tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55103364525883572322024-03-13T03:45:56.639-07:00treil + errorBlog written by Todd Reily, Product Designer and Human Factors Engineer. Focused on the product development process.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-64628470986083552542015-03-17T03:56:00.001-07:002015-03-17T04:00:31.511-07:00Designing For Wearables: Where To Begin? The introduction of the Apple Watch will likely lead to a wave of companies exploring the idea of wearable versions of their products for the first time. This should come as good news if you're a designer at one of these companies. Designing wearable solutions is an invigorating challenge as the devices allow for so many new behaviors and experiences, the standards have not been formed yet, and the technologies are constantly improving.<br />
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Since I've been focused solely on wearables for about three years now at APX (www.apx-labs.com), I figured this was a good time to share some of my lessons learned and tips from the field for designing for wearables.
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<b>Have a clear purpose.</b><br />
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Don't be surprised by a Gold Rush mentality here. Some people are going to be more excited about the idea of creating a wearable app than what the app will actually do. It's your responsibility to hold the train up and make sure it's headed in the right direction. Push for answers on questions like: Why should we create a wearable solution? What will be the concept or the purpose behind it? Will it complement, replace, extend, or simply add to our product? How might it improve the overall product offering? If you're satisfied with these answers, then definitely proceed. If the answers are weak, or you don't share the same views, you may want to stay at whiteboard until you do.<br />
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<b>Define your product intent.</b><br />
Once your purpose is in place, it's time to shift to your users. It is absolutely critical that you have a shared understanding with your product team about the human goals driving your wearable app. You will need to clearly define what you expect people will able to do with this product and how you're going to make that possible. This will surely align with your current product offering, but don't be afraid to look for opportunities to evolve to support new goals and behaviors. The wearable version of your product may provide new value that wasn't possible before.<br />
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Some questions that you'll want answered as a team: Why will people use our wearable app? What will they be able to do that they can't do today? Will that improve their overall experience with our product? How will they explain, think, or talk about our wearable app?<br />
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Jeff Gothelf of Lean UX gives a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvAEwXPqM3Y" target="_blank">much better explanation</a> of the importance of shared understanding than I could. I suggest you check it out.<br />
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<b>Re-introduce your user.</b><br />
<a href="http://media.engadget.com/img/products/505/atxi/atxi-800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.engadget.com/img/products/505/atxi/atxi-800.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>I'm sure you've created user personas, conducted interviews and observations, and collected every bit of data that you can find. That's fantastic and certainly won't be tossed out for a wearables project. However, take the time to step back and re-evaluate your users as their experience with your wearable product may be vastly different than what they experience today. What do you expect they'll be doing when they use the wearable version? Walking or running? Perfoming a job? Making purchases or other decisions? Are they alone or is it a social setting? Find the insights that may distinguish your wearable experience from competitors and even your own existing product.<br />
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<b>Context is king.</b><br />
The Android design team over at Google has a great line about designing for context with wearables: "Focus on not stopping the user and all else will follow". It's entirely true. If you've assessed the context of your user, you know where they will be, what they'll be doing, and who they'll be with when they're using your product. This context is much more important with wearable devices than it is with desktop or even mobile experiences. Interactions should be swift and seamless - this includes responding to alerts (which there should be very few), viewing information, and taking actions.<br />
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<b>Be driven by behaviors.</b><br />
It's easy to get caught up in features because they're so tangible. They're the nouns in the product and the bullets on the website. Yet, designing with feature first always leads to disjointed user experiences. It's far more effective to have user behaviors drive your design process. These are the verbs that cut through the product features, describing how a person will go from wanting to do something to having it done. User journeys have been around forever and their value is widely known, so this is nothing new. What is new, however, is the advent of wearables and the only way to enable seamless interaction in context is to favor the verbs over the nouns.<br />
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<b>Leave stuff out.</b><br />
Show me a wearable product that tries to replicate a desktop or mobile experience and I'll show you the Uninstall button. Nobody wants a smaller, more crowded, and harder-to-use version of your product. Use your knowledge of your users to determine only the critical features to leave in and most frequent behaviors to enable. This may require some hard decisions and in-house debating, but I can promise it's worth it. The market won't give you points for replicating your existing product experience but they will reward you for creating a great one.<br />
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<b>Manage the big picture</b><br />
If you're creating a wearable app, it is possible that it is a wearable version of some larger product experience that spans desktop, mobile, or other devices. While you and your team are likely obsessing day and night about this exciting new version of the product, I caution you to not lose sight of the broader perspective. Your shiny wearable version of the product may stand alone just fine, but it's also part of a larger product ecosystem. To your user, it's all one product experience. Make sure that what you're creating complements and extends the existing product. It may even create new opportunities for value on the existing platforms.<br />
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<b>...and watch the little picture.</b><br />
The best way to manage the complexity of a cross-device user experience is to have strong rules and principles that bind the features and devices. It's important to remember that people are usually busy, distracted, and are not experts with your product, so make life easy for them. It's your responsibility to make sure that they're being presented with a simple and enjoyable product experience. Make sure that the rules for interacting with the product are clear, intuitive, consistent, and predictable. If you're not sure what I mean by interaction rules, I highly recommend Dan Saffer's <a href="http://%7E%20amazon.com%20%3E%20microinteractions-color-edition-designing-details%20%3E%20dp%20%3E%201491945923/" target="_blank">Microinteractions: Designing With Details</a><br />
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Those are my current tips for designing for wearables. I hope they've provided you with a good roadmap as you start your journey. Please reach out to me if you think I've left anything out here as I would like to learn from other people working with these products as well. You can also follow me on twitter (@toddreily) or track the products I'm working on at APX Labs (@apxlabs or www.apx-labs.com). I look forward to hearing from you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-77678666471956662732014-07-14T19:22:00.001-07:002014-07-14T19:23:16.589-07:00Design: The Horizontal DisciplineDesign is a varied thing. Like most people in my role, I can be found doing any number of design-related activities on a given day. However, "design-related" can be be pretty ridiculous adjective. In my small startup alone, Designers are involved in product strategy, feature planning, user research, customer support, marketing, promotion, video production, graphic design, customer support, and prototyping. That short list alone hits on five or six major disciplines, from management to engineering to marketing and everything in between.<br />
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I don't code, personally, but many (most?) UX Designers do and can build their own solutions. I also know little about the technical side of graphic design and typography, which many Designers are highly skilled at. However, I have extensive experience and an academic background in Human Factors Engineering (Go Jumbos!) and System Design (go SDM!). Plus, I was an animator, can read a balance sheet, and know a few things about psychology.</div>
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Somehow this is all normal. What's the story here? Are we just using overly broad terms for a collection of specific jobs? Or, does the role of product design really require all these skills, and as a result, weave through every other discipline within an organization? I've come to accept and embrace the fact that this is the case - that design is a cross-disciplinary discipline by nature, specifically positioned to cross the seams of other roles and responsibilities. Does this make it less or more important than other disciplines within an organization, such as Engineering, Sales, or Marketing? Not at all - it's just different - a supporting bridge across a row of a pillars. A horizontal among verticals. Like I said, a varied thing. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-82012398734449979052014-02-26T19:03:00.004-08:002014-02-26T19:03:40.338-08:00How to Balance Creativity and Productivity I work out of one-man office, doing work that requires both creative design output as well as a high level of productivity. My daily work ranges from developing detailed design guidelines to conceptualizing future product concepts. After nearly a couple years of working in this environment (another another decade or so doing similar design work), I thought I would share some of my tips for being productive in a creative role.
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<b>Start early</b><br />
There is no better time to start creative work than early in the morning. You're fresh, your mental energy is at it's highest, and your brain is still waking up. This last part is the most interesting because it's your brain's scrambling to wake that leads to unexpected connnections and creative ideas when you force it into a challenging situation. Most mornings, I get up at 6:00am, make coffee and breakfast and start working from my home office at 6:30am. I always start with my most interesting and creatively challenging work at this time. I find that I'm best ready to handle it at this hour with fresh energy and a new perspective. No one is there to distract you at this time - all the phonecalls, requests, and emails don't start until after 9am - so this morning period is perfect for focus.<br />
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<b>Mindmaps</b><br />
I was sitting in a grad school class in the fall of 2009 when I noticed the guy in front of me typing his notes in mindmap software. I asked him what the program was and he said it was <a href="https://www.blogger.com/(http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page)" target="_blank">Freemind</a>. I started using it and having looked back since. I literally have ONE mindmap file that contains everything that I've wanted to capture since 2009. Every idea, every fact, every person. Everything is searchable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mDaOGBvT4hCQdE2QVa0CDIYrnSxAJf7fFzLGV8z77uao7EQFHX_sZGGQAKr-4GqgVT9B9GIJBGjoEoafbTyJWPCw-TgGYzNzM50vLiwRjH4YlaJM9_Rxt7WkwmdlWd8_Wk_mlecDlLs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-26+at+10.00.50+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mDaOGBvT4hCQdE2QVa0CDIYrnSxAJf7fFzLGV8z77uao7EQFHX_sZGGQAKr-4GqgVT9B9GIJBGjoEoafbTyJWPCw-TgGYzNzM50vLiwRjH4YlaJM9_Rxt7WkwmdlWd8_Wk_mlecDlLs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-26+at+10.00.50+PM.png" height="245" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shot of the planning side of my mindmap</td></tr>
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I can't recommend mindmaps enough. They allow for the best organization of content, quick searching, and work great as a content creation tool. From a creative standpoint, they allow for hyper-focused views where you can open just the branches you're interested in, or a big picture view by expanding many branches. I like to create work queues within each create project that can have a great deal of content nested down to simple one-line notes. Mindmaps are also a great way to store ideas. Revisiting, evolving and combining old ideas is one of my favorite practices.<br />
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Definitely give Freemind a test drive. It's the simplest and most flexible of the available mindmap tools. It doesn't run on tablets or run in the cloud, however, so you may want to explore other options if you want this.<br />
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<b>Go for a Walk<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwu91yYtWhWkCIFixKYwRBR2fnck87gFbakaMeJZ0KotYkFGqHoVlj9s1oEBSYVwKYRNkbwoo2PXC2yR_8V0B2FpKlfCkrpj5e9QSU7TuVCZeIaCxXearZvBcAvHv8QSeO9lA8NaUBKU/s1600/TwoDogsButts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwu91yYtWhWkCIFixKYwRBR2fnck87gFbakaMeJZ0KotYkFGqHoVlj9s1oEBSYVwKYRNkbwoo2PXC2yR_8V0B2FpKlfCkrpj5e9QSU7TuVCZeIaCxXearZvBcAvHv8QSeO9lA8NaUBKU/s1600/TwoDogsButts.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">walking my dogs in November 2013</td></tr>
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I'm far from the first person to do this, but I enjoy taking walks when I'm faced with a design challenge. When I'm working at home early in the morning or at night, I take my dogs and head out. This gives me the time to think through a problem and develop solutions out in the fresh air. Being on the move, taking in the surroundings, and simply stepping away from the computer also seems to bring me some clarity.<br />
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I own <a href="http://www.google.com/glass/start/" target="_blank">Google Glass</a>, which I'll wear sometimes if I have a particularly tough challenge to deal with. I'll use Glass's video recording feature to create video memos where I record notes on the possible solutions. I would never want anyone to actually see these obnoxious videos of me talking endlessly and seeing my dogs walking from behind, but I find them really useful (and I delete them as soon as I jot the notes down). If you don't own Glass, your phone's video feature will work just fine for this.<br />
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<b>Work in Creative Batches </b><br />
Disruptions of emails, text, and phone calls are an absolute killer when you're trying to lock in on some creative work. For some people, the enticement of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or other content feeds present too strong of a distraction. This is just the nature of having the same device for producing as you have for consuming content, including your social content. I try to combat these disruptions by taking control of my schedule and sticking to it. Every day I schedule two or three batches of work, ideally two 4-hour chunks, where I focus without distraction during those stretches. This ensures that at least those important items get done. I then fill in the spaces around these batches with the emails, small tasks, and administrative work as possible.<br />
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<b>Carry a Notebook</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.wejetset.com/images/5588/f42782f0a3a5d4a7783d/large.jpg?1251379339" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://assets.wejetset.com/images/5588/f42782f0a3a5d4a7783d/large.jpg?1251379339" height="235" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field Notes notebooks</td></tr>
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Any designer worth his or her salt has to carry a notebook for jotting down random observations and ideas. My favorite physical notebook is the awesome <a href="http://fieldnotesbrand.com/" target="_blank">Field Notes </a>brand because they are made well, fit in a pocket, and look great. My favorite digital notebook is Google Keep. I use it for notes and saving any articles that I want to read later. It has less features but is simpler and more streamlined than Evernote. Works across phone, laptop, tablet, etc.<br />
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<b>Switch Modes</b><br />
Notebooks offer a benefit that goes beyond convenience. I've also found that switching context from the rigid, distraction-heavy computer to a blank slate sheet of paper and pen can work wonders when stuck in a creative rut. Switching modes like this during the creative process, both early and often, is an awesome way to keep your creativity on its toes, so to speak. This is hard to do, as it's easy to get buried in a task and forget to step away, but it's always a good idea to switch modes to trigger new thinking.<br />
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I try to stick to a rule of not using the computer at 9:00pm - it's a notebook or at least my <a href="http://cintiqcompanion.wacom.com/CintiqCompanion/en/" target="_blank">Wacom tablet </a>after this time. I find it to be a welcome change if I'm burnt out from interacting with the same MacBook all day.<br />
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<b>Music</b><br />
Of course, there's always music. I almost always have music going during the day, hitting every genre under the sun in the course of a week. I try to stick to instrumental music to help focus, which for me can range from jazz and classical to electronic. I get every penny's worth out of my <a href="https://www.spotify.com/us/" target="_blank">Spotify</a> subscription. It allows me to constantly be exposed to new music that can trigger new ideas and perspectives.<br />
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For me, all these practices work together to create the best working environment that I can come up with. I hope some of these tips will help you in your own creative work. Please write if you have any ideas of your own. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-21085957497462954222013-10-29T05:49:00.000-07:002013-10-29T05:49:10.064-07:00Design Principles for Smart Glasses (Revisited) <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been designing for smart glasses for over a year now, including Google Glass and similar products that will be on the market in 2014. I posted my design principles a year ago, but I've evolved them as we've learned from the platform. Here they are: </span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Less is More</strong></div>
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This commonly seen design principle is never truer than with smart glasses. When you are dealing with a person’s line of sight, you need to take extreme care with every design decision. It’s easy to add features and information, but much harder to take them away because it requires a true understanding of your users and their priorities.</div>
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In the design of Skylight, we took extensive measures to drive our user interface down to the absolute minimum while still optimizing its value. Given the industrially oriented environments that we are designing for, we know it is more important to create a minimalist and usable interface than a flashy Iron Man-like interface. This type of thinking led to our Northstar interface, which nests content and features into tiny, unobtrusive virtual points of light. The result is an interface that is almost invisible at times, only revealing itself as the user commands it to.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t Make People Change</strong></div>
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Smart glasses are an entirely new type of device. There are no design standards, customer expectations, or market leader to align with. We have no choice but to break new ground and a learning curve is unavoidable. This doesn’t mean, however, that we have make people change how they behave. We know that if we want to create a usable product, we need to begin with the way that people already act, and design against that.</div>
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Very early in our process, we examined common human behaviors, such as how people use mobile devices, write in notebooks, look around their environment, and interact with each other. These everyday activities influenced our design decisions on a daily basis. The result is a product experience that is so unlike anything that’s come before it, yet still familiar. For example, our Northstar head-tracking user interface is based on the concept of visual scanning, the pattern of visually examining an environment for relevant information before focusing in. Actions are then taken by gazing on virtual objects that toggle on and off like light switches. If you know how to look around a room, you know how to interact with Northstar. No hand gestures to learn, no voice commands to remember.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Design for Daily Use</strong></div>
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We’ve seen some truly amazing technology demonstrations through the years at conferences and trade shows. If you could step in our R&D lab, you would be floored by the technical feats that our team is capable of. But, we don’t design for demos. We design products for real people to use every day in the workplace. We need to prioritize human factors, like usability, fatigue, and error prevention, in place of more eye-catching features like spinning 3D models with swiping gestures. It was this set of priorities that led to our use of head tracking for interaction. Physical gestures would become far too tiring during a standard work shift and voice input is simply not viable in many industrial environments. Alternatively, head tracking requires so little effort, both physically and mentally, that it emerged as an obvious fit for enterprise scenarios.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Distinguish Glasses from the Real World</strong></div>
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One of the advantages of a stereoscopic display is that we can project user interfaces as if they were overlaid on the real world. There are still needs, however, for information to be projected as if it were fixed to the user’s glasses, like a personal heads-up display. In our system, the real world interfaces are designed for interaction using head movements while the personal heads-up display is more “read only” for awareness and notifications. The challenge from a design standpoint is offering the user proper distinction so they immediately and intuitively understand what is a real world element is what is fixed to their display.</div>
