[Video] Jim Henson and Human-Computer Interactions (1963)

In 1963, Jim Henson produced an animated short about human-computer interactions from the perspective a robot. This short film was originally commissioned for a seminar in Chicago aimed at business owners about the topic of data communications. AT&T recently discovered this short, verified it was done by Jim Henson, and posted it on You Tube.

The robot narrator exudes some very human=like qualities. Physically, you can make out eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, lips, and more. As the robot “speaks” to you, notice the egotistical qualities of pride, arrogance, and (ultimately, humility). The goal of the this short video was to talk about the growing relationship between man and computer. In today’s vernacular, we would call it human-computer interactions.

Robot (1963) by Jim Henson

This short film is almost 50 years old now. Think about your smartphone and other devices, while watching it.

From Muppets to Mastery: UX Principles of Jim Henson

Russ Unger is a huge Jim Henson fan. You get the chance to hear Russ talk about what he has learned from Jim Henson at the Big Design 2012 Conference. This is the first talk in the Strategy track.

Jim Henson started working as a puppeteer in 1954, a fair 40-50 years before many of us even considered User Experience as a career. He did, however, take it upon himself to apply many of the core principals that UX Designers are falling love with today (or are at least using as part of our everyday lives). Hang out for a quick dive into the life of Jim Henson, with a view into his work from the perspective of how it pertains to what it is we’re doing today, that promises to even leave Waldorf and Statler happy.

And yes, there will be muppets. Get your ticket today!