From Interface to Interplace: The Spatial Environment as a Medium for Interaction

Today's human-computer interfaces are cumbersome, sterile, and uninviting; they stand in stark contrast to the richness and depth of the everyday world. The thesis of this paper is that spatial environments have great potential as interface metaphors, particularly as computers begin to serve as a medium through which human-human interaction occurs. One section of the paper focuses on ways in which MUDs--text-based, multi-user dialog systems--use spatial metaphors to support social interaction. Then the paper examines how real spaces structure and enrich human interaction, drawing on observations from the literature on urban design, landscape architecture, and related disciplines. Ultimately, we hope that a better understanding of these issues can lead to the development of spatially-based interfaces which support human-human interaction.