key area of investigation in fields ranging from technical to creative sectors. Scholars find a cross-disciplinary disparity on what interactivity embodies and accomplishes. This article traces the definitions of interactivity in existing research, devises seven dimensions of interactivity for wearables and IoT products, and identifies key roles for technical communicators in immersive media design. Method: A research review of key literature on interactivity in general and technical communication and mobile technologies in particular. Results: Current literature shows that concepts of interactivity in communication design and technology are multifaceted. Seven dimensions of interactivity can be derived for immersive media design: 1) reciprocity/ease of response, 2) synchronicity/context awareness, 3) connectedness/ubiquity/pervasiveness, 4) navigability/accessibility, 5) user control/personalization, 6) entertainment/sensibility, and 7) sensory stimulation/ multimodality. These dimensions can be mapped onto the interactive design of wearables and IoT products. They also inform the roles of technical communicators in producing immersive technical communication. Conclusion: Further investigation of the constructs in interactivity can help uncover a more accurate relationship between interactivity and its dependent variables. The new dimensions of interactivity in immersive media environments suggest that technical communicators and designers must pay attention to 1) the seamless connection between the user and the systems, data, and actions; 2) user control and customization; 3) proactive contextual assistance from smart technologies; and 4) device sensibility and sensory stimulations.
AB - Purpose: Interactivity in virtual environments has been a key area of investigation in fields ranging from technical to creative sectors. Scholars find a cross-disciplinary disparity on what interactivity embodies and accomplishes. This article traces the definitions of interactivity in existing research, devises seven dimensions of interactivity for wearables and IoT products, and identifies key roles for technical communicators in immersive media design. Method: A research review of key literature on interactivity in general and technical communication and mobile technologies in particular. Results: Current literature shows that concepts of interactivity in communication design and technology are multifaceted. Seven dimensions of interactivity can be derived for immersive media design: 1) reciprocity/ease of response, 2) synchronicity/context awareness, 3) connectedness/ubiquity/pervasiveness, 4) navigability/accessibility, 5) user control/personalization, 6) entertainment/sensibility, and 7) sensory stimulation/ multimodality. These dimensions can be mapped onto the interactive design of wearables and IoT products. They also inform the roles of technical communicators in producing immersive technical communication. Conclusion: Further investigation of the constructs in interactivity can help uncover a more accurate relationship between interactivity and its dependent variables. The new dimensions of interactivity in immersive media environments suggest that technical communicators and designers must pay attention to 1) the seamless connection between the user and the systems, data, and actions; 2) user control and customization; 3) proactive contextual assistance from smart technologies; and 4) device sensibility and sensory stimulations.
KW - Immersive media
KW - Interactivity
KW - Internet of Things
KW - Wearable technology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042485381&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85042485381
VL - 65
SP - 46
EP - 65
JO - Technical Communication
JF - Technical Communication
SN - 0049-3155
IS - 1
ER -