Brave Nui World

Natural user interfaces (NUIs) have been hailed as the next evolutionary step in human-computer interaction. In short, they are interfaces where the interaction is not controlled through an artificial device, like a mouse or keyboard. With the launch of the iPhone in 2008, Apple was the first to make a mass market touch user interface -- other companies are scrambling to create the new best thing (the new Sony eReader is touch based, Nokia is launching a touch-based phone, and Google's Android have multi-touch features). UX practitioners are already well versed in UI design, but need quick references and real-world examples in order to make informed decisions when designing for these new interfaces. Brave NUI World is the first practical book for UX practitioners for designing touch and gesture interfaces; written by the team from Microsoft that developed the multi-touch, multi-user Surface tabletop product ("Touch Computing Hits Its Stride...."). It gives UX practitioners what they need to integrate touch and gesture practices into their daily work, presenting scenarios, problem solving, metaphors, and techniques intended to avoid repeating mistakes. It will be of interest to any UX practitioner or researcher with his or her hands in this new and exploding wave of interface design.