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We addressed this challenge with slight variations in the design language between the 3D real world and the 2D heads-up display. In our system, real world interface elements have rounded corners and options are primarily circular, offering the intuitive design affordance of a button. This rounded look also blends better into the organic real world. Elements on the 2D heads-up display, by contrast, consist primarily of straight lines and hard angles. This creates a flatter, more prominent, and more “techno-centric” look that is a better fit for a heads-up display. While the edges and shapes may vary, however, the two styles use the same color palette, typography, and other visual cues. The result is a cohesive user interface that exists in two dimensions, resulting in a learnable and usable product experience.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Make a Commitment to Glasses</strong></div>
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People will use smart glasses for a reason. Maybe they’re a “desk-less worker” where they want their information in the context of their workplace instead of tied to a fixed location or device. Or, maybe their hands are tied up, carrying packages, using equipment, or treating patients. For these people, we needed to design a completely hands-free user experience. After all, if you need to swipe and tap with your fingers to interact with your glasses, you might as well use a smartphone or tablet.</div>
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We made a commitment right from the beginning to “go all in” on glasses. That meant that every behavior, from calling a coworker to taking a picture, needed to be supported without the need for physical interaction. Even our Settings and Registration interfaces are hands free. We believe this was the right choice for our customer base – people that may be wearing gloves, working in sanitary (or unsanitary!) environments, or simply want the most efficient experience possible.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Provide Convenient Access to Secondary Features</strong></div>
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We were presented with a design challenge at a very early stage in the development process. Our Northstar and HUD interfaces worked perfectly together, but it was an incomplete system. What if someone wanted to make a video call, take a photo, or modify user settings? We needed a way to support secondary behaviors quickly and conveniently without obstructing from the primary experience.</div>
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We first came up with a concept we called the “personal space” – named for the area below the field of view, close to body, usually reserved for items of personal attention (mobile devices, notebooks, magazines). We figured this to be a natural placement for our configuring and accessing additional content. As we experimented with the technology, our thinking evolved and we learned that the most convenient placement for our menu system was actually above the field of view instead of below. So, we created a truly unique menu interface that is nested just above the user’s normal line of sight. By simply glancing upwards and gazing upon the menu icon, the user is able to open and access a range of hands-free smart glasses features, such as Messages, Contacts, and even a Camera.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Design for Varied Environments</strong></div>
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Transparent displays present a significant design challenge as you have no way of predicting what is going to be behind them. Some of our users will be in sun-filled work sites while others will be in dark warehouses. Still others may be moving between the two. We needed to design an interface that could handle these varying environments without any action necessary on the part of the user. We addressed this need by designing a high contrast interface that always presents bright white against dark blue at strategically varying transparencies. As an example, the reticle at the center of the display (i.e. the cursor for head tracking) is a bright white ring that shows up in any normal condition. When looking into a bright environment however, the white ring becomes less apparent and the reticle’s dim blue inner ring visually emerges. Getting these small design details right makes for an interface that can stand up to any condition.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Keep it simple</strong></div>
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Since this is such an early-stage technology, everyone that uses our product is going to be a novice to some degree. We have been careful not to overwhelm our users with overly complex rules, difficult to learn interactions, or unnecessary features. The bottom line when designing this type of system: keep it simple.</div>
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We have established basic design patterns within our system that we use repeatedly to create an easily learnable and predictable user experience. We have minimized the amount of menu types, buttons, or other interface elements to ensure that people only need to learn a couple things in order to understand the whole system. We have also limited the amount of text, relying instead on familiar graphical icons and visualizations for fast recognition. Finally, we have adhered to a simple color palette that features just a handful of colors that consistently convey specific meanings. The end effect is a perception of simplicity despite the unfamiliarity of this new product paradigm.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Delight</strong></div>
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Work is difficult enough for most. They may have long work shifts, hazardous environments, or be faced with endless stress. Utility and usability are our top priorities when designing for these people, but we still believe in the importance of creating an enjoyable product experience as well. While designing Skylight, we took opportunities to design interfaces that were so intuitive that they create a satisfying experience when interacting with them. For example, our lists views can be scrolled like a wheel simply by looking towards the top or bottom of the list. You have never experienced an interface like this before, so the result is honestly fun. We have also designed subtle animations into the interface, such as info panels that slide in-and-out or points of light that animate open like clovers. The intended effect is an interface that seems life-like and interesting to interact with.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-84984583703991730292013-06-08T05:52:00.000-07:002013-06-08T10:05:02.753-07:00Startup Lessons from Teddy Roosevelt On April 23, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech in Paris entitled "Citizenship In a Republic". You probably aren't famliar with entire speech, but you're likely heard an exerpt of it. This passage is titled "The Man in the Arena". It goes as follows:
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<a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcgqralYV01rf1jvro1_r1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcgqralYV01rf1jvro1_r1_1280.jpg" width="256" /></a>"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."</blockquote>
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I've always liked this quote. I've had a framed hand-written version of it hung on my apartment, office, or home office wall for years now as I've seen it as a good reminder of the importance of hard work and resilience.
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Something recently occurred me, however, which is that this passage applies just as well with my work. I'm fortunate enough to work in an environment where my face is not "marred by dust and sweat and blood" but it doesn't mean that there aren't lessons to take from The Man in the Arena.<br />
If you're involved in creating products, particularly if you work at a startup, you know that every day is a test of devotion and resilience. Sure, it's not threat of pain or test of physical endurance, and frankly, the challenge of technology product development is fun if it's your passion. However, that doesn't mean that it's not a measure of continued dedication towards a cause in the face of competition, doubt, and disappointment.<br />
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We work in the unknown. We create solutions that we believe will solve important problems when they go to market. We create products that we hope people will want, buy, or need. We aim to make people's lives better. We walk into our offices and start up our computers every day knowing that the ideas and decisions that follow could be the different between success and failure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWeTTwaC83NYj4vZwUiLgUVgzkyZAKtNmswy29uhVIsQLT29ZG79AOxSG_tf0053b4G-0sIQXXWoWqfxg94cF4VyEVXhG7X8sjSH7ySl3civIAT4TBwBJ9lNMR1fuQ528PmOob6sYO033/s1600/80004_DB_Bldg_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWeTTwaC83NYj4vZwUiLgUVgzkyZAKtNmswy29uhVIsQLT29ZG79AOxSG_tf0053b4G-0sIQXXWoWqfxg94cF4VyEVXhG7X8sjSH7ySl3civIAT4TBwBJ9lNMR1fuQ528PmOob6sYO033/s320/80004_DB_Bldg_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
With that, I want to give credit to those who push the ideas forward. I'm talking about any person in any role who has the will to put new ideas out there. Credit goes to the whiteboard sketches, the "programmer art" in MS Paint, as well as the pixel-perfect UI mockup. Credit belongs to the people who are willing to put their reputation on the line, to potentially be proven wrong, by putting new ideas into the world. Credit belongs to the person who steps up to the board and says "what if we did it this way instead?".
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Everyone in the startup world knows the importance of prototyping ideas, of experimentation and design iteration, and changing course when defeat is apparent. Ideas are the fuel that powers this engine. We need more people pushing forward and less pushing back. Pushing forward, learning and adjusting course will always win out over over-planning and early negativism.
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<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_loovmz9KUD1qfdrldo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_loovmz9KUD1qfdrldo1_500.jpg" width="256" /></a>Of course, we need planning, we need decision-making, and most importantly, we need the "doing" that gets things done. This is all a given. And true, we also need some critique - a good measure of skepticism - but too often this becomes the norm in organizations. This is just people playing it safe and protecting themselves from their fears. It's easy to sit back, to never risk ridicule or reputation, by always pointing out the faults and risks of the work of others. An organization overrun with critics is one where new ideas are welcomed with pessimism and disdain. The result is that the ideas stop coming and the "timid" company pushes forward without knowing "victory nor defeat". I've worked in an organization like this and I can assure you that's a safe but unmotivating existence.
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So - push forward. Be the person who steps up to the board and says "how about this?" and proceeds to draw a new future. It doesn't matter what your role is or how creative you think you are. We need more people striving, more people willing to stumble, and more people risking defeat in a worthy cause. We need more people in the arena. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-21796042980562843632013-03-28T04:31:00.000-07:002013-03-28T06:17:34.535-07:00Why Structure is the Secret Weapon of Great Design Teams<!-- ^ Position is not set to relative / absolute here because of Mozilla -->
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<a href="http://blackbirdideas.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/12-18-chalk1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://blackbirdideas.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/12-18-chalk1.jpg" width="258" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">So you're sitting at your desk in the morning addressing some leftover emails from last night when a message pops up that you're needed in the main conference room. A major client opportunity has come up and the Design team has been asked to whip up some creative concepts. You head to the conference room, sit down with your fellow creatives and the brainstorm begins. After a couple hours of tossing ideas around, the whiteboard is full of ink, including a great sketch of a user journey and a list of a few potentially killer concepts. The meeting ends with you agreeing to document the ideas with the help of some rendered storyboards from one of the better artists in the group. The team will have the new concepts ready for review by the end of the week. Design has delivered. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the model that exists in so many organizations, and it can work just fine. Creatives free of soul-dampening process, temporarily unhindered by reminders of budgetary and technical limits, creating wildly divergent solutions for their less creative counterparts to develop. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The underlying wisdom is (1) unstructured creative "magic" generates ideas, and then (2) structured engineering process makes the idea of a reality. As far as creating great products, however, it is completely flawed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The reality is that an unstructured creative process (I'm talking more idea generation than detailed UX design) bounces randomly around the problem and solution spaces, undoubtedly spending too much time on some aspects while accidentally ignoring others. This random approach MAY result in a great outcome, but it's not efficient or reliable as a process.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">5 Reasons Why You Need More Creative Structure</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>1. Trust</i></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're a designer, I'm sorry to tell you this but your co-workers don't trust you. They have process and structure. You have whiteboards and brainstorms. They're quantitatively-driven, and you're.... not. By cloaking the creative process and being exclusive, you're creating an unknown that will lead to an uneasiness from people who are not familiar with it. If you want to establish credibility with non-creatives in your organization, you need to have a transparent creative process with a level of rigor that is understood by roles which are traditionally more structured and process-oriented. Otherwise, your work is just "magic" and it will never really be trusted. Sure, you might maintain some of the mystique of being an exclusive design department, and you may generate some fantastic design concepts, but the influence of those concepts will never be fully realized without a considerable level of trust in how they were created. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALDhuzjlbvFVTGXHU2Lwr1XbDup9wIliGMvG-gNB5NkbTDa_H47VlbRdRbaHPab8FJdkAC4UN6FoMjxP_RYpEQyj2VBi0-kcNdlHzfOhQKy79rniEOZLELm8SJqEj3ffh8LFFZjyAFghC/s1600/chalkboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALDhuzjlbvFVTGXHU2Lwr1XbDup9wIliGMvG-gNB5NkbTDa_H47VlbRdRbaHPab8FJdkAC4UN6FoMjxP_RYpEQyj2VBi0-kcNdlHzfOhQKy79rniEOZLELm8SJqEj3ffh8LFFZjyAFghC/s320/chalkboard.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;"><i>2. Ideas</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">An odd relationship exists between structure and creativity. Bad structure can create a negative environment where brainstorms become more about avoiding constraints than achieving optimal solutions. Good structure can provide a "creative scaffolding" where problems can be more fully understood and the full range of solutions can be explored more effectively. Good structure can also present people with a creative tension that spurs new ways of thinking about problems or generates unexpected solutions. I'm going to focus on the "how" much more in my next post, but an example would be the creation of User Journeys where designers must think through the entire time scale from the initial touchpoint through conclusion. This method promotes a more holistic and comprehensive perspective, which can often reveal unexpected needs or opportunities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For methods of pure idea creation, check out Dave Gray's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gamestorming-Playbook-Innovators-Rulebreakers-Changemakers/dp/0596804172" target="_blank">Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemaker</a>s" for ideas for creativity-generating games:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;"><i>3. Communication</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A standalone idea is really just an opinion and it is at risk of </span>misinterpretation<span style="font-family: inherit;"> When you have a good process however, it is much easier to strengthen your ideas along with the thinking that led to them. For example, I like to define and share the intent behind every design decision. Something like "To make it easy for users to find what they're looking for by providing a Search box". User Journeys are also good at this with their "User Need State" phrases at each step. Verbal statements like these provide a good complement to any visual design, and the combination of the two provide a great talking point. It's the "why" behind the design decision that promotes understanding and acts as a catalyst for conversation.</span><br />
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Well communicated ideas also have a better chance of standing unscathed throughout the product development process. I<span style="font-family: inherit;">f communicated with intent and reasoning and explanation, design ideas will be more likely understood by the people who are responsible for implementing them. </span><br />
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<b><i>4. Product</i></b><br />
In my thesis work last year, I discovered that one of the key factors in the success of a company's design strategy was in their ability to take a holistic approach. By this I mean that they clearly considered the entire continuum of their customer touchpoints and developed cohesive product ecocsystems to support them. Designing like this requires a different set of techniques from the earliest ideation stages. It requires a creative framework that is set up for generating ideas across a range of expected user states. The end result should be a series of complementary ideas that form together to create better products and services.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;"><i>5. Repetition</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I recently read the Lean Startup. It took me a while to get around to it becuase I made some incorrect assumptions. I assumed that it was basically "Design Thinking for Startups": rush quickly to a minimum viable product, learn from it, and then iterate. Then I read it and realized that it was much more structured than this. Eric Ries was espousing for scientific rigor in the product development process because it allows for learning and advancement. This is where it separates from Design Thinking. Instead of just being a Way of Thinking, it was a Way of Acting. That's a big distinction.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The benefit of a Way of Acting is that it can be learned, it can be refined, and it can be repeated. The design process should not be an exception to this. Systematic creativity is entirely possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To summarize, I believe that design teams would benefit from a more systematic approach to their creative process as it leads to better ideas and a greater chance of realizing those ideas. In the next post, I would like to get into some specific techniques for structured creativity. In the meantime, I would love to hear what has and hasn't worked for you in terms of structuring your creative process. Comment here or fire me an email at toddreily@gmail.com. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-10307149024881068902013-02-27T11:14:00.001-08:002013-02-27T16:58:09.413-08:00Examining the Google Glass #ifihadglass Campaign<!-- ^ Position is not set to relative / absolute here because of Mozilla -->
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Google recently launched a brilliant user research campaign to coincide with their latest annoucements surrounding Google Glass. The campaign asked people to post what they would use Google Glass for if they had one, offering the incentive of the product for the producers of the best ideas. Participants are asked to tag posts on Twitter or Google+ with <a href="http://www.google.com/glass/start/how-to-get-one/" target="_blank">#ifihadglass</a>.<br />
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Of course, the campaign's benefits are numerous, as it solicited ideas from potential customers, generated viral buzz for their product, and took a pulse of their customer perceptions. This final point is what I found to be most interesting. What I was curious about is how people perceive Google Glass, and smart glasses in general. Are they perceived primarily to be an assistance tool that will help you be smarter in your daily life or are they really a recording device for sharing or revisiting your experiences? Of course, smart glasses can and will do all of the above, but what jumps out off as the "I gotta have that!" feature for people?<br />
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I decided to leverage Google's #ifihadglass" campaign to attempt to answer this question (Full disclosure: I design user experiences for <a href="http://www.apx-labs.com/" target="_blank">APX Labs</a>, creators of a smart glasses software platform - check out our latest product video <a href="http://videos.apx-labs.com/" target="_blank">here</a>). We certainly could have run this study on our own but there is no way to match Google's exposure at this moment, and frankly, this is a faster route to the same answers. After all, we are just talking about perceptions of the tool from people who have not only never used the product, but never used anything like it. Nonetheless, first impressions of what a product IS and what it's FOR can be an interesting data point.<br />
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My research plan wasn't particularly rigorous as I don't believe in being overly quantitative when evaluating highly speculative and qualitative feedback. I decided to find and capture 100 #ifihadglass tweets at random that were posted from Feb 22-25 and mark them across a handful of categories. I ignored posts that were clearly jokes or self-promotional. I put the selected posts into a spreadsheet and marked a "1" in each of the relevant categories. The categories were as follows: "Tool" (Input Device), "Capture" (Output/Documentation), and "Share" (Output/Broadcast). If the tweet was about someone wanting to use Glass to help them do their job, for instance, they would get a 1 in the Tool category. If they wanted to use it to document thier kid's life, they would get a mark in the Capture category. If they wanted share their travel experiences, they would get a 1 in the Share category. (Spoiler alert: This final example was by far the most common response.)<br />
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Before evaluating the tweets, I also checked the <a href="http://www.google.com/glass/start/how-it-feels/" target="_blank">"How It Feels" product video</a> for Glass to see how people may have been influenced in their thinking before submitting thier response. Turns out that Google was pretty balanced, demonstrating 8 scenes where Glass is shown as an Input device, 4 scenes where it is a Capturing device, and 7 scenes where it is a Sharing device. They also feature 7 scenes where there is no UI whatsoever (which was a clever decision by their video designers in my opinion)
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So what are the results? Of the 100 #ifihadglass responses that I captured, there were<b> 50 instances of it being percieved as a Sharing device, 39 as an Input device </b>and<b> 15 of it as a Capturing Device </b>(remember that posts could register in multiple categories).
