For my project, I will use sequence navigation. It is the best technique because the feature itself is not very complex. The "Elevator Attendant" feature will be accessible from the main menu of the user's mobile phone. When the feature is selected, the next page will provide another menu, including options to "Call Elevator," "Customize Settings," "Cancel," as well as a "Help Button." The user can select his or her preferred option and a new screen will appear. This is a very linear process and if the user needs to return to the previous menu at any point, they can do so by choosing the "Back" button located in the upper right corner.

I don't anticipate too many navigational problems arising since it is a simple structure and design, but things might get confusing if the user tries to do multiple things at once. For example, if the user has called the elevator, then checked out the "Help" option and then wishes to cancel the elevator call, there might be lots of back and forth between the main menu and sub-menus. It doesn't seem like much of a problem, though, and the sequence navigation can still be applied.

Because the specific application of technology in something like a "Smart House" is so foreign to most users, there are lots of potential problems that could arise. It would be lengthy to have lots of FAQ's, step-by-step demonstrations or overviews for the various ubiquitous computing devices in a "Smart House." The amount of time and money required to establish this sort of help would be extensive. Manuals for each device would be a nuissance for the users and would also take up lots of space in their home. It seems that the technology behind a "Smart House" should be such that it is user-friendly and doesn't require much help.

Some possible suggestions for this challenge include: (a) providing one manual for all the devices available in a "Smart House." With an index as a navigational tool, users could easily find what they need within the master manual and solve their difficulties accordingly, or (b) having online access to help menus so that paper manuals don't create clutter in the home, or (c) to create a voice-operated interface within the home that would directly connect the user to a customer serivce/tech support for the manufacturer. Rather than having to deal with menus on the telephone, the user would speak to a representative immediately and all of their information (i.e. the problems they encountered) would be recorded in the company's system so that if they call again, the agent will know what their previous problems have been. This information will also be valuable to the manufacturer because they could refine some of the problems that were not anticipated prior to the product launch.

some thoughts on i/o devices

Simply put, form factor is an important consideration when designing i/o devices because consumers won't care about cool tricks if the product doesn't look good. Marketing has proven to be a powerfu tool and we have come to depend on sleek trendy designs for the i/o devices we use in our daily lives. If designers try to market an aesthetically unpleasing product, another company will manufacture the same device in cooler packaging. The iPod is a perfect example of this phenomenon. Mp3 players were on the market long before Mac launched its iPod and solidified its place as king of the portable mp3 players. Other company's have attempted to make sleek designs, but none have come close to Mac's success. iPod become synonymous with "mp3 player" and the ubiquituous white earphones (another example of a perfectly designed form factor) became part of the urban landscape. Through excellent marketing, iPods became associated with a certain lifestyle and this technology wrapped in its trendy wrapping became an essential accessory for people of all ages.

We have already seen the effects of pervasive computing. There are very few people who do not own cell phones or PDAs. There are still people who refuse to purchase mobile phones (every movement has its resistance), but for the most part, pervasive computing is, well, pervasive in our society. To me, it seems this type of technology detaches people from what is happening around them in the moment. If we are all speaking or writing to someone who is not where we are, as we walk to work, school, etc., then we become disconnected from our immediate surroudings. We are constantly elsewhere. While these types of devices keep us "connected" with people because we are all so easily accessible, in ways, I think these sorts of things actually create as much distance as they do connection.

As far as interacting with our computers, I guess pervasive computing has created a portable version of the desktop paradigm portable so that we can now type emails, check the weather, schedule appointments, and make personal phone calls while on the move.

The technology behind ubiquitous computing and something like the "Smart House" is impressive and fascinating, but the idea of having microphones embedded in walls and cameras lurking behind picture frames all seems a tad Orwellian for my taste. With ubiquitous computing, it seems that interaction with our computers will be more two-way, rather than the user simply commanding the computer. Interfaces that require audio, scents, or gestures will replace the predominantly touch-based interfaces of the desktop paradigm. This "third wave" of computing will make our interactions with computers more spontaneous and automatic since we can interact with them from various locations, not just by sitting down in front of a computer. It seems that with ubiquitous computing, we will see less of the form factor or device itself since so much of the technology is embedded in other objects.

story time, or narrative theory on the internet

Inspired by today's pencil-and-paper activity, I visited the McDonald's website to see if and how its site uses storytelling devices. Turns out, they do.

The homepage uses single-shot photographs to tell three "stories" of McDonald's customers: all three stories indicate an urban setting and promote cultural diversity, a healthy lifestyle, and an active social life. These "characters" are meant to represent all McDonald's customers, but their unique stories and individuality are also emphasized.

