Interaction Designers-whether practicing as Usability Engineers, Visual Interface Designers, or Information Architects-attempt to understand and shape human behavior in order to design products that are at once usable, useful, and desirable. Although the value of design is now recognized as essential to product development, the field is often misunderstood by managers and other team members, who don't understand a designer's role in a team. This can cause inefficient and ineffective products. Thoughts on Interaction Design gives individuals engaged in this profession the dialogue to justify their work to other stakeholders. It provides a framework upon which to build intellectual discourse, and it substantiates the rigorous and unique nature of interaction design work. Ultimately, the text exists to provide a definition that encompasses the intellectual facets of the field, the conceptual underpinnings of interaction design as a legitimate human-centered field, and the particular methods used by practitioners in their day to day experiences. *First book to provide a solid definition and framework for the booming field of interaction design, finally giving designers the justification needed to prove their essential role on every development team *Provides designers with tools they need to operate effectively in the workplace without compromising their goals: making useable, useful, and desirable products *Outlines process, theory, practice, and challenges of interaction design - intertwined with real world stories from a variety of perspectives.