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So Glass was primarily perceived as a Sharing device, a theme that appeared in exactly half of the responses. The "share my life/travels/city/job/experiences theme was without a doubt, the most common pattern seen. Again, this is just a perception of how someone would use these, but it's worth noting that the initial response was along the lines of "I want this product so I can share what I do". The self-promotion theme certainly aligns with prevalent trends of today's social tools, where Likes and Follows equate to people feeling self-worth and "mini-fame".
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The "Input" responses were not too far behind at 39. Common themes here revolved around the ability to have information readily searchable (e.g. recipes, directions) or have information pro-actively presented in the field of view (e.g. people's names). Finally the "Capture" category got the least hits at only 15. This primarily revolved around people wanting to capture their life/travels/kids for their own purposes.<br />
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These results led me to measure an additional comparison, which was people's perception of whether or not this was a device for leisure and entertainment or something much more practical. Of course, people are going to gravitate towards the fun aspect of a product more than mundane one when describing what they would do with it, especially when the Glass promotional video was all about jumping out of planes and flying on trampezes. Nonetheless, it was worth taking this pulse as well. It turns out that <b>72% of the participants responded that they would use the device for enjoyment purposes while 27% wanted to use it for practical reasons</b>.
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The takeaway? Based on Google's communication of their Google Glass product, and based on the current context of the technology world, people are likely perceiving Google Glass as a device for sharing life's moments.... but the question remains, will anyone want to watch those moments? It will be very interesting to see how actual behavior patterns match up against this predicted behavior.<br />
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Is this what you expected? write me with your input! More to come..<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-61707068611005865262013-01-11T05:41:00.002-08:002013-01-11T05:44:27.260-08:0010 Important Reminders When Creating Products for People<!-- ^ Position is not set to relative / absolute here because of Mozilla -->
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Every company that makes things or does things for people has the same goal. To get as much money as possible from the people in return for those things. It's amazing how much we over-complicate this some times. But what do what do the people actually want? Even more amazing than our tendancy to over-complicate the formula is to forget that the people have a choice. Throughout my years as a consultant (I'm now back at a product company), I was amazed by the amount of consumer-facing companies that failed to understand their customers and what they actually wanted. They just went about their business, producing thier things, and trying to convince the world of why they should turn over their hard-earned money to get them.
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I shouldn't complain or point fingers, because frankly, figuring out what people want is really hard to do. I have a background in Engineering Pscychology, over a decade of experience as a human-centered designer/consultant/director, practically obsess over this goal, and I still find it extremely challenging. Yet, here's the deal.. it's not magic. ANYONE can learn how to better understand thier customers and their needs. ANYONE can get inside the head of a customer to get a better sense of their motivations, frustrations, and biases. This is not just a job for creatives and designers. Everyone on a product team can make better decisions in their job, from business-minded leadership to entry level product engineers, if they have a richer understanding of their customer.
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Making the effort to truly understand your customers is worth it. Without a doubt. Competitive analysis might tell you what core features you need to have, but how will you ever separate from the pack doing that? Making the effort to understand the underlying mindset and the behavioral tendencies of your customers will give you some ability to predict what they will and won't want. For instance, good research could tell you that your customers value simplicity over extra features (which they probably do) and high performance over reliability (which they probably don't). Having insights like this can lead to market-changing product ideas, sure, but also just leads to better decision-making throughout the entire product development process.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Someone else solved this problem.</b></span><br />
Believe your challenge is unique? It's probably not. Abstract the technology or specific domain out of your challenge. Write a simple statement that describes what you're trying to do for people (e.g. "Help people make better purchase decisions"). Then, go find other products or industries that have done this successfully. Learn from them and adapt the best insights.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Stop predicting. Start learning.</b></span><br />
As much as you research, plan, and discuss your product, you can't predict the future and you have very little idea of how customers are going to react to your product. You're better off getting something in front of users quickly, learn from it, and improve. This is the Lean movement makes sense in the uncertainty of the startup world. It's why IDEO is so bullish on prototyping.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Be like Michelangelo.</b></span><br />
When asked about how he created his masterpiece, Michelangelo said that all he had to do was "remove all that was not David from the stone". The takeaway? Learning how to subtract unnecessary or unwanted features (and avoiding the temptations of addition) is one of the best paths towards creating a great user experience.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Walk in their shoes.</b></span><br />
The best insights about users often comes from first-hand experience. If you don't have experience that relates to your user, find a way to come as close as possible. Recreate their environment in an empty lab. If you can, do a bit of ethnographic research by going onsite and just observing them for a whole day with no interruption. You'll be amazed what kind of insights you come away with when you see what their life is really like.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Beware the Curse of Knowledge.</b></span><br />
You're living this product every day. You have insider knowledge of the technology, awareness of its faults, and you understand the intention behind its design. Because of this, it will be easy to forget what it's like to look at your product with fresh eyes and no preconceptions. Keep yourself honest by constantly showing your ideas to outsiders and seeing how they react. Read the early chapters of Chip and Dan Heath's Made to Stick for more information on The Curse of Knowledge. http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/1400064287<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. Ask why... then ask why again.</b></span><br />
Intention is the single most important aspect of the design process (to the point where I'm likely writing a book about it). Every feature, every decision, every step should have a "why" behind it that draws back to some human-oriented purpose. If you're questioning the existence of a feature, just keep asking why until you get to the core purpose. If you don't have one, you have more learning to do or you need to cross the feature off the list.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. You have no clue.</b></span><br />
The design process walks a fine line between humility and pride. You need to remember that your ideas or your design can always be better. Feedback, both positive and negative, will help you on the path to a better product. Always question the quality of your design, but have the confidence that you'll get it right. It's a tricky balance but its the only way.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. Remember the time</span></b><br />
It's easy to get tricked into focusing only on the time when someone is using your product. Thinking about your users across a timeline can be an incredibly valuable exercise as it will reveal insights and opportunities. What are your users doing before using your product? What about immediately after? What are they doing most frequently? This last one is particularly important as frequent actions and critical actions are almost never the same, and products should be designed for frequency.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. Know your surroundings</b></span><br />
Your user is not interacting with your product in isolation. Be aware of other products or services or environmental conditions are likely affecting them. Whoever designed my cable box clearly forgot that people have TV's in their bedroom as they decided that bright white LED lights were acceptable, even when the unit is turned off. I had to hack a cover out of a matchbox and I walk across the room and put it on the cable box every night in order for my wife and I to sleep. Not exactly a hardship, but does that sound like something a person does in 2013?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10. People are people</span></b><br />
There's a trap that companies often into when it comes to creating products. If they're developing for a specific class of people, they talk of them as if they're some strange foreign species. For instance, they'll talk of military personnel as order-following, extremely-efficient robots or assume that enterprise users care only about productivity and action items. This is wrong and should be stopped. People are people. I'm all for the creation of personas, defining preferences and tendencies, but people are largely the same - they have preferences, they have flaws, and they just want to get their job done and get back to being regular people. <br />
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So what's missing from this list? Please comment or write me at toddreily@gmail.com Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-27432917818979208972012-08-12T08:09:00.001-07:002012-08-12T08:11:13.633-07:005 Reasons Why Augmented Reality is the Future of Social<br />
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<a href="http://webpractices.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/phone-head2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://webpractices.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/phone-head2.jpg" width="200" /></a>Social media is getting stale. While its true that Facebook, Twitter, and the also-rans keep us increasingly interconnected, they all follow the same paradigm and the novelty has worn off. The problem is that they provide a user experience that, while constantly connected and updating, is strangely disconnected from how we interact with the real world. The idea of scrolling through a chronological list of pictures and status updates representing real-world activity of our friends while we stare at a monitor or mobile device is frankly disjointed from reality and due for disruption. A more suitable approach would be an environment that is more naturally mapped to the real world and our experience in it. In other words, social media's probable disruption (or evolution) might very well be a collision with augmented reality (AR), a technology paradigm is that is specifically designed for seamless integration of the virtual and natural. If you're not convinced, here are a handful of specific reasons why AR may be the future of social media…</div>
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(Quick note #1: If you cringe at the idea of Facebook status messages popping up on your nerdy AR glasses while you're trying to walk down the street, don't worry, because I do too. That's not what this post is about. There are better design solutions, but that's a topic for another time.)</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. AR provides better context </span></b></div>
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While today's social tools provide content in a flat list, tomorrow's augmented reality tools will take that list and disperse it across the real world. This will mean that pictures will be discoverable where they were taken and messages will appear with those that sent them or aligned with their subject. The result will be a bridged gap between today's isolated virtual world of social networking and the current physical world. The significance is that context enables completely new meaning and significance. Viewing a friend's photos of their trip to the Italian coast while you sit in your cubicle at work is fine, but discovering those photos while you walk the trails of Cinque Terre would be wild. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. AR is immediate </span></b></div>
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The level of immediacy of Facebook and Twitter today depend upon how often you reach into your pocket and pull out your mobile device. With AR, the information is simply presented in real time. You can look across your college campus, city block, or office building and literally see the conversation taking place. The experience of sitting in a stadium or walking through a park will completely change as you see friend's messages simply appear as they are shared. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. AR enhances your memory</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.smartadmins.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Memory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://www.smartadmins.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Memory.jpg" width="200" /></a>The way that AR would present information would be much closer to how we function naturally in the real world already. As you run into old friends or visit places you've been before, you likely recall the memories associated with them. Memory is contextual and spatial like this - it's distributed throughout the world, full of personal triggers that cue up times from the past. For instance, you may not remember the huge pickup football game you played at the park behind the school until you actually pass by the park behind the school. Of course, our memories are completely flawed, forgetting details or associating events with wrong times or places. AR will facilitate and enhance this natural behavior by automatically distributing cues to information and memories throughout the world. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. AR draws from the memories of others</span></b></div>
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In the early days of Facebook, the immediate present is all that mattered. Anything older was dumped into photo albums or buried behind page links. As the archive built up, so did the need for a better historical view - enter Facebook Timeline. As we continue to provide social content, our collective archives will not only grow in size but quality as well, containing as much high definition video and imagery as Likes and status updates. This rich collective archive of memories will become increasingly interesting, especially as the novelty of mundane status updates wears off (e.g. "I have a cold today…cough cough"). The social AR tool will ditch the idea of burying memories in the timelines of your friends' pages and instead bring the past forward into your current world. Ideas, thoughts, and memories will be scattered about, thus enhancing your present by drawing from the the past others. </div>
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(Quick note #2: As this collective archive builds, expect the emergence of tools (both AR and non-AR) that will help us make better use of if, such as storytelling tools that weave experiences across people, communities, and events or visualization tools that enhance the understanding of the aggregate.)</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. AR encourages real-world social behavior </span></b></div>
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The irony of today's social tools is that they promote anti-social behavior. The more we use them, we're interacting more in the virtual world and less in the actual world. AR encourages much different and integrated behavior. By integrating the virtual and the physical, today's walls break down and we're left with an enhanced version of real-world interaction. In the long term, this is better for us on the whole, encourages a world of real human interaction that is simply enhanced by technology, which is the way it is supposed to be. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-58257078954036254092012-07-02T08:45:00.002-07:002012-07-02T08:45:11.672-07:0011 Design Principles For Augmented Reality<br />
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<a href="http://cdn3.mos.techradar.com//art/other/Google/Project%20Glass/glass_photos5b-580-90.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://cdn3.mos.techradar.com//art/other/Google/Project%20Glass/glass_photos5b-580-90.jpg" width="320" /></a>Google officially revealed its "Glass" project to the world at their developer's conference this past week. Glass is a wearable computing product that intends to liberate people from their smartphone and other device obsessions by interacting with digital information through a pair of Google-enabled glasses. Their demo focused on the ability to capture and broadcast what's being seen through the glasses, which is a slight departure from past Glass concept work that showed a more traditional augmented reality display (think: navigation and messages projected on your glasses). No matter the direction that Google eventually goes, wearable computing and augmented reality are clearly back on the public stage. </div>
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Like Google, I've also gone the way of augmented reality. I recently joined the Creative team at APX Labs, an MIT Media Lab sponsor that produces advanced technology solutions in the public and private sector. A/R and wearable computing is a space that APX has established itself in and I hope to make a significant impact in creating a meaningful product experience around it. So, like any disciplined designer, I've created a set of augmented reality design principles to be used for a solid foundation. I've included those principles here and hope you gain value from them if you're working with A/R technologies. </div>
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I'm always open to collaborating or getting feedback, so contact me at todd.reily@apx-labs.com if you're interested. I'm located in the Cambridge Innovation Center as of July 5. </div>
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<b>1. Improve reality, don't just add to it </b></div>
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No one uses a system because of what it does. They use it because of what it does <i>for them</i>. If someone is going to use an augmented reality system, it must be obvious that it will improve their understanding, their ability to complete a task, or their overall enjoyment in the world. All the bells and whistles of technology are pointless if the personal benefit is not clear. A little trick for getting this right is to simply ask "what am I augmenting?". If you're not directly enhancing memory, perception, or another critical human attribute, then you may be headed down the wrong path. </div>
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<b>2. Be clear and simple </b></div>
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An effective user interface clearly conveys what you are looking at, what you can do, and how to get back to where you were. Failing to deliver on any of these promises will only lead to feeling of frustration or confusion. You must accept the fact that people <i>will not </i>use your product if it is frustrating, no matter what its technical capabilities and specifications are. Simplicity must be a dominant priority.</div>
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<b>3. Be predictable </b></div>
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More than just simplicity, interfaces must also be highly predictable. What this means is that the interface gives users confidence of what will happen when they interact with it. Achieving this goal requires the consistent adherence to simple yet scalable rules and patterns throughout the interface. Use consistent strategies for organizing, aligning, and ordering interface elements. The end result is a system that is quicker to learn, easier to master, and results in less mistakes. </div>
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<b>4. Protect the field of view at all costs </b></div>
