What Makes an Interface Communicate?

Peter Merholz: “So, I was asked to give a talk on ‘What Makes an Interface Communicate?’ for Web2000. At first I didn’t think I was going to do anything particularly interesting, but somehow (lots of coffee and the benefit of good books on interface design lying around the house) I put something together that doesn’t suck. … Anyway, since I was taking someone else’s title (I was subbing for another presenter), the talk ended up being more of a riff on what makes an interface communicate (as opposed to some thought out, reasoned discourse on the topic). Lots of sources cited, and a nifty slide comparing volume knobs.”