The website also uses characterization, a crucial component to any narrative, by devoting an entire link to Ronald McDonald and his friends. Here, Ronald welcomes users to his "very own webiste" with a personal greeting. Kids can learn, create, play, and participate in the imaginary world of their favourite fast-food hero. They also don't take the intelligence of the little Happy Mealers for granted: the slogan "Hey Kids, This is Advertising!" located in the top left-hand corner of this site explicitly announces the real purpose for this fun interactivity. It might appear to be interested in cultivating the intelligence and creativity of America's youth, but, like most things, money is the bottom line.

They have also used Shrek as a famous character in popular culture to add to their appeal and to contribute to their site's narrative.

Interactivity is another way that this site "reads" like a narrative. Visitors can choose their destination through various links, including "Sports," "In the News," and "Get Shoppin.'" By clicking on certain links without any prescribed order, users can create, or "edit", their own version of the McDonald's story and the values this corporation deem important.

For the second portion of this reflection, I chose to analyze the Urban Outfitters website. To be honest, there isn't much colour on the homepage at all. A tiny splash of blue here and there, meant to look like inked handwriting, doesn't evoke feelings of trust, security, or cleanliness, attributes commonly associated with the colour. The printing is less than impressive and looks like it's meant to be an editor's marks on pictures or a manuscript; that is, scribbly and haphazard.

Today, I learned to see the colour orange with a new set of eyes. I had never before associated this colour with cheapness, but after this association was mentioned in class, I instantly thought of the discount stores SAAM and Giant Tiger, whose logos both use orange as the dominate colour. An orange banner in the top right-hand corner of this site beckons us to "step into summer" but it makes me see the items pictured below like they belong in bargin bins or in the clothing department of the General Store in Lion's Head. Those sandals look cheap now, like the kind that give you blisters.

So, between the scribbled, simulated blue ink and the tacky orange banner, I have to say I'm downright turned off bythis site and any products they might try to convince me are cool. Perhpas a touch more blue would have led me to trust them, and the quality of their products, as well as the artistry of their web designers, a little bit more.

day three reflections

Companies might not view user requirement test as a priority because it can be time consuming, expensive, and labour-intensive to carry out some of the methods we discussed in class today. Conducting task analyses or questionnaires might pay off for manufacturers in the long-run, but it seems that most companies are interested in making as much money as soon as possible, rather than investing time and money in these techniques. The sooner the product is released, the sooner profit can be earned, and it is obvious how some of these prelimenary, user requirement methods might slow down the process of releasing the final product.

Companies might be more interested in conducting these tests if the process of gathering, analyzing, and releasing the data was faster. Unfortunately, people are often disinclined to answer questionnaires or participate in other consumer studies. Online questionnaires would be a good solution for companies looking to become more user-centered because they are easily accessible for participants, the data is collected as soon as the virtual survey is submitted, and there is no hassle and time-delay that occur in mailed surveys. Analyzing the data might be a lengthier process, but if companies could understand the value of this information and how it could help them create better, more user-friendly products, which could then lead to increased sales and profit, they might reconsider doing user requirement studies before releasing their product.

Something fun, like the cultural probe packages, which elicit information much differently than a a straight-forward survey or possibly invasive ethnographic study, would also be a good way for companies to conduct user requirement tests. If the participants think of it as a creative endeavour they would be more inclined to divulge information, some of which they might not even realize might be valuable to a company. Hiring more artists and getting a different perspective on the importance of understanding consumer needs might also encourage more companies to adopt some of these methodologies that will hopefully lead to a more efficient and less frustrating product.

reflecting on day two

Understanding human cognition is important to design because when we understand how people process information, we can better anticipate how they might interact with a particular design. Problems can be addressed before a product is released if the designers consider mental processes that occur within the individual users. If we know that humans have a limited attention span or capacity, then we will not overwhelm our users with too much information to remember or too many visuals that might lead to distraction.

If designers understand the concept of affordances, they can customize their designs to correspond with the way a user will perceive certain items - for example, I know I need to push a button and turn a knob, but if the knob looks like a button, then I might think it affords being pressed. Once I done the action I perceive the tool to afford and no action results, I will be frustrated with the design. Designers should aim to minimize the users frustration and making clearly defined buttons from knobs and pushes from pulls ensures a more satisfied user.

Using metaphors can also be a powerful tool in design and understanding how these work for users is crucial for the designers. Relating a somewhat complex system or idea to a basic concept that we interact with in our everday lives can help reduce user frustration. If we look at the entire CBC website, complete with TV, radio and newspaper information, as a daily newspaper we are not overwhelemd by all of the information the site contains. It is divided into the same sections as the daily newspaper that might arrive at your doorstep, but then it goes beyond that to offer archived articles, television show websites and info, radio info and broadcasting, and much more all at your fingertips.

Understanding the complexities of human cognition can help designers create simple, user-friendly products that will keep customers satisfied.

As for neuroplasticity, it has to do with the way the neurological storing and organization of information and the way this information can be moved from one location to another within the brain. For example, I might store an experience in my short term memory, but through certain processes, that experience can move to and be stored in my long term memory. Understanding that certain things that were once unfamiliar can become automatic behaviours is important for designers because they should ulitmately be striving for the use of their products to become automatic within their users.