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Augmented reality systems deal with sacred ground: a person's field of view. Anything that we add to the interface must provide significant benefit to offset the cost of the space that it is taking up. Unlike a standard mobile or web interface where excess clutter can sometimes be ignored, we run the risk of unnecessarily obscuring the line of sight of a user. For this reason, we must maintain strict discipline in avoiding excessive graphics in the field of view of the user. This requires the keen understanding of the priorities of our users, and more importantly, the discipline to remove or demote what is not. </div>
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<b>5. Be natural </b></div>
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There are de facto standards and common patterns for interacting with objects in this world, whether they are natural or man-made. These standards drive our expectations and give us a foundation for interacting with new objects. Understand the patterns and carefully select the ones that best map to the expectations or mental models of your users. This is particularly critical with augmented reality systems that are introducing completely new paradigms while existing in the context of the natural world. With these systems, the understanding of and adherence to natural human gestures will be critical. </div>
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<b>6. Be invisible </b></div>
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An effective augmented reality interface should appear to integrate naturally over the reality that it is displayed upon. Doing so will make the interface simply an enhancement upon the real world, instead of an artificial layer. It should be almost invisible. This is a difficult challenge but it requires an understanding of minimization of design elements, usage of proper visual perspective, and perhaps new visual techniques for mapping digital imagery onto the real world. For this reason, static interface elements (i.e. those that are in a fixed position in the user's field of view) should be minimized as they enforce the presence of an artificial layer in front of the user's face. </div>
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<b>7. Speak clearly </b></div>
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Nothing is more confusing to a user than the failure to understand what is happening with a system that they are interacting with. A lack of feedback related to status, progress, or an error will only lead to frustrated users. Provide simple feedback, either in graphical or textual form (or both), that clearly conveys what has happened or what needs to be done. Remember that users are not engineers, so accurate technical description is less important than describing the simple "bottom line" implications of the status. </div>
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<b>8. Think about the big picture</b></div>
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Most cutting-edge user interface demonstrations provide excessive emphasis on what makes the interface unique and fail to demonstrate how their system integrates into the life of the user. They show off flashy headsets, glasses, and gloves without demonstrating how the user will transition into and out of these peripheral interfaces. Without design of these transitions, these products will never amount to anything more than cool demos. Avoid this trap by thinking holistically your system. In other words, design the ecosystem that surrounds you product and the chances for adoption will dramatically increase. Think through the workflows that will likely occur across interface menus and features and ensure that they are as efficient as possible. More on this topic <a href="http://treilanderror.blogspot.com/2012/02/designing-user-experiences-for-complex.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<b>9. Don't waste color </b></div>
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Colors in an interface can convey a great deal of meaning. They can highlight, draw attention to an alert, or convey that a feature is disabled. Used correctly, colors can make an interface more effective in its ability to help users complete their task. Conversely, over-abundance of color throughout the interface will only lead to confusion or obscurity of built-in meanings of colors. Sparse usage of color is particularly important in an augmented reality system where the field of view is saturated with an abundance of ever-changing colors. Use color only to draw the attention of the user, not to satisfy a pleasing color palette. </div>
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<b>10. Be social </b></div>
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Today's technologies are increasingly focused in connecting people, and augmented reality should be no exception. Seek out opportunities to integrate communication, collaboration, and information sharing directly into the product experience. This approach will result in a more valued and seamless user experience and also open up the door for increased user adoption through network effects. </div>
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<b>11. Be flexible</b></div>
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With screen space at a premium, creators of augmented reality systems run the risk of providing an overwhelming product every experience. Forget trying to please everyone. Provide only the core features that you know are critical to the user base, and then enable an appropriate level of flexibility on top of it. Everyone will end up satisfied with their own tailored experience. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-87262570710923754442012-05-14T12:19:00.002-07:002012-05-14T12:19:41.795-07:00Death of the Digital Document<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i>Question:</i>
What does docx stand for? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i>Answer:</i>
I have no idea. I figure that “doc” is short for “document” and I can only
assume that the “x” is for “extra”, as in “extra meaningless letters tacked on
to my file name for no particular reason that a normal person would actually
care about.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Someday sooner than you think,
people are going to laugh at the idea that we used to type strings of letters
at the end of document names. I’m not sure why Windows even puts these things
into the names of files, let alone allowing you to edit them <i>by default</i> when you’re changing a file
name. By building this behavior in, it’s sending the message that “you probably
want to change the file extension when you change the name”. I don’t think I’ve done this more than a
couple times in 12 years of professional work. Looking past the extensions,
consider how we manage document names. We append endless methods for
differentiation, including version numbers, dates, authors, or foolish notes
like “latest” or “new” (only to then create a updated version). I’m confident
this idea is going away very soon. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Digital documents like those
described above are products of an old era. The analogy of individual paper
documents filed in paper folders just isn’t necessary anymore. We spend endless
hours composing messages and creating graphics that may never be seen or used
again outside of their original document. In these documents, we often make
points that others have already made and waste time building graphics when
others have done it better. Most importantly, potentially meaningful ideas sit
dormant, preventing us from making the critical connections that are essential
for new idea development. So what’s the better model? Shared documents like
Google Docs or Open Office? That’s a step in the right direction, but it’s
still just an improved version of an old model. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
When everything becomes
interconnected, the concept of isolated documents fades away. What takes its
place is something more dynamic and evolutionary. Hundreds of millions of us
are constantly immersed in a paradigm where pages subscribe to other pages,
where views are managed for others to see in real-time as they are updated.
It’s an interconnected, user-customized experience and it makes sense. If it
didn’t make sense, hundreds of millions of us wouldn’t rely on Facebook for
managing our social interactions, look to Twitter for managing our news and
happenings, and Pinterest wouldn’t be one of the hottest apps on the market. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
This model of dynamic pages and
subscriptions has emerged naturally in a human environment where people are
free to take technology in any direction they choose. College students,
mid-career engineers, and grandmothers all quickly grasp this same model. Sure,
some people are more inclined to share personal information than others using
the tools, but isn’t that just normal human nature to have varying levels of
privacy concerns? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
One benefit of this approach is
value of controlling your own “broadcast” out to the world. Much has been said
about the importance that people feel from sharing their thoughts (or party
pictures) with the world. People act as mini-celebrities in a tiny world of
followers, curating interesting quotes and movie clips for their adoring fans
to enjoy. What is more egotistical than a constant live personal broadcast to
the world? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Meanwhile, the consumer is equally
enthralled. In today’s environment, where we’re completed flooded with a
constant stream of information, nothing is better than a tailored news feed of
relevant information. We rely on our friends to curate the world for us,
assuming that our trust in them with translate into trust in their interests.
It’s a mutually beneficial experience between producer and consumer, or curator
and observer. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
One reason this model has emerged
is that it’s simple. People are selfish and lazy (no offense, people). It’s how
we’ve survived. Look out for yourself, find the easiest way to do things, and
you’ll sustain. Sure, the 220 people I follow on Twitter are going to miss some
stuff that I might want to know about, but I’m willing to take that chance
consider that seeking my own information from the raw, disorganized web would
be a full-time job. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
So this brings us to the office –
isn’t it just a matter of time before this new model spills over into the
working world? Why are we still creating and sharing isolated files? I’ve
worked in a handful of companies over the past 12 years, and everyone of them
rely on the constant building and sharing of digital documents (primarily
Microsoft Office). Think of the amount of time spent searching for documents,
getting lost in file structures, recreating PowerPoint slides, emailing
documents, requesting others to email documents, managing file versions, and
other “mechanical-digital” tasks. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Let’s shift to a better model.
Let’s develop better means to communicate. Let’s stop wasting time on these
redundant and time-consuming activities. Better yet, let’s stop recreating each
other’s work and instead evolve from it. If I have a message to convey in a
presentation slide, why can’t I search for that message and get results from
other slides that have been shared by my co-workers, friends, or business
leaders? A quick search on a “new slide” page could reveal the most popular,
highest rated, or most relevant slides based not only on my search query but my
role and context as well. After all, if others have communicated the message
better than me, shouldn’t I save everyone’s time and frustration and just point
to their slide and give them credit? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
When it comes time for me to give
my presentation, the referenced slide appears right in context, and full credit
is given to the source. After all, if the CEO of my company or a designer at a
local startup have made the point better than me, why should I put in <i>more </i>effort to deliver <i>less</i> to my audience? We can provide
better solutions that lead to better results with less effort. This combination
usually wins out, doesn’t it? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Consider if the “news feed” concept
from Facebook or Twitter were introduced to your workplace. People could
subscribe to each other, specific activities, or deliverables. Files aren’t
being passed around, but information is instead organized by interconnected
pages and dynamic clusters. Worried about version management? Simply roll back
the timeline to access old work. Worried about overwhelming people with adding
more streaming information? The feed would be completely customizable. This
model could make the current email paradigm seem overly forceful and annoying.
Think about it, which of these options sound more appealing to you?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol style="line-height: 150%;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
decide the types of things that I receive</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
would like others to decide for me</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;">Of course, I realize the flaw in
this model as you simply can’t choose to not receive assignment from your boss,
but would people actually make this choice? Shouldn’t we be trusted to
subscribe the right sources of information and also provide meaningful
information to those subscribing to us?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Of course, this writing isn’t about
bashing email. It’s about pushing our expectations forward. It’s about
rethinking how we think about information and knowledge working. In an
interconnected world where we all use a dynamic, subscription-based,
user-defined model for sharing social information, isn’t it only a matter of
time before do the same for our more serious pursuits? I do, and I think it
will change sooner than expected. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-12001714718599407712012-04-03T19:59:00.004-07:002012-04-03T20:12:22.216-07:003 Lessons for Designing iPad Apps (When Your Engineers are Overseas)I recently completed the user experience design of an educational iPad app for Appluza, a mobile app development firm started by a few friends and classmates in the MIT System Design & Management program. The app, entitled ZooType, provides toddlers with an interactive learning experience as they develop skills in letter recognition, typing, and spelling. The project required that I design the entire user experience for the game, from the user workflows and menu structure, to interaction design and interface design, through character development, animation, and even audio recordings! This was an excellent opportunity to "own" the entire design process - something that was challenging but absolutely rewarding. Of course, it wasn't all on easy street as our dedicated development team was outsourced and located in India and I managed them for the final stages of the project as well. The following is a set of five lessons that I pass on from my experience designing ZooType.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Lock Down the Structure Earlier Than Normal</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbTKHR_9bOIOnOgf3dTHBKEk7eQXQUyuVK85facssPutkg5nYuC8yPBCRYtrsyZKLkUq7aRjQupXp1_nPtIehtpEz4Ek9pen4QSfSS2zYalnHg5madaiApOpp40xSHEDYwBQgJ5c6q2o/s1600/Appluza_Bear_08.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbTKHR_9bOIOnOgf3dTHBKEk7eQXQUyuVK85facssPutkg5nYuC8yPBCRYtrsyZKLkUq7aRjQupXp1_nPtIehtpEz4Ek9pen4QSfSS2zYalnHg5madaiApOpp40xSHEDYwBQgJ5c6q2o/s200/Appluza_Bear_08.png" width="199" /></a>I personally like to learn by doing, so I want to explore as many concepts as possible during the design process to seek out the right one. This may drive engineers crazy at times, and I realize this, but the right answer is often impossible to arrive upon without first trudging through a sea of wrong ones. I've been fortunate enough to establish good working relationships with engineers over the years so we're clear on how long I can experiment before locking in on a final product. However, this approach is significantly more difficult when outsourcing to engineers who you don't share a personal history and familiarity with.<br />
<br />
Constant changes will quickly lead to frustration from the hardworking engineers on your project, especially when the time differences between US and Asia result in entire days of development lost because of design iterations. My advice is to define and lock down the prominent user workflows, screen architecture, and core functionalities before beginning the development process and only deviate from it when completely necessary. Set expectations with engineers that some secondary screens and additional functionality may be added, but only when necessary and not a major impediment to the development process.<br />
<br />
On ZooType, we had a detailed set of storyboards that included specific (and minimal) functionality and detailed interaction design. Having a structured and defined focal point reduced the early stage deviation which is common in software development.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Set Expectations About Design Exploration</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I believe that User Experience Design requires a great deal of experimentation as a right or wrong design decision is often not clear until it has been sketched, prototyped, implemented, or shared.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_RRXPeU7FWL60Lf7bD2IJ1xtunYMcvpmjTd2Dth3CPKzWbfQxGzEZlRASfqdQVZv-xl-Rr32peehPGvVy8GdGFD4W7a-OM4VxYMyReFo_gEg75cTs30Z9kJz7SMfxlKFlyqCVElOVaY/s1600/Appluza_Dino_13+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_RRXPeU7FWL60Lf7bD2IJ1xtunYMcvpmjTd2Dth3CPKzWbfQxGzEZlRASfqdQVZv-xl-Rr32peehPGvVy8GdGFD4W7a-OM4VxYMyReFo_gEg75cTs30Z9kJz7SMfxlKFlyqCVElOVaY/s200/Appluza_Dino_13+copy.png" width="200" /></a>In the case of ZooType, we weren't quite sure exactly how the characters should interact with the toddler and this required significant design experimentation. For example, we had to determine how each letter should be introduced, whether it should be spoken first and then shown (or vice versa), and how the app should react when the right or wrong answer is given. This took many tries before getting it right.<br />
<br />
We could have made decisions such as this before beginning the development of the application and it would have resulted in an adequate design. I firmly believe, however, that these types of decisions need to be pushed off until the designers and developers could work together to reach the choices that are both technical feasible and still highly engaging to the user. Because of this necessary iteration, I highly recommend setting expectations with your development team from the beginning that design-related decisions may take occur throughout the process. Because of the locked-in structure recommended in the previous tip, there should be some slack for this.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Be a Storyteller, Not a Painter</span></b><br />
I think the most difficult challenge I faced was communicating to the engineers how I wanted the characters to come alive and interact. I've worked with international teams extensively in the past but it was on more functional projects, such as the development of financial services web applications. For more creative projects, particularly with characters, it is much more challenging to convey qualitative aspects, like the way in which you want the character to "feel" to the toddler. Had I been able to work face-to-face with these guys, this would have been fine. However, oceans, time zones, and Skype can create some pretty significant barriers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4LSj2aZoUFC-6OTnXNidtcVAj7NHrDSQerveRURcLMdsqpd1poo7srJK5GylaptsTeLDSUcMDd5uERYcKhJ7dRHdrehq80h1uPnJJG7-xbcJE95ltYahv0i5BeYChe-7v83Wkr_445E/s1600/Appluza_Dog1_26.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4LSj2aZoUFC-6OTnXNidtcVAj7NHrDSQerveRURcLMdsqpd1poo7srJK5GylaptsTeLDSUcMDd5uERYcKhJ7dRHdrehq80h1uPnJJG7-xbcJE95ltYahv0i5BeYChe-7v83Wkr_445E/s200/Appluza_Dog1_26.png" width="199" /></a></div><br />
Attempt #1... My first attempt was to create a series of frames for each character in the game, about 30 each. Early frames conveyed positive expressions and the second half contained neutral or sad ones (used when the toddler gives a wrong answer). I then provided the engineers with audio and the art and gave instructions to randomly cycle through art frames for a character for the duration of a clip. The result? A complete disaster! I had no idea what speed the characters would move at, and the result was a bouncy, jerky mess where characters moved way too much and the voices weren't even closely aligned.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGgyShT7EM-6JuaDKzZjB7VEqnrWGam7yurmFEIl45x0rrAO9aEMPt0hKas7gWIAIMqiJCEF9qnCsN-Rc6nBg9UYS3m_laBqZ283ratnBuPY5cLTkFWihr7pfmoWlUz1zT12-tk7D1j4/s1600/Appluza_Dog1_02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGgyShT7EM-6JuaDKzZjB7VEqnrWGam7yurmFEIl45x0rrAO9aEMPt0hKas7gWIAIMqiJCEF9qnCsN-Rc6nBg9UYS3m_laBqZ283ratnBuPY5cLTkFWihr7pfmoWlUz1zT12-tk7D1j4/s200/Appluza_Dog1_02.png" width="199" /></a></div><br />
