I seem to end up in quite a bit of social settings (no, not just gay bars. There are dinner and house parties too) talking with people who work outside the technology field. After a bit of conversation I'll be asked what I do for a living and telling someone I do interaction design usually leaves them with a deer-in-headlights kind of expression as they are trying to puzzle out what that means.

I've got a much more interesting explanation now. This is the way Dan Saffer begins his description in his entry So You Want to Be an Interaction Designer 2006

"Interaction designers get paid to play with ideas"

OK, it doesn't really explain it much better, but it definitely sounds more interesting. Dan goes into more detail after that.

"You can brainstorm things that don’t exist and then build them. You can shape behavior, making the world more pleasant and meaningful. You get to sketch ideas in colored markers on whiteboards and post-it notes. You help people solve problems. And if you are good enough, you’ll work with companies whose technology and/or influence is so great, you can make a significant difference in the world."

The only thing missing in that description is that I color code my post-in notes as well. So if you've ever wondered what I do, this is pretty accurate.