Interface Literacy

Interface literacies require that we’re able to comprehend what the interface is and understand how to navigate it. This came into play when our class made GIFs and memes. We had to understand how to navigate places like Giphy and other websites so that we could successfully create our digital media. 

Before this class, I’d never used Giphy. I don’t remember what GIF-making site I used back in my old preteen Tumblr days, but needless to say, it’s been awhile since I’ve played around with making GIFs.

Here, we have GIPHY’s home page. In the upper right hand corner, we see that there’s a bar with my username in it to show me that I’m logged in. Adjacent to that is a “Create” button. This led me to a page where I could start creating my GIFs.

Clicking “Create” took me to this page. I had three options: I could click “Choose photo or GIF” to manually create a GIF slideshow”; I could click “Choose video” to turn a clip of a video into a GIF; or, I could go down to the “Add any URL” to input a link to the specific media I want to make a GIF from. I chose the last option since I already had specific media ready to go and an idea of what I wanted to do with this.

I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this if I didn’t already have an idea of how to navigate web pages. Having interface literacy enabled me to successfully navigate GIPHY and create the GIFs below:

Interface literacy goes beyond GIFs, however. Another way I like to explain interface literacy is through talking about how we teach older generations to navigate technology. Each generation has grown up with varying types of technology, and we’ve always had to help previous generations adapt to the changes. My late dad never owned a smartphone. He had a beat-up prepaid flip phone until the day he died. Navigating the internet through a computer wasn’t something that he was literate in.

He lacked the interface literacy required to independently use the internet and make google searches. To him, the internet was an alien environment. He understood what it was meant for, but needed a lot of guidance in order to successfully navigate it.

In conclusion, interface literacy will always be a valuable skill to have as technology continues to evolve. (I’m sure my daughter will end up teaching me how to use new technology in a few years!)