Attempt #2.. With the threat of terrible animation looming (I used to animate professionally so this really bothered me), I created a detailed phoneme (i.e. mouth shapes that map to sounds) chart for each character and painstakingly built an art-to-audio spreadsheet of instructions for each of the four main characters. The instructions would tell the engineers where, when, and how long to display each art object, thus minimizing any variation that could occur.<br />
<br />
This second attempt was much closer to the right choice, but it wasn't the only solution.. and this is where my recommendation for storytelling comes in! Since I wasn't able to do the animation myself, I decided the next best thing would be to show how I think the animation should appear. Giving qualitative commands like "make him less bouncy" over Skype would never work and likely need to frustration on both sides and lost work hours. Static screenshots also fall short when trying to convey something more kinetic, like the movement of characters or the interaction of users. Instead, I continually created short movies to communicate how I wanted the character to move. It was a good deal of extra work up front, but it ensured that my message was clear and my words would not be misinterpreted. At the end of the day, I'm not completely satisfied with the animation and art-to-audio mapping, but I think it was as good as expected considering the nature in which it was developed.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Early concept animation of Ronzi the Bear (Pre-Audio)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gQZrt7_JEA8/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gQZrt7_JEA8?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gQZrt7_JEA8?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mid-stage concept animation of Ronzi the Bear (with audio)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/XwfANHW0n1o?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
I have additional takeaways from this project, but I wanted to focus on these three as they clearly are the most significant. To wrap up: lock down structure early, explore design until late, and never "tell" when you can "show". If you would like to see the final product, please check out ZooType in the iPad app store. I would love to get your feedback on the end results of this rewarding effort.<br />
<br />
Product page is here: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id507987104<br />
<br />
If you don't have an iPad, here's a video of the app...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0Dqu_svEOI&list=UUF3B3HGWgCuzjZDxVBTaDXQ&index=1&feature=plcpAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-76931377180738246882012-02-13T07:32:00.000-08:002012-02-13T07:34:37.858-08:00Designing User Experiences for Complex Systems<h2><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5510336452588357232&postID=7693137718073824688&from=pencil" name="_Toc185136141"></a></h2><i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5510336452588357232&postID=7693137718073824688&from=pencil">Note: The following is an excerpt from my</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5510336452588357232&postID=7693137718073824688&from=pencil"> Master’s thesis entitled “User Experience Design of Complex Systems”. This is the final section of the research which provides a framework for designing user experiences for complex systems. I hope that references to earlier sections in the thesis do not cause confusion in any way. Please contact me if you would like to see the entire thesis. </a></i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Overview</span></b><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">The previous chapter of this research presented a range of findings regarding the deployment of design strategies within organizations with particular focus on the design of complex systems. This chapter will attempt to translate those findings into a set of actionable principles for designing and developing complex systems that optimize user experience. This “system experience design” methodology will span the product lifecycle from initial research through final implementation. The intent of this methodology is to help practitioners conduct effective research, conceive creative “system” ideas, and effectively translate those ideas into a cohesive vision. Ultimately, systems created through this method should provide high quality and innovative user experiences and be highly desirable by customers. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">However, this effort may also require specific methods for managing the complexities that are associated with systems design. This approach borrows specific methods from the disciplines of Systems Thinking, Design Thinking, User Experience Design, and User-Centered Design. The intent of the approach is to provide a practitioner with tools and techniques to balance the broad nature system design with detailed aspects of product interface design. Adherence to these principles will also help practitioners balance the strategic, technical, and design-oriented aspect of a systems project from foundational research through final implementation. As learned in this research, the individual steps of a design process are not as critical as the nature in which that process comes together as whole, so it is essential to keep a broad view. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finally, an ideal system experience design process will meet the following objectives: <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">Be focused on the intent of the customer<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">Translate customer insights into technical requirements <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">Promote holistic “systems thinking”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">Promote exploratory thinking and resulting innovations<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">Balance customer desirability, technical feasibility, and financial viability<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">Produce understandable design artifacts to serve as common points-of-reference<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><ol start="7" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Enable the explicit communication of intent, assumptions and expectations<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Identify and resolve gaps, redundancies, and inconsistencies across the system experience<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Identify paths to opportunities for innovative solutions <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Process Walkthrough</span></b><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The following is a useful set of principles to guide you through the experience design of complex systems. <o:p></o:p></span></div><b><div><b><br />
</b></div>Stage 1: Situate</b><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">A compelling design for a future system experience must be built upon a rich understanding of existing situation. This includes the current conditions of the market, capabilities of relevant technologies, and expectations of prospective users. As noted throughout this research, a balanced foundation of insights from these perspectives is critical to market success. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Unlike technology and market research, the process of understanding prospective users is much less a science than an art. From personal experience, I believe this aspect of research is most effective when researchers demonstrate the following behaviors: <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Empathetic Observation:</i> The capturing of user insights can be a challenging and misleading process. One way to avoid this common trap is through ethnographic research, which is the practice of immersing oneself in the environment of a target user for an extended period of time. This allows the researcher to gather interesting insights that may not have been articulated by anyone in a user survey or interview. Just as important is the ability for a researcher to establish a level of empathy for the observed. By experiencing a prospective user’s frustrations and intentions, the researcher establishes an emotion tie to solving the problem. This can be an incredibly motivational force during the process of designing and realizing solutions. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Principle Development:</i> Research of design-oriented organizations such as Apple and Frog Design revealed the reliance on enduring design principles. This type of principle development is made possible through the sustained observation of the preferences and behavioral patterns of prospective users. When a new project arises, the organization is able to draw from existing principles that have endured over time and overlay them with new insights that are particular to the specific opportunity. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Pattern Recognition: </i>One of the challenges of the Situate process is the attempt to understand which observations are meaningful and which are random. Researchers must look beyond current actions and comments to extract behavioral patterns and expectations that may carry through to future conditions. For this reason, the ability to quickly and accurately recognize meaningful patterns of behavior and thinking in a user environment is critical for success. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The desired output of the Situate stage is a foundation of principles and insights on which the creative process will be begin. Examples of user-related insights may include the expected priorities of users, the likely “mental model” of which they will be basing decisions, and the behavioral patterns that they will likely exhibit in future conditions. This process of extracting enduring patterns is a challenging one as it will be easy to fall into the trap of simply taking direction from prospective users. Instead, the system designer must “read between the lines” of user feedback and behaviors to extract latent needs and unarticulated expectations. One method for gathering such insights is to conduct extensive ethnographic research, which is the process of unobtrusively immersing oneself in the environment of the user to “live in their shoes” for a period of time. This type of empathetic observation allows the researcher to fully understand the conditions of the prospective user. This process reveals significantly more insights than those that are lost in strictly verbal interactions. Ethnographic methods should not be relegated simply to the responsibility of designers. As noted in the interviews with Sean Carney, those of other disciplines should be involved in the process as well. Engineers, for example, significantly benefit from first-hand observations of the people that will be interacting with the technologies they develop. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">An effective method for communicating user-related insights and design principles is the development of user personas. This is the process of developing notional profiles for the distinct user types that may interact with a system. In the marketing domain, this method is particularly focused on market segmentation and demographics. However, this level of specificity is not necessary for user experience design. Instead, user experience personas focus on behavioral patterns, preferences, and principles. The benefit of these personas is that they allow the designer to organize and communicate design principles in the most tangible way: by linking them to an actual individual human’s experience. In the face of system complexity, user personas provide a simple and understandable point-of-reference of which all disciplines can center around. In this sense, user personas are a powerful means of cross-disciplinary communication and coordination. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><b>Stage 2: Conceive</b><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">The second recommended stage of System Experience Design is to conceive the system. It is during this stage that system designers will utilize the principles and insights from the previous stage to envision a solution that will provide a more desirable experience that is both technically feasible and economically advantageous. This stage should be divided into the following three steps:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">Step 1: Determine Intent</span></i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
The first step of the Conceive stage is to determine the intent of the system. What this requires is a determination of the ideal system from the perspective of expected users. Specifically, the system designer must determine what the system will do for the user, how it will address their environment, and what their conditions will be like as a result. By taking a user-driven approach, the system designer is forced to think holistically about the user’s entire interaction with the system. This is in contrast to a technology-driven system design approach, which may lead individual components being designed in isolation. <br />
<br />
The resulting output of this step is a set of “intent statements” that convey the most desirable system from the perspective of the user. These statements are best communicated with the grammatical structure of “To [verb]”, such as “<i>To</i> improve the sharing of contextually-relevant photographs with friends” (which is your intention) or “<i>To</i> share contextually-relevant photographs with friends” (which is the user’s intention). Either one of this approaches is acceptable. It is only recommended that the system designer be consistent in which approach is utilized. These short statements will be extended in the steps that follow with technical solutions. However, this initial statement is critical because it establishes the intention of the system and ensures that all technical decisions are ground in user-centered rationale. In addition to the specific “To” statements, it is recommended that system experience designers develop a single “To” statement that summarizes the whole intent of the system as well. This structure for articulating intent was adapted from the System Architecture framework of Professor Edward Crawley, Ford Professor of Engineering at MIT. <br />
<br />
One may find it peculiar that an innovation-centered process such as this does not contain a stage dedicated to ideation. The reason for this is that it is expected that a wide range of creative ideas be evoked and explored throughout the entire process. For example, in this particular step, the system designer should develop and consider an extensive range of user intentions to address. The designer should then carefully select the sub-set of intentions that are yet to be effectively addressed by market. The rationale behind integrating ideation into every step of the process is that a high quality product experience requires an entire range of great ideas disseminated throughout. These “smaller” ideas may be the targeting of hidden customer needs, novel methods of product interaction, or the development of original supporting services. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="Default" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><i>Step 2: Identify Satisfying Conditions</i><br />
It is during this second step of the Conceive stage that the system designer must begin to explore possible system conditions that would address the intentions identified in the first step. Ideation during this process requires a great deal of cross-disciplinary exploration, as new “system ideas” will likely rely upon a combination of insights from a range of domains. One could think of this step as a form of “targeted brainstorming” where those of all disciplines explore the various ways in which desired intentions could be met. For example, meeting the intention to “share contextually-relevant photographs” might be addressed with strategies that involve sending, projecting, or printing images. It is important that specific technical or financial constraints do not interfere during this stage. Development of innovative systems requires that seemingly ideal and potentially disruptive ideas be explored during, despite the fact that they may seam technically infeasible or financially improbable at first. <span style="line-height: 150%;">This process must embrace the reality that great ideas result from the exploration and advancement of existing, lesser, or failing, ideas. <br />
</span><br />
The output of this state is an articulated set of conditions that serve as the strategy for the technical solution that will be determined the steps that follow. The format for this articulation is a “By” statement, which will be associated with each “To” statement from the preceding step. In effect, this “By” statement will bridge the gap between user insights and technical solutions. To continue with the photography innovation example, a “To-By” statement may read, “<i>To</i> share contextually-relevant photographs with friends <i>by</i> direct and immediate transfer based upon proximity and authorization”. The challenge presented by this intent may open up opportunities for innovations in wireless communication, hardware design, or business strategy. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in .5in 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>Step 3: Envision Solution</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is during this step that the form of the system begins to develop. Using the intentions and strategies formulated during the previous steps, the designer must conceive the components, services, and additional elements that will converge to create a desirable system. In order achieve this goal the designer should utilize the previously developed “To-By” statements as structure. This structure should provide the necessary creative tension to instigate ideas that draw from the insights developed during the Situate phase. This is actually the critical aspect of this process that enables innovative ideas. By determining intent, but not specific solutions, the earlier steps have simultaneously provided direction and flexibility. This is a powerful combination when utilized properly. <b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in .5in 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Note that during this step, the designer should be utilizing the “To-By” statements as a composite and not as isolated requirements. This will allow for better system design and improved opportunities for achieving the competitive advantages that well-designed systems provide. A holistic approach will also increase the likelihood that the user’s experience with the system is cohesive and consistent. Another advantage of a systems-based approach at this stage is the likelihood for maximizing and controlling the positive emergent properties of the system. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in .5in 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in .5in 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The format of this step is the “Using” statement to be appended to the previously developed “To-By” statements. This allows the designer to determine the solution that will provide the conditions that will address the intent of the user. Completing this statement will create a direct relationship between proposed user intentions and specific technical solutions. To continue with the photography example, the “To-By-Using” statement may read: “<i>To</i> share contextually-relevant photographs with friends <i>by</i> direct and immediate transfer based upon proximity and authorization <i>using</i> a multi-touch camera interface, wireless technologies, and authentication based upon social networking services”. This singular statement demonstrates an example of a technology solution can be tightly bonded to a user-centered purpose. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in .5in 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><b>Stage 4: Graphical Depiction</b><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">As noted throughout this research, a good process should produce understandable design artifacts to serve as a common ground between disciplines. The value of design artifacts is their ability to reduce ambiguity and confusion by providing a common visual language. This value is particularly important in the design of a system user experience where system ambiguity and domain-specific jargon can lead to frustrating or non-existent interactions. In a systems context, the goal of these visualizations is to help facilitate coordination across those involved in developing the system and to help maintain a singular holistic viewpoint. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">These visualizations are also critical in establishing and maintaining a vision for the final end-state for the system. In this sense, they serve as prototypes to be constantly evolved during the system design process. This is particularly critical in long-term, complex systems projects where simple visualizations can provide much-needed clarity and focus. Beyond internal consensus, they can also be used to communicate ideas with intended users or demonstrate a vision to a client or customer. