Telescreens, keypens, and the expert: A 60 year snapshot

Brian Shackel was responsible for initiating the first international conference on human–computer interaction, INTERACT ’84. This was in the same year to which George Orwell referred in the now-classic book, Nineteen Eighty-Four. Both texts share the common theme of being concerned with information and its effects on the individual. In Professor Shackel’s paper (the focus here), both aspects are considered over a 60-year lifespan – with a particular emphasis on his interest on “Designing for People in the Age of Information”. This keynote address at the INTERACT conference is reviewed and the accuracy of his many predictions for the future considered. It is concluded that despite Professor Shackel’s preoccupation with designing for humans some quarter of a century ago, there still is much work to do.