Abstract
Participatory design strategies have placed the user at the center of the design process, leaving computer software designers without guidelines for how to design and implement the software system. This paper aims to bring the designer back to the center of the design process. and the way of doing it is to consider computer software as text. Three different text theories are presented in order to explain what is meant by text, namely pragmatics, structuralism and deconstructivism. Finally it is discussed how the design processes should be understood, and how they should be organized when taking the text point of view of computer software.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersen, P.B. (1990). A Theory of Computer Semiotics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Ehn, P. (1988). Work Oriented design of computer artefacts. Arbetslivscentrum, Stockholm.
Mikkelsen, J.F. (1994). Pragmatisk receptionsteori, in Højbjerg, L. (ed.) Reception af levende billeder. Akademisk Forlag, København.
Derrida, J. (1970) (1967). Om Grammatologi. Arena, København.
Derrida, J. (1982) (1972). Margins of Philosophy. The University of Chicago Press.
Greenbaum, J. and Kyng, M. (1991). Design at Work. Cooperative Design of Computers Systems, Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey.
Johnson, M. (1987): The Body in the Mind. Chicago University Press.
Lakoff, G. and Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. University of Chicago Press.
Lakoff, G. (1987). Women, Fire and Dangerous Things. What Catagories Reveal about the Mind, University of Chicago Press.
Langacker, R.W. (1987). Foundation of Cognitive Grammar. Vol. 1. Theoretical Prerequisites, Stanford University Press, California.
Langacker, R.W. (1991). Foundations of Cognitive Grammar. Vol. 2. Descriptive Application, Stanford University, California
Laurel, B. (1993). Computers as theatre. Reading, Mass.
Lytje, I. (1995). Den retoriske maskine. Akademisk Forlag, København.
Lytje, I. and Donner, C. (1996). Gratex—Dynamisk grammatik til dansk sprog. Aalborg Universitetsforlag, Aalborg, Denmark and http://www.profil.com/lytje
Poster, M. (1990). The Mode of Information, Polioty Press, Oxford.
Mark, H.R. (1993). Den levende og den mekaniske ræsonneren, in Lytje et al. (eds.), Tegn og data, Aalborg Universitetsforlag, Aalborg Denmark.
Silverman, H. J. (1994). Textualities Between Hermeneutics and Deconstructivism, Routledge, NY and London:
Togeby, O. (1993). PRAXT Pragmatisk tekstteori 1+2. Aarhus Universitetsforlag. Århus, Denmark.
Wendt, L. (1994). Narrative and the World Wide Web, in: Zurbrugg (ed.): The Multimedia Text, Special Issue of Art and Design, London.
Winograd, T. (1996). Bringing Design to Software. Addison-Wesley, Menlo Park, California.
Winograd, T. and Flores, F. (1986). Understanding Computers and Cognition. A New Foundation for Design. Addison-Wesley, California.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lytje, I. Computer software as text. AI & Soc 10, 142–163 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01205279
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01205279