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">For this method, it is recommended that the system designer draw from the “To-By-Using” statements developed into the previous stage to create the following two design artifacts:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">System Experience Visualization: </span></i><span style="line-height: 150%;">This visualization is an attempt to capture the entire system experience in a single diagram. It should cover the full scope of the system experience, including all people, places, objects, and interfaces. Unlike a purely technical system diagram, such as software architecture diagram, this visualization should primarily focus on the user’s activities and interactions within the system. For that reason, it is not necessary to delve into the specifics of technologies at the high-level visualization. An example where System Experience Visualizations would be highly valuable would be the development of a system of convergent hardware and software products within an organization. In this case, a system-level visualization will help the various product owners to understand the context of their solution within the “big picture” of the user’s environment. This approach reveals gaps, inconsistencies, or redundancies in the user’s experience across the various products. More importantly, it facilitates critical holistic thinking by keeping the focus on the singular viewpoint of the user. The purpose of System Experience Visualizations is vastly different than a technical system visualization that is primarily concerned with the functional or formal interfaces between components. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">System Experience Storyboards</span></i></b><span style="line-height: 150%;">: While the high-level visualization maintains the holistic viewpoint, System Experience Storyboards are focused on the specific interactions of the user. The idea is that the viewer gains a rich understanding of the system experience by observing a broad system view in conjunction with visualizations of the specific activities that weave through it. The expected output is a series of annotated graphical depictions of the specific activities of a prospective within the system environment, including interactions within component interfaces. Storyboards should be developed for all essential user types and activities and address all of the intentions outlined in the “To-By-Using” statements. The purpose of the storyboard is to ensure that a user’s singular experience across the components of a system is seamless and consistent. In other words, it should not <i>feel </i>like a collection of components instead like single cohesive system. It is during the development of storyboards that the system experience designer will begin explore the specific interactions that each user will have with each interface. It is necessarily to continuing refer to and evolve the System Experience Visualization as the storyboards are developed. This ensures a consistency between the broad and detailed views. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The recommendation of the previously described visualizations is not intended to restrict the system experience designer from developing additional visualizations. Instead, the designer should explore any opportunities to graphically depict the experience that an individual will have while interacting with the system. For example, I have developed interactive animations in the past for a system that featured highly dynamic, non-linear interactions. In addition, the system experience designer may want to include the detailed design of specific user interfaces. It is highly beneficial, but not required, to have the same individual “owning” the system experience as well as the specific component interface designs. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-81056074439197415542011-12-23T14:03:00.000-08:002011-12-23T14:04:45.602-08:00'Tis Better to Critique Than Create<div>It kills me to write that title. I pride myself on being a creator first, and a critiquer second, and never critiquing something without offering solutions. However, I'm also aware of how easy and natural it is to critique.Any blog, website, or newspaper is filled with opinions, both professional and unprofessional (hello, blog comments!) about what's wrong with everything. On the other side, it's much harder to create. Many people are not able or willing to create something new, but they know how to meticulously analyze what's been created. Is this a lack of creativity, a subconscious avoidance of critique, or some other social factor? No matter the cause, the reality surely exists. Anyone in a design profession, particularly those with clients, understand the annoying reality of "the rock game". This situation is the endless "fun" that results from a client or manager who is does not know what they want, but knows exactly what they don't want, especially when they see what you've created. The result is a back-and-forth of design iterations where each "rock" you bring back is met with a response of "not that rock, bring me another rock". </div><div><br />
</div><div>Anyway, this is nothing new to anyone, but I'm wondering how to put this phenomenon to more useful purposes. I've been designing beer labels lately for my own brews as well as those for friends involved in home brewing. It's a nice way to de-stress for an hour after a long workday or hours of thesis work. What I've learned from designing these labels is that my best designs come from utilizing the ease of critiquing verse the slow process of creating. What I do is essentially a design version of a brainstorm, just quickly playing around with concepts and giving very little planning to the process. The logic is that it's easier to recognize what you want when you can see what you don't want. In this sense, you're learning about your design and constantly tweaking the course, which I personally think is far more effectively than planning up front and executing in a straight path. I suppose this is a surrender to the fact that design iterations are inevitable, so you might as well use them to your advantage. Is what I'm doing just rapid iteration that every decent designer does? Sure - I'm just pointing it out that the power and ease of critiquing can be leveraged to speed up the creation process. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Here are a few iterations of Christmas beer label I created for a friend of mine, in addition to a few other designs that I created for my own brews and brewpub concepts. For a point of reference, I probably created 24-30 unique Elfin Good Christmas concepts in under an hour. I hope this concept helps you in your creative pursuits. Happy Holidays! </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x34WRoBp_R8/TvT6DmYIIzI/AAAAAAAAA-o/MXbXQZUotic/s1600/BeerLabel_ElfinGood_Classic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x34WRoBp_R8/TvT6DmYIIzI/AAAAAAAAA-o/MXbXQZUotic/s320/BeerLabel_ElfinGood_Classic.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IWyzWaFlEqU/TvT6Eyzo2AI/AAAAAAAAA-w/AWaqCJvNyaQ/s1600/BeerLabel_ElfinGood_Elves.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IWyzWaFlEqU/TvT6Eyzo2AI/AAAAAAAAA-w/AWaqCJvNyaQ/s320/BeerLabel_ElfinGood_Elves.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oe-kXU9j8Tc/TvT6FaSnJrI/AAAAAAAAA-4/RA39AojNiXc/s1600/BeerLabel_ElfinGood_Red.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oe-kXU9j8Tc/TvT6FaSnJrI/AAAAAAAAA-4/RA39AojNiXc/s320/BeerLabel_ElfinGood_Red.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SvKsrB2EJTM/TvT6GRtXmhI/AAAAAAAAA_A/s3i1IHXPYng/s1600/BeerLabel_StalkingGoose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SvKsrB2EJTM/TvT6GRtXmhI/AAAAAAAAA_A/s3i1IHXPYng/s320/BeerLabel_StalkingGoose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eKHJjPfQInU/TvT6JB5_i9I/AAAAAAAAA_I/2JR21AYTkiE/s1600/BeerLabel_Richiewiezen_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eKHJjPfQInU/TvT6JB5_i9I/AAAAAAAAA_I/2JR21AYTkiE/s320/BeerLabel_Richiewiezen_v2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nsc09dHGius/TvT6W1N3s9I/AAAAAAAAA_Q/gv4mExKiOtc/s1600/BrewersBackyard_ConceptSketch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nsc09dHGius/TvT6W1N3s9I/AAAAAAAAA_Q/gv4mExKiOtc/s320/BrewersBackyard_ConceptSketch.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PhfH6mQjJrs/TvT6aKDeTRI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/-6hkqUL9-UQ/s1600/BrewpubConcept_RollingGarden.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PhfH6mQjJrs/TvT6aKDeTRI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/-6hkqUL9-UQ/s320/BrewpubConcept_RollingGarden.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-91226093194674200322011-10-12T17:24:00.000-07:002011-10-12T17:35:55.954-07:00The Digital Life of Reily<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.35pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vivalaspalmeras.com/media/postcard.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://www.vivalaspalmeras.com/media/postcard.png" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">The wave of the sustaining digital life is swiftly approaching. With Facebook’s upcoming release of their “Timeline” tool (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline">http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline</a>), everyone will soon be shifting their focus from the meaningless last minute to the meaningful last decade. “Big Picture” thinking is hardly in lock-step with an online culture that is generally more interested in speed and convenience. Nevertheless, Maslow will proud that many of us will likely evolve from “Love/Belonging” (e.g. making Facebook friends) to “Esteem” (e.g. winning at Facebook games) and now to Self-Actualization (e.g. building a Facebook Timeline). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.35pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.35pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Will it take off? I fully expect that in some way, shape, or form, the idea of a digital profile to represent your life experience is to here to stay. I have to admit, I like Facebook’s concept video and I won't be surprised if they have success with this, provided they’re out front and learning from the behaviors of their users (which they traditionally don’t). In the meantime, however, I expect to hear plenty about Facebook’s confusing privacy settings and tricky “opt-out” policies and you know someone is going to miss out on their precious dream job due to pictures that were taken with after a beirut tournament 12 years earlier in college. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.35pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.35pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.35pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Clive Thompson just wrote about this same trend in the most recent Wired Magazine with a piece on “Memory Engineering” (<a href="http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/09/st_thompson_memoryengineeriing/">http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/09/st_thompson_memoryengineeriing/</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.35pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR_brLEfbo7XTkc6KFp3nIl1_bTNgyTCuqEzHRA5ELQZP6IrnqWzgrkTjBD" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR_brLEfbo7XTkc6KFp3nIl1_bTNgyTCuqEzHRA5ELQZP6IrnqWzgrkTjBD" width="110" /></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">He primarily focuses on a Foursquare plug-in called 4SquareAnd7YearsAgo (<a href="http://4squareand7yearsago.com/">http://4squareand7yearsago.com/</a>) that “finds your check-ins from precisely one year earlier and emails you a summary”. Programmer Jonathan Wegener is working from good insight when he says “there are so many trails we leave through the world,” Wegener says. “I wanted to make them interesting to you again.” I hate to pick on ideas, but this feels like it’s not stepping the right direction towards more meaningful digital longview. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.35pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">I like the idea of the fun of memories from the past popping up, but Foursquare check-ins that arrive every morning pointing back exactly 365 days? Why am I living vicariously through myself from a year ago? I imagine that only 1 out of 100 days messages might be slightly interesting (e.g. “what a great day. Can’t believe that was a year ago”), but if the event was that big of a deal, it shouldn’t shock you that it was a year ago. In other words, there’s no concept of surprise or discovery, and you’re really not building a sustained narration because you’re just getting check-ins from the ghost of Foursquare past. Now, if they add some randomization and customization, then we might be talking… I might like a weekly email that tells me other things I’ve done over the past few years during this week, including places I went, pictures I took, and people I spent time with. It’s worth noting that Thompson also mentions other apps for tracking personal experiences, such as Memolane and Patchlife.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.35pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.35pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Admittedly, I may sound a bit bitter, and I probably am. Some of us have been talking about a likely shift towards a sustaining digital timeline for probably two years now. Unfortunately, the closest thing I have to proof is a moleskin page or two from 2009 and a Google Document from “76 days ago” with notes about an app that will “capture a timeline of events; share and follow timelines”. Now, we’re watching the wave take shape without a board to paddle on. Yet, such is life in the fast moving digital age. Fortunately, we have been tossing around one other idea that complements this whole movement, but I think we might let it pass and go find a new wave. I’m sure I’ll get reminded of this one in a year anyway. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-31280252626754583582011-10-11T16:46:00.000-07:002011-10-11T16:59:18.510-07:00Interview with Juhan Sonin, Creative Director at Involution Studios<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dustinkirk.com/blogpicsBig/Juhan_Sonin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://www.dustinkirk.com/blogpicsBig/Juhan_Sonin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">On August 19, 2011, I had the opportunity to sit down with Juhan Sonin, Creative Director at Involution Studios (<a href="http://www.goinvo.com/">http://www.goinvo.com/</a>), to discuss the state of design within organizations and what designers could do to have more influence. The following is an overview of that conversation. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">Sonin and I began our discussion by postulating why more companies have not been successful in their pursuit of creating better products. His view is that just like any other discipline, there is a range of talent, skill, and knowledge in the field. He explained that “the best managers, designers, and engineers understand the 3-legged stool”, referring to the multi-disciplinary aspects of product development. In his view, the failure to address the business, design, or technology-related aspects of product or service opportunity will only lead to inferior outcomes. He points to the success of Apple as an example of achieving this balance, explaining how Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive are each “design, engineering, and business-minded”. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://i00.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/791/158/252/1275576588750_hz-fileserver2_1663944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i00.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/791/158/252/1275576588750_hz-fileserver2_1663944.jpg" width="199" /></a>On the topic of designers having more impact within organizations, Sonin believes the biggest factor is the ability to communicate design. He says, “Most designers aren’t good enough at pitching their own work”. He states that we as designers are delusional if we believe we can be successful in organizations “without being able to design our own stories”. “Otherwise”, he says, “What are we doing in design”? Sonin goes into greater detail about his definition of design communication, explaining how we must not only be able to explain design but be about to translate it into business and technical terms as well. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">In response to the notion that design decisions are difficult to defend because of their qualitative or subjective nature, Sonin took the counterpoint. “Most designers don’t how the science of design” he explains. “There is both qualitative and quantitative data.” In his viewpoint, it is no more or less opinionated than the discipline of engineering. So how do we fix this problem of the non-influential designer? Sonin points to design education, pointing out the current gaps and explaining that designers should be challenged to learn more. “Designers should have engineering knowledge. They need to understand how to make things, not just design in a vacuum.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">As a successful designer himself, Juhan Sonin doesn’t see too much of a challenge in creating new products. However, what companies struggle with, he explains, is when you have an entrenched product. “It’s year six. What do you do next? How do you shift? This is where products become obsolete.” He explains the financial and emotional challenge of this endeavor. Sonin points to the struggles of Eastman Kodak as an example. From his perspective, Kodak’s poor leadership, lack of future vision, and weak design communication led to their downfall. “The refused to turn the ship”, explains Sonin. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-79480008297046073722011-09-22T20:45:00.000-07:002011-09-26T20:04:53.605-07:00The Emergent Nature of Design<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://media.onsugar.com/files/2010/09/37/5/192/1922507/8df8bf51b522b8fb_best-buy-shelf.xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.onsugar.com/files/2010/09/37/5/192/1922507/8df8bf51b522b8fb_best-buy-shelf.xlarge.jpg" /></a>Go into any Best Buy or any other consumer electronics store and you’ll undoubtedly see a vast array of products that are barely distinguishable from each other. They may identical features, utilize the same technology, have the same performance measures, and even be offered at similar prices. Yet, you make a decision. You’re able to make a decision from a seemingly homogenous set of choices because products simply aren’t the sum of their parts and features. You may favor specific features (e.g. touch-screen), performance measures (e.g. storage), or even be set on price, but these are simply your priority and not your sole reason for purchasing. What I’m getting at is that a product is a composite that is greater than the sum, and it’s this composite that you’re buying. I think this is what separates Apple from the “non-Apples”, which seems like everyone else recently. Apple clearly gets the concept of creating a product composite that people instantly get what it is and what it does for them. It’s based on true empathetic understanding of their customer base, which, unlike pretty white boxes, is truly the foundation of the user experience design.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.brooksvannorman.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/phone-comparison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://www.brooksvannorman.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/phone-comparison.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">So what is design? For this discussion, let’s say it’s the difference between the sum of the engineering and the resulting product. Admittedly, there are thousand holes in this overly simplistic formula, yet there is some value in using this as a mental model and I’ll explain why. Consider two products that are comparable on features, parts, and performance. Yet, they are not equal. They are not equal because the emergent property of design must be accounted for when considering the whole product. (Note: By “design”, I’m referring to the whole product experience and not just the aesthetic aspect of it) For example, one could compare any iPhone with any Blackberry to see that Apple created a much greater product by maximizing on design and not on more measurable factors, which are fairly similar. Yet, if this is so obvious, why can’t companies get it right? Why are so many companies failing to create compelling product experiences when they know it’s good for business?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.graphicmania.net/wp-content/uploads/57ChevyAd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://www.graphicmania.net/wp-content/uploads/57ChevyAd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">One aspect that makes this so challenging is the straightforward and simple nature of measurable criteria such as features and performance. In fast-paced, competitive business markets such as the automotive, electronics, or software industries, it’s much safer to make investments on tangible measures. They’re easy to add, compare, increase, and compete upon (“Faster than the competition!”). They also make it easier to make decisions upon, helping determine what next year’s model or version will feature (“Now with 20% more stuff!”). Unfortunately, it doesn’t take an MBA to know that this type of arms race never ends well for anyone involved. In the process of trying to “out-measure” each other, the market is always cannibalized. It’s ongoing science fair where the gym is always destroyed by the competing volcanoes of baking soda. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now let’s consider design again - It’s the art class down the hall from the science fair with the crazy kids that nobody gets. And unlike science, it’s just so hard to measure. Paint and canvas are relatively cheap, but they can come together to produce a priceless masterpiece. In fact, art is all about emergence. It’s not focused on aesthetics as much as it is focused on the emotions it evokes in its observers, which is really the essence of product experience design. Sure, Apple’s products look beautiful, but that’s a deceiving veil. I believe this is what many organizations misunderstand. They think that they can engineer a product and then “throw in some design”, but this is completely wrong. When done correctly, products are a fusion of design and engineering, of art and science. Think of an Aston Martin or latest Apple product and tell me where design ends and engineering begins. As I mentioned earlier, people buy composite products, not a collection of pieces and parts where design has been slapped on. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vizeer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Aston-Martin-One-77-front-body-design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://www.vizeer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Aston-Martin-One-77-front-body-design.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now here’s the fun part: design is cheap. At least, great design is not necessarily more expensive than bad design. What’s the significance of that fact? If products are a composite of measurable engineering and emergent design, organizations would be best served by maximizing on design emergence while minimizing the engineering without lessoning the value of the whole. Quite simply, organizations need to understand the emergent property of design and strategic advantage of getting it right. They need to accept a little art at the science fair. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-44241554067265407852011-08-11T15:32:00.000-07:002011-11-22T19:17:14.277-08:00Interview with Mark Rolston (Chief Creative Officer) and Theo Forbath (VP of Innovation Strategy) of frog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frogdesign.com/images/frogweb5/about_management_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frogdesign.com/images/frogweb5/about_management_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://www.frogdesign.com/images/frogweb5/about_management_2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://www.itnewsafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/theodore_forbath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.itnewsafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/theodore_forbath.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">On August 3, 2011, I had the great pleasure to hold a conversation with two of the premier experts on innovation and design at frog, the renowned and celebrated global innovation firm (www.frogdesign.com).<br />
