Translating principles of web design and information architecture to the development of interactive television (iTV) interfaces

This paper discusses the application of information and interaction design principles to the design of iTV (Interactive TV) applications. It details the authors' experiences of teaching a subject in Digital Information & Interaction Design as part of a postgraduate program in Interactive Multimedia. Students worked on a design project for a common client - Austar, a Subscription TV and iTV service provider in rural and regional Australia - in which they developed the information architecture and interaction for proposed new iTV applications.The paper begins by defining iTV in relation to the Subscription TV service offered by Austar. It will also contextualise this against other forms of iTV which exist but are not yet possible within the infrastructure available in Australia.iTV was chosen as a novel alternative to designing web interfaces. The students were more than familiar with designing for web environments. iTV presented students with a new technology which many had never experienced directly, as well as new challenges in learning about its constraints and possibilities.Finally, the paper details the design process undertaken by the students, and the difficulties faced in their attempts to translate and apply their knowledge of HCI and web design to the development of iTV interfaces.