Visuality and tacit knowledge: the application of multiple intelligences theory to the design of user expeience in interactive multimedia contexts

The major challenge for multimedia designers is to create user experiences that enrich the reception of content, designer's traditional reliance on intuition not ensuring audience's interest or understanding. The developing philosophy of user-centred design argues that designers should begin from an appreciation of their audience. In design there are various positions on how to achieve this, ranging from traditional market research through psychological, ethnographic, anthropological and sociological research to the direct involvement of users in the design process. This study draws on established knowledge about the cognitive processes, psychological motivations and preferences of user groups to advance a model for better-targeted and more effective design. In particular, it uses Howard Gardener's multiple intelligences theory to extend design thinking. Where a specific audience is apparent multiple intelligences theory implies that (1) the interface should match user's perceptual tools, cognitive styles and responses and (2) there is far greater scope than presently recognized to vary the design of the graphical user interface. The research explores how interactive multimedia can harness the 'language of vision' (Johannes Itten) for certain audiences, in this case Taiwanese drawing students aiming to enter tertiary art and design programs where high academic drawing skills are an important selection criterion. The high 'visual intelligence' of the target audience indicates their heightened capacity to process visual concepts and elements. The application of Gardner's ideas is a speculative one, based on hypothesis and the formulation of an experimental graphical user interface environment built around predominantly visual cues. The designed outcome incorporates knowledge and understanding that is widely applicable to GUI design, challenging designers to develop multimedia products with innovative, imaginative design approaches that cater for the different needs and interests of users where the audience is a specific and identifiable one.