<br />
I owe a great deal of appreciation to Mark Rolston (Chief Creative Officer) and Theo Forbath (VP of Innovation Strategy) for taking the time to share insights with me that will provide ongoing value to my work for years to come. The following is a summary of that conversation. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Balancing Science and Art</span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Early on in our discussion, I approached the topic of the product development process in an attempt to identify the elusive patterns of behavior that lead successful or failing products. Rolston rightfully prevented us from going down this path, pointing out that the individual steps within a process are not where problems occur. Instead, what matters is how the entire process comes together as a whole. Rolston continues by instructing that in design, “form is held together by negative space”. In the practice of product development, “process is the positive space, and the connections are the negative space”. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This might sound highly abstract or theoretical to some, but this way of thinking is in lockstep with the study of systems. The discussion of positive and negative space evokes the importance of balancing the science and art of experience design. The process of scientifically breaking down a design into individual technical requirements to “check all the right boxes” can cause one to lose site of the outcome that it creates when it comes together as a whole. At risk of digressing, I believe this also describes the misguided attempts of the business community to formalize the Design Thinking process. Once you add repeatable structure, you degrade the resourceful and imaginative nature that can make it so valuable. By over-emphasizing the science, you sacrifice the art, and it’s the art that provides the real value.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Theo Forbath, frog’s VP of Innovation Strategy, reiterates the importance of holistic thinking by explaining that the companies that fail are the ones that fail to “bring it all together”. frog achieves their balance between art and science by conducting deep qualitative and quantitative research in the early phases of an engagement. Their qualitative research is often done in the form of ethnography, led by famed ethnographer Jan Chipchase. Forbath explains that <span style="color: black;">frog follows this up with thorough quantitative analysis to provide their clients with “left and right brain insights”. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.mundofanclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/mick-jagger-bio.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.mundofanclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/mick-jagger-bio.bmp" width="186" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Mick Jagger Phenomenon</span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">In discussing what it takes to create truly great experience design, Mark Rolston, describes the concept of “The Mick Jagger Phenomenon”. The lead singer of the Rolling Stones is not the most talented in the world, nor the best song writer or best-looking, “yet the way they put the package together is highly authentic, completely aligned, and pure in its plan. It’s an authentic expression of what they want to be”. The leading creative mind at a world-leading design firm is not going to use the same terminology of the systems domain, but his viewpoint is completely aligned. Essentially, what he’s discussing is emergence – the ideas that the manifestation of a system is greater than the sum of its components. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In Mark Rolston’s view, Apple has dominated their market, much like the Stones did, by creating an authentic and consistent expression of what they wanted to create. This authenticity drives customer loyalty to the point where customers will forgive the occasional flaw or missing feature. This customer forgiveness is an extremely powerful attribute in a hyper-competitive technology market. This concept authenticity is clearly the differentiator. Those that fail create products that “check all the right boxes, yet the complete expression is just not right”. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">On Complexity</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">“Technologies have become vastly more complex”, explains Mark Rolston. He describes the vast array of decisions that need to be made during today’s design and development process, such as hiring engineers, and buying hardware, code, and packaging. “So much engineering has to happen before an experience comes to market. We have an illusion that we come out of research with a pure idea and engineering is merely the means to getting it out.” As he neatly and accurately sums it up, “we’re not making toasters anymore!” </span>If this trend is to continue, it is clear that designers will need to sharpen their skills for understanding complexity and the dynamics of a technology system. <i><o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rolston asserts that this complexity often exceeds an organization’s readiness to manage it, leading to situations where they compartmentalize duties but “lack clear perspective on the whole”. He recommends instituting organizational restructuring and process improvements over time. However, there are also near-term measures to address this complexity problem. “The immediate fix is to better embrace the tangible artifacts inherit in the process”. Removing abstractions, he explains, is part of removing complexity. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">On Direction</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.theage.com.au/2010/02/01/1084401/steve-jobs-420x0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://images.theage.com.au/2010/02/01/1084401/steve-jobs-420x0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">I have long believed that many designs fail not due to a poor idea, but the inability to maintain the intent of that idea throughout the design and development process. I was glad to hear that Mark Rolston recognizes this dilemma as well and seeks a better solution. </span>“It’s true that Steve Jobs, as well as any number of auteur movie directors, create the impression that a single dictator-creator can shepherd a project through. However, finding such genius is elusive. We need a better answer.” <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">To offer some hope, Rolston informed me “carrying the idea does not require a person owning it”. He feels it is a significant improvement, “but many organizations cannot do it. They can’t afford it or they politically aren’t willing to.” </span>Rolston advised that in the absence of powerful leaders, “high-fidelity artifacts (progressive working examples of the product) are the next best thing. They don’t lie (at least very well) and they help an organization rally behind the goal.”<span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As an example, <span style="color: black;">it was noted by Rolston that concept animations are “priceless” towards carrying intent as they “create connective tissue” across the process stages. Rolston and Forbath agreed that the key to such high-fidelity artifacts is achieving a balance between inspiration and feasibility. If it’s too safe, it will get a “so what, we can do this today” reaction, but too far out towards science fiction and it becomes too hard to connect. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Importance of Softer Clay</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">For an innovation firm like frog, the client forging ahead to a solution is one of their greatest challenges. Often, it was explained to me, clients will come with a solution in mind but they haven’t done the proper research. The example they give is that of a consumer technology client asking them to design a tablet computer without considering the public’s opinion of their ability to create one. This uninformed approach can lead to failure, at worst, and at best, mediocrity. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">They address this challenge of clients jumping ahead to solutions by working with them to “delay as long as possible the fixing of plans in the course of a project”. It is this mindset they refer to as “pushing determinism forward”. By taking this approach, an organization allows itself to learn along the way, discovering new opportunities as the problem and potential solution space is better understood. By increasing understanding of the problem and maintaining flexibility in the solution, you have a vastly greater chance of “authentically mapping your solution the problem that you’ve discovered” in Rolston’s opinion. <span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.animal-wallpaper.org/backgrounds/ram/Rams_having_a_male_fight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.animal-wallpaper.org/backgrounds/ram/Rams_having_a_male_fight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Another critical threat to creating innovative products is the urgency of market competition. Rolston believes that focusing on competition leads to organizations only looking a quarter ahead at a time and creating products “out of the chute”. frog is trying to “unhinge this chute-like process” and get people to “be comfortable engaging a project with an undefined outcome”. In their words, “the fidelity of the problem must be concrete </span>for the sake of the financial and organizational investment, but the form of the imagined outcome should not.” <span style="color: black;">This approach allows organizations to understand a problem and determine their direction, and then allow plenty of time to “push and pull” to meet their objective. Put succinctly, organizations need “softer clay”. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">While discussing innovation and foresight, Rolston describes HP with admiration and some constructive criticism. “HP is a great computer company. Computing is a fundamental driver is the last 20 years and next 100 years. It drives who people are and how they’ll behave. HP is one of the biggest and most successful companies in this field, and yet, they can’t think ahead or think aggressively.” He continues by explaining that HP “passively looks at what the market wants tomorrow”, focusing only on short-term innovation and not further out. He advises that it’s not the market that HP should be looking at, but instead shift focus to the people. After all, “markets are made serving the wants and needs of the people”. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">So how does an organization look past next quarter? Theo Forbath’s viewpoint is that qualitative research is the remedy to this myopic, market-driven thinking. One of the primary distinctions between Apple versus HP is their willingness to look at core human behavior, according to Rolston. HP simply “look to their analysts”, but they need to look “past the next quarter” for greater success. Forbath and Rolston agreed that specific roles really are not important (e.g. Designer, Technologist, Futurist, etc.), just that there are individuals looking far ahead into the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-21293469868968227222011-07-31T19:21:00.000-07:002011-07-31T19:25:53.649-07:00Interview with Jerome Nadel, CXO at Option NVAs part of my thesis research, I recently had the great pleasure of remotely sitting down with Jerome Nadel, the Chief Experience Officer at Option Wireless Technology (<a href="http://www.option.com/">http://www.option.com/</a>). Mr. Nadel also happens to be my former boss and mentor at Human Factors International, so he was more than willing to discuss what it takes to create truly great user experience design. Excerpts from this discussion are as follows.<br />
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</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On Ideation<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5096/5594579879_2ce0938a05_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5096/5594579879_2ce0938a05_b.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">According to Nadel, organizations can innovate in a variety of ways. The first comes from simple “readiness” and being positioned to discover new insights and generate ideas at any time. The second is more proactive and seeks discovery through research, such as the practice of ethnographic methods or traditional market analysis. Finally, there is perhaps the most effective form of innovation, which is “aggregative innovation”, seeking opportunities to connect products and services that already exist within an organization or market. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On Innovation<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">For Nadel, the real key for organizational innovation may be in the seeking of “discontinuity”. By discovering and capitalizing on disconnects between market expectations and offerings, organizations can create completely unexpected yet welcomed systems of value. Apple, for instance, has done this masterfully over recent years with their suite of media devices and digital services.<br />
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These devices did not stem from problems, so to speak, but from opportunities that were created by technology markets that did not quite align with the intentions of its customers. Beyond isolated devices, however, the smart organization creates a system around the solution to that discontinuity. In other words, it’s not the iPod that enabled people to build, manage, and enjoy their digital music library, it was the system created by the integration of the iPod device, the well-designed digital interface, and the easy access to the iTunes music library. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On Design<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Nadel discussed the trends of design and how “the new design is service design”. This is a subtle yet powerful shift from physical and isolated aesthetic design to a more dynamic and human-centric service design. However, one must not confuse this viewpoint as a comparison between the physical product and the digital service. In Nadel’s view, “the device is the service, and it’s the service that people care about”. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On the Economic Benefit of Eco-systemic Thinking <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Nadel explains that the real competitive edge is in “eco-systemic thinking”. The key is to look beyond isolated products to look holistically at all the connections with complementary products and supporting services. By doing so, an organization can create real value for their customers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Organizations benefit tremendously from this systemic approach for a variety of reasons. The primary one is due to the profit margins that an organization can make on selling services compared to selling isolated products. According to Nadel, “smart companies get recurring revenue and as a result, better margins”. Consider Apple as an example, an organization which makes tremendous revenue on sales of its iPhones and iPad, but margins are thin when compared to sales of mobile applications and digital media. In Nadel’s words, “value equals margin”, which in turn, creates a “fiscal aspect for innovation”. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Quite frankly, the key point of this systemic approach from a standpoint of business strategy is that “you can’t make money just selling little pieces”. An organization must think systemically and not in isolation. As one can see from the Apple case, they have been able to capture value through their patterns of systems thinking, creating ecosystems of services around integrated devices. In Nadel’s view, Apple has been “remarkably holistic”. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Success in systemic thinking should really come from the top in Nadel’s view. The key is “strong leadership with a eco-systemic view that is thinking in a connected way”. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-46705836625157260222011-05-25T10:16:00.000-07:002011-05-25T10:29:15.612-07:005 Ways That Design Helps Manage Uncertainty<style type="text/css">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.spinarecipe.com/userfiles/image/Healthy%20Living%20Tips/dice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.spinarecipe.com/userfiles/image/Healthy%20Living%20Tips/dice.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>I recently took a course at MIT called "Real Options for Innovation" based upon Real Options Theory. If you're not familiar, the basic concept is about creating overall value in a project by designing built-in flexibilities or "options" that can be executed based on particular events, success, or lack thereof. The premise is that overall value of the project is improved by minimizing potential downsides. What I found most interesting about the concept is that it relies on one fundamental truth that is often overlooked in business: that the future is completely uncertain, and planning for uncertainties is a far better approach over time than planning for a singular forecast. Think of it like insurance. You likely spend hundreds per month on unused coverage, but after an accident, fire, or broken arm over the course of a few years, you'll be glad that you spent the money that you did. <br />
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<a href="http://designthinking.ideo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/tim_brown-b-lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://designthinking.ideo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/tim_brown-b-lr.jpg" width="156" /></a>Given my experience designing products, I couldn't help but notice the parallels between Real Options theory and what I think is a good design approach. Both have a certain level of "strategic humility" - admitting that the future is a complete unknown and that uncertainty should be accepted and embraced. Like Real Options, a good design process produces artifacts that help a design team understand an uncertain environment or market, thus reducing potential risks of delivering unwanted products or services. Note that I'm referring to a "design-centric" approach, and not necessarily an approach for designing aesthetically-pleasing products (although I would argue the latter should come from the former). This method is generally known as "Design Thinking" and has grown in popularity in recent years thanks to the highly innovative strategic design consultant, IDEO. I highly recommend Tim Brown's "Change by Design: How Design Thinking Changing Organizations and Inspired Innovation" for more information on this topic.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Change-Design-Transforms-Organizations-Innovation/dp/0061766089" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Change-Design-Transforms-Organizations-Innovation/dp/0061766089">http://www.amazon.com/Change-Design-Transforms-Organizations-Innovation/dp/0061766089</a><br />
