Computer as Partner: A Synergistic Approach to Interaction Design

Much of the day-to-day work of UX design focuses on optimizing manual, paper-based processes through the use of technology. Consider Amazon's origins, for example. Buying a book from a catalog has been around since 1498 when Aldus Manutius published a catalog of the books he printed. Almost 500 years later, Amazon put their catalog online and created a virtual, online experience for people to buy books. In Amazon's early years, this focus led to innovative steps in traditional transaction-based human–computer interaction (HCI).