The article discusses the theory of distributed cognition as a new foundation for human-computer interaction (HCI) research. It argues that traditional views of cognition focus on individual minds, but distributed cognition extends this to include interactions between people and their environments. This theory emphasizes the importance of understanding how cognitive processes are distributed across social groups, internal and external structures, and over time. It also highlights the role of embodiment, culture, and the material world in shaping cognition. The article proposes an integrated research framework that combines distributed cognition theory with methods for designing digital work materials. This framework includes cognitive ethnography, which involves observing and analyzing how people use tools and environments in real-world settings. It also includes experiments that test how changes in the environment affect cognitive processes. The article provides examples of how distributed cognition can be applied to real-world problems, such as ship navigation and airline cockpit automation. It discusses how pilots use tools and environments to perform complex tasks, and how these interactions can be studied and improved through ethnographic research and design. The article also explores the design of digital work materials, emphasizing the importance of creating interfaces that are not just functional but also meaningful and integrated into the user's environment. It discusses the role of history in digital objects and how this can be used to support tasks and interactions. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding how people interact with their environments and how this can be used to design more effective human-computer interfaces. It suggests that future research should focus on creating interfaces that are more flexible, adaptive, and integrated into the user's environment.The article discusses the theory of distributed cognition as a new foundation for human-computer interaction (HCI) research. It argues that traditional views of cognition focus on individual minds, but distributed cognition extends this to include interactions between people and their environments. This theory emphasizes the importance of understanding how cognitive processes are distributed across social groups, internal and external structures, and over time. It also highlights the role of embodiment, culture, and the material world in shaping cognition. The article proposes an integrated research framework that combines distributed cognition theory with methods for designing digital work materials. This framework includes cognitive ethnography, which involves observing and analyzing how people use tools and environments in real-world settings. It also includes experiments that test how changes in the environment affect cognitive processes. The article provides examples of how distributed cognition can be applied to real-world problems, such as ship navigation and airline cockpit automation. It discusses how pilots use tools and environments to perform complex tasks, and how these interactions can be studied and improved through ethnographic research and design. The article also explores the design of digital work materials, emphasizing the importance of creating interfaces that are not just functional but also meaningful and integrated into the user's environment. It discusses the role of history in digital objects and how this can be used to support tasks and interactions. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding how people interact with their environments and how this can be used to design more effective human-computer interfaces. It suggests that future research should focus on creating interfaces that are more flexible, adaptive, and integrated into the user's environment.