If a design is too overwhelming or if an interface hosts too much information, the user will probably become frustrated and give up on learning how to use the product. Ensuring that designs are simple and streamlined helps increase the likelihood that information will be stored in the long term memory and that automatic behaviour will develop.

day two exercise

It's rare that I go to a grocery store without forgetting why it is that I'm there. After a couple minutes of aimless wandering, I finally stop in the middle of an aisle to really concentrate on what items I need to purchase. I usually concoct a loose mental list of pertinent items before arriving at the store, so I try to reference that as other organized shoppers pass me by with lists in hand.

Writing a list of the items I need is often helfpul. It's true that I sometimes forget my pretty list at home, but the act of writing down the items is a useful exercise and I often try to visualize the list once I'm at the store and have realized that I've forgotten it at home. Sometimes I phone home to make sure I'm not forgetting any essential items, but this is only helpful when there is someone there to answer my call.

I would love to have a Grocery List option on my cell phone. Although I can be forgetful or absent-minded, I usually remember to bring my cell phone with me before leaving the apartment. Rather than writing grocery items on a piece of paper that can easily be left behind, I could input those items directly into my cell phone, therefore reducing the chances that I'll end up at the grocery store without my trusty list. This interface could also allow me to edit the list by adding items to it throughout the day (for example, if some forgotten ingredient comes to mind during class). An added bonus would be if this cellular Grocery List was organized based on like items, so that all things produce would be clumped together on one screen and all the frozen items would appear on a different one. There is nothing worse than being nearly done your shopping and realizing you need something from the aisle in which your shopping adventure began. A menu would allow users to navigate which screen they would like to see as they move through the various sections of the supermarket.

This interface could be problematic because it would take a long time to input all the items into the phone. I don't text message very often because it takes so long to type even a short message and I anticipate the same could be tedious in terms of this Grocery List option. The screen on many cell phones is also small and some people might find it difficult to read their lists, in which case, they would not use the option.

Although this sounds like a good idea in theory, I would probably stick to my old-fashioned habit of writing lists on paper, even though it means risking forgetting something while shopping and possibly having to make a return trip to get the forgotten item(s). The time it would take to enter everything into the phone and subsequently into the right category is not worth it to me. It would also sort of be a pain to carry your cell phone in one hand while trying to steer your cart through a busy store.

responses for day one

User-centred design is important because, when done properly, it can eliminate a lot of frustration for the user. If a customer is unsatisfied with a product's usability, for example a cell phone or PDA, s/he will probably tell his/her friends not to purchase the product because it is inefficient or annoying to use.

Last year, I had this crummy data entry job and the company had designed its own information processing system. As we were discussing yesterday in class, the designers/creators of the system were not the users - they didn't know how to do the job the system was designed for and therefore couldn't anticipate some of the problems that showed up after implementation.

We (i.e. the users) were encouraged to send "heat tickets" to the IT department when we encountered something that was inefficient or problematic with the system. This was nice in theory, but the IT people were busy people and couldn't cater to all of our desires to improve the system so that we could be more efficient at our job. The complaints were prioritized based on the severity of the slow-down - if it was detrimental to completing one's job it was considered urgent and addressed immediately, but if it was simply "annoying" and could be avoided through what they called "short cuts" then the written request gathered dust at the bottom of the pile. According to office legend, some complaints had stayed there, untouched, since the system release date, nearly seven years prior.

Once the system was in place there wasn't enough time or money to invest in something that my colleagues and I found irritating and disruptive because the IT department didn't deem it necessary to job completion.

Of course there are testers in the IT department who did test runs to make sure the system ran without glitches, but in this case, it would have been helpful if there was more user-testing conducted before the new system was released. The problems that arose after implementation would have been discovered sooner, therefore preventing many a headache for both users and designers.

Moving along...

On a very basic level, the numbers on a cell phone's keypad are interactive: I push a button which records a phone number and when I press "send" it connects me to that number.

The camera option is also interactive because I can capture an image by pressing a button. The same is true of the video component. If a cell phone has an mp3 player, the buttons that control this feature can also be considered interactive since pressing them produces sound.

My phone has a "Say a Command" feature that responds to my voice. So if I tell it to "Call Home" it will bring up a list of my contacts that (apparently) have "home" in them. I have to admit I don't this often because I find it annoying and also strange to tell my phone to do things that my fingers can do just as easily. It also seems pretty primitive in design, since when I say "Call Home" the options that appear are: "Catherine," "Matt," and "Kara," none of which are my home, nor have the word "home" in their contact entries. My actual home number, entered as "Home" in my contacts, is not an option. Annoying it may be, but also undeniably interactive.

There is lots of interactivity in the cell phone and I've never really thought about in this light!

I am a first-time blogger!