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The following are my quick thoughts on some of the most prominent uncertainties in a product development process and the ways that a design approach can help manage them. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, just some of my favorites from my own experience. <br />
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<b>Uncertainty 1: Ideation ("What do we do next?")</b><br />
<b></b>Most product or service producing organizations spend a great deal of time planning ahead for what's next. It could be a completely new product, an updated version of an existing product, or even just a new market for a product that's been around a while. But how do we best determine what that next product should be? It's been well established that asking potential users what they want will only lead to incremental (i.e. boring) improvements. People point to Apple saying that they don't need to talk to users at all, and it's some internal "magic" that makes them great. That's all well and good, but it doesn't help much when you're tasked by your manager to plan the next version of your flagship product.<br />
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<a href="http://conservapedia.com/images/thumb/4/41/Edison_and_phonograph.jpg/280px-Edison_and_phonograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://conservapedia.com/images/thumb/4/41/Edison_and_phonograph.jpg/280px-Edison_and_phonograph.jpg" width="186" /></a>This is the point where design helps de-mystify the ideation process. I've been in countless user interviews over the past decade, and I can honestly say there's no greater waste of time for the designer or the potential user to sit there face-to-face and ask "what do you want"? Instead, translate your undeveloped ideas and untested hypotheses into "visual ideas". These may be concept sketches of potential products, diagrams of new user experiences, or even just a drawing to attempt to represent the user's mental model. Note that these DO NOT require even the slightest bit of artistic ability. In fact, rough and sketchy is often better as it conveys a sense of early-stage flexibility. The point is that the sketches provide a common frame of reference or "anchor" for the conversation with your user. They can force the participant to think in new ways, or even just to tell you that your thinking is completely wrong. In fact, going in with an "incorrect" diagram or sketch is completely fine if it allows the person to point out what they don't want - this can be just as helpful. Finally, an perhaps most importantly, graphics provide a common language that everyone can understand, it breaks down the barriers between technical jargon and non-technical speech, and it reduces the ambiguity that can come from speech-based language interpretation.<br />
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<b>Uncertainty 2: Product Vision ("Are we all on the same page?"</b><br />
<b></b>Once the idea for the next product or iteration has been determined, a development team can just start crafting a requirements document and project plan, correct? Not exactly.<br />
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<a href="http://kennysilva.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/vision-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://kennysilva.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/vision-1.jpg" width="175" /></a>Even the most clear product ideas have some level of ambiguity at this early stage. While some objectives or expectations may be in place, the expected output is often undefined. Let me first say that this is a great thing - projects should not only allow but promote exploration and iteration. However, the problem is that individuals on a team often have their own personal vision of the expected output of the project. This problem is then compounded by the fact that those individual visions are often clearly defined in the minds of those folks. The reason for this is that vision for products are often communicated in words, which is highly vulnerable to conflicting interpretations (e.g. "Version 1.2 is going to be net-centric and integrated!") What results from this approach is a situation where project members work on diverging or conflicting paths without realizing that they don't share the same viewpoint of a final end state. Team members debate endlessly over detailed technical decisions, not realizing that the source of their disagreement is not on the decision itself but the fact that they have conflicting views of a desired end state.<br />
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Project managers attempt to establish consensus with daily check-in's, agile development processes, and related practices. However, in my opinion, these approaches always fall short of optimal without a visual or design-centric approach.First and foremost, a design-based approach clarifies vision and establishes consensus. This is what is so powerful about the Design Thinking approach. I cannot recommend enough the act of visualizing a project's vision before any engineering or "production" related work even begins. Again, this doesn't require a lick of design skills. Instead, all that is needed is a series of wireframe sketches or diagrams of the expected product, underlying architecture, expected workflow or user experience, and supporting services. On top of that, build one simple visual depiction of the system you're building (e.g. people, products, services, technologies) of which team members can point to and say "we're building that". If you have the ability, try creating a rough 30-60 second video or animation of your vision for the product or service you want to create. You may be surprised how much internal clarity this provides.<br />
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<b>Uncertainty 3: Requirements ("What should it do?")</b><br />
Now that the product vision is clear, it's time to determine requirements. Personally, I prefer a completely experience-driven approach, although I know it can drive engineers crazy (so tread lightly here). My favorite approach for this is to simply get in front of a whiteboard and walk through the expected experience of using your product or service. Stay within the bounds of reality, but ignore detailed technical constraints at this point, as they may unnecessarily block a path to a good idea. In other words, exploring bad or impossible ideas often leads to good ideas.<br />
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As the team visually draws out the expected user experience, a great deal of clarity is often formed. It is here that a sense of a "system" is developed, which is far more effective than building a fragmented list of requirements. In fact, by going with a requirements-driven process, you're more likely to result in features that only add to the user experience and not improve it. I don't think I would want to pay the production cost to have those built.<br />
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With this visual, systems-based, experience-driven approach, the requirements become a byproduct of the user experience, as opposed to the driving factor. What results is a more holistic, efficient set of requirements. In fact, many great ideas for services or features are often prompted by this process as unexpected paths or relationships are often revealed.<br />
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<a href="http://indiepreneur.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/happy-customer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://indiepreneur.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/happy-customer.jpg" width="400" /></a><b>Uncertainty 4: Market Demand ("Will people want it?")</b><br />
Once the product and all its bells and whistles are imagined, there's still one question to answer before production begins: "Will people want it?". Of course, this is a slightly different question than "will people buy it?", but this is a design blog and not a marketing blog, so I won't get into the process of determining viable pricing points, etc. This point here is to use design to test the waters in the outside world. Internal consensus has been developed, but how do you know that your assumptions and expectations are accurate without talking to people outside your organization? This is where a great prototype or concept animation can be incredibly valuable. Have someone review your storyboard and see how they would react. Perhaps you've developed a perfectly thought out idea based on incorrect assumptions.<br />
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Be careful here not to overreact to people's opinions. As mentioned earlier, it's difficult for people to think beyond incremental improvements in their daily lives. As a result, they may react to your idea as being "strange" or "crazy". That said, pay close attention to the types of responses you get, the emotions it evokes in people (e.g. boredom, excitement), and the "between the lines" messages you might receive.<br />
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<b>Uncertainty 5: User Experience ("Will people enjoy using it?")</b><br />
Tim Brown strongly conveys the importance of being "fast to failure". This means that the goal of a product or service-producing organization should be to develop a prototype of their system as quickly as possible to figure out whether or not it's worth producing. This is most commonly done to rule out bad ideas. As mentioned in the introduction, this design process is really about strategic humility, and this is never more true than in these later stages. I strongly suggest that you not be overly confident in your ideas or your designs, as they are likely wrong..or more accurately, not as good as they could be. What you should have confidence in is your ability to get them right. This shift in mindset is critical for the "fast to failure" approach and will allow you to learn from and improve upon the flaws in your product.<br />
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<a href="http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9718/happydoggy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9718/happydoggy.jpg" width="320" /></a>Perhaps the most important lesson of addressing this uncertainty is the incredible return on investment that can come from fixing usability-related issues at an early stage. The cost of fixing a flaw in the design may seem signficant, but it's nothing compared to the compounding effects that will come from releasing a difficult-to-use product or. poorly designed service. For more on this topic of the ROI of User Experience, check out Dr. Susan Weinschenk's video presentation: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Uncertainty%201:%20Ideation%20(%22What%20do%20we%20do%20next?%22)%20%20%20%20%20Most%20product%20or%20service%20producing%20organizations%20spend%20a%20great%20deal%20of%20time%20planning%20ahead%20for%20what's%20next.%20It%20could%20be%20a%20completely%20new%20product,%20an%20updated%20version%20of%20an%20existing%20product,%20or%20even%20just%20a%20new%20market%20for%20a%20product%20that's%20been%20around%20a%20while.%20But%20how%20do%20we%20best%20determine%20what%20that%20next%20product%20should%20be?%20It's%20been%20well%20established%20that%20asking%20potential%20users%20what%20they%20want%20will%20only%20lead%20to%20incremental%20(i.e.%20boring)%20improvements.%20People%20point%20to%20Apple%20saying%20that%20they%20don't%20need%20to%20talk%20to%20users%20at%20all,%20and%20it's%20some%20internal%20%22magic%22%20that%20makes%20them%20great.%20That's%20all%20well%20and%20good,%20but%20it%20doesn't%20help%20much%20when%20you're%20tasked%20by%20your%20manager%20to%20plan%20the%20next%20version%20of%20your%20flagship%20product.%20%20%20%20%20%20This%20is%20the%20point%20where%20design%20helps%20de-mystify%20the%20ideation%20process.%20I've%20been%20in%20countless%20user%20interviews%20over%20the%20past%20decade,%20and%20I%20can%20honestly%20say%20there's%20no%20greater%20waste%20of%20time%20for%20the%20designer%20or%20the%20potential%20user%20to%20sit%20there%20face-to-face%20and%20ask%20%22what%20do%20you%20want%22?%20Instead,%20translate%20your%20undeveloped%20ideas%20and%20untested%20hypotheses%20into%20%22visual%20ideas%22.%20These%20may%20be%20concept%20sketches%20of%20potential%20products,%20diagrams%20of%20new%20user%20experiences,%20or%20even%20just%20a%20drawing%20to%20attempt%20to%20represent%20the%20user's%20mental%20model.%20Note%20that%20these%20DO%20NOT%20require%20even%20the%20slightest%20bit%20of%20artistic%20ability.%20In%20fact,%20rough%20and%20sketchy%20is%20often%20better%20as%20it%20conveys%20a%20sense%20of%20early-stage%20flexibility.%20The%20point%20is%20that%20the%20sketches%20provide%20a%20common%20frame%20of%20reference%20or%20%22anchor%22%20for%20the%20conversation%20with%20your%20user.%20They%20can%20force%20the%20participant%20to%20think%20in%20new%20ways,%20or%20even%20just%20to%20tell%20you%20that%20your%20thinking%20is%20completely%20wrong.%20In%20fact,%20going%20in%20with%20an%20%22incorrect%22%20diagram%20or%20sketch%20is%20completely%20fine%20if%20it%20allows%20the%20person%20to%20point%20out%20what%20they%20don't%20want%20-%20this%20can%20be%20just%20as%20helpful.%20Finally,%20an%20perhaps%20most%20importantly,%20graphics%20provide%20a%20common%20language%20that%20everyone%20can%20understand,%20it%20breaks%20down%20the%20barriers%20between%20technical%20jargon%20and%20non-technical%20speech,%20and%20it%20reduces%20the%20ambiguity%20that%20can%20come%20from%20speech-based%20language%20interpretation.%20%20Uncertainty%202:%20Product%20Vision%20(%22Are%20we%20all%20on%20the%20same%20page?%22)%20%20%20%20%20Once%20the%20idea%20for%20the%20next%20product%20or%20iteration%20has%20been%20determined,%20a%20development%20team%20can%20just%20start%20crafting%20a%20requirements%20document%20and%20project%20plan,%20correct?%20Not%20exactly.%20%20%20%20%20%20Even%20the%20most%20clear%20product%20ideas%20have%20some%20level%20of%20ambiguity%20at%20this%20early%20stage.%20While%20some%20objectives%20or%20expectations%20may%20be%20in%20place,%20the%20expected%20output%20is%20often%20undefined.%20Let%20me%20first%20say%20that%20this%20is%20a%20great%20thing%20-%20projects%20should%20not%20only%20allow%20but%20promote%20exploration%20and%20iteration.%20However,%20the%20problem%20is%20that%20individuals%20on%20a%20team%20often%20have%20their%20own%20personal%20vision%20of%20the%20expected%20output%20of%20the%20project.%20This%20problem%20is%20then%20compounded%20by%20the%20fact%20that%20those%20individual%20visions%20are%20often%20clearly%20defined%20in%20the%20minds%20of%20those%20folks.%20The%20reason%20for%20this%20is%20that%20vision%20for%20products%20are%20often%20communicated%20in%20words,%20which%20is%20highly%20vulnerable%20to%20conflicting%20interpretations%20(e.g.%20%22Version%201.2%20is%20going%20to%20be%20net-centric%20and%20integrated!%22)%20What%20results%20from%20this%20approach%20is%20a%20situation%20where%20project%20members%20work%20on%20diverging%20or%20conflicting%20paths%20without%20realizing%20that%20they%20don't%20share%20the%20same%20viewpoint%20of%20a%20final%20end%20state.%20Team%20members%20debate%20endlessly%20over%20detailed%20technical%20decisions,%20not%20realizing%20that%20the%20source%20of%20their%20disagreement%20is%20not%20on%20the%20decision%20itself%20but%20the%20fact%20that%20they%20have%20conflicting%20views%20of%20a%20desired%20end%20state.%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Project%20managers%20attempt%20to%20establish%20consensus%20with%20daily%20check-in's,%20agile%20development%20processes,%20and%20related%20practices.%20However,%20in%20my%20opinion,%20these%20approaches%20always%20fall%20short%20of%20optimal%20without%20a%20visual%20or%20design-centric%20approach.%20%20%20%20%20%20First%20and%20foremost,%20a%20design-based%20approach%20clarifies%20vision%20and%20establishes%20consensus.%20This%20is%20what%20is%20so%20powerful%20about%20the%20Design%20Thinking%20approach.%20I%20cannot%20recommend%20enough%20the%20act%20of%20visualizing%20a%20project's%20vision%20before%20any%20%20engineering%20or%20%22production%22%20related%20work%20even%20begins.%20Again,%20this%20doesn't%20require%20a%20lick%20of%20design%20skills.%20Instead,%20all%20that%20is%20needed%20is%20a%20series%20of%20wireframe%20sketches%20or%20diagrams%20of%20the%20expected%20product,%20underlying%20architecture,%20expected%20workflow%20or%20user%20experience,%20and%20supporting%20services.%20On%20top%20of%20that,%20build%20one%20simple%20visual%20depiction%20of%20the%20system%20you're%20building%20(e.g.%20people,%20products,%20services,%20technologies)%20of%20which%20team%20members%20can%20point%20to%20and%20say%20%22we're%20building%20that%22.%20If%20you%20have%20the%20ability,%20try%20creating%20a%20rough%2030-60%20second%20video%20or%20animation%20of%20your%20vision%20for%20the%20product%20or%20service%20you%20want%20to%20create.%20You%20may%20be%20surprised%20how%20much%20internal%20clarity%20this%20provides.%20%20Uncertainty%203:%20Requirements%20(%22What%20should%20it%20do?%22)%20%20%20%20%20Now%20that%20the%20product%20vision%20is%20clear,%20it's%20time%20to%20determine%20requirements.%20Personally,%20I%20prefer%20a%20completely%20experience-driven%20approach,%20although%20I%20know%20it%20can%20drive%20engineers%20crazy%20(so%20tread%20lightly%20here).%20My%20favorite%20approach%20for%20this%20is%20to%20simply%20get%20in%20front%20of%20a%20whiteboard%20and%20walk%20through%20the%20expected%20experience%20of%20using%20your%20product%20or%20service.%20Stay%20within%20the%20bounds%20of%20reality,%20but%20ignore%20detailed%20technical%20constraints%20at%20this%20point,%20as%20they%20may%20uncessarily%20block%20a%20path%20to%20a%20good%20idea.%20In%20other%20words,%20exploring%20bad%20or%20impossible%20ideas%20often%20leads%20to%20good%20ideas.%20%20%20%20%20%20As%20the%20team%20visually%20draws%20out%20the%20expected%20user%20experience,%20a%20great%20deal%20of%20clarity%20is%20often%20formed.%20It%20is%20here%20that%20a%20sense%20of%20a%20%22system%22%20is%20developed,%20which%20is%20far%20more%20effective%20than%20building%20a%20fragmented%20list%20of%20requirements.%20In%20fact,%20by%20going%20with%20a%20requirements-driven%20process,%20you're%20more%20likely%20to%20result%20in%20features%20that%20only%20add%20to%20the%20user%20experience%20and%20not%20improve%20it.%20I%20don't%20think%20I%20would%20want%20to%20pay%20the%20production%20cost%20to%20have%20those%20built.%20%20%20%20%20%20With%20this%20visual,%20systems-based,%20experience-driven%20approach,%20the%20requirements%20become%20a%20byproduct%20of%20the%20user%20experience,%20as%20opposed%20to%20the%20driving%20factor.%20What%20results%20is%20a%20more%20holistic,%20efficient%20set%20of%20requirements.%20In%20fact,%20many%20great%20ideas%20for%20services%20or%20features%20are%20often%20prompted%20by%20this%20process%20as%20unexpected%20paths%20or%20relationships%20are%20often%20revealed.%20%20Uncertainty%204:%20Market%20Demand%20(%22Will%20people%20want%20it?%22)%20%20%20%20%20Once%20the%20product%20and%20all%20its%20bells%20and%20whistles%20are%20imagined,%20there's%20still%20one%20question%20to%20answer%20before%20production%20begins:%20%22Will%20people%20want%20it?%22.%20Of%20course,%20this%20is%20a%20slightly%20different%20question%20than%20%22will%20people%20buy%20it?%22,%20but%20this%20is%20a%20design%20blog%20and%20not%20a%20marketing%20blog,%20so%20I%20won't%20get%20into%20the%20process%20of%20determining%20viable%20pricing%20points,%20etc.%20This%20point%20here%20is%20to%20use%20design%20to%20test%20the%20waters%20in%20the%20outside%20world.%20Internal%20consensus%20has%20been%20developed,%20but%20how%20do%20you%20know%20that%20your%20assumptions%20and%20expectations%20are%20accurate%20without%20talking%20to%20people%20outside%20your%20organization?%20This%20is%20where%20a%20great%20prototype%20or%20concept%20animation%20can%20be%20incredibly%20valuable.%20Have%20someone%20review%20your%20storyboard%20and%20see%20how%20they%20would%20react.%20Perhaps%20you've%20developed%20a%20perfectly%20thought%20out%20idea%20based%20on%20incorrect%20assumptions.%20%20%20%20%20%20Be%20careful%20here%20not%20to%20overreact%20to%20people's%20opinions.%20As%20mentioned%20earlier,%20it's%20difficult%20for%20people%20to%20think%20beyond%20incremental%20improvements%20in%20their%20daily%20lives.%20As%20a%20result,%20they%20may%20react%20to%20your%20idea%20as%20being%20%22strange%22%20or%20%22crazy%22.%20That%20said,%20pay%20close%20attention%20to%20the%20types%20of%20responses%20you%20get,%20the%20emotions%20it%20evokes%20in%20people%20(e.g.%20boredom,%20excitement),%20and%20the%20%22between%20the%20lines%22%20messages%20you%20might%20receive.%20%20Uncertainty%205:%20User%20Experience%20(%22Will%20people%20enjoy%20using%20it?%22)%20%20%20%20%20IDEO's%20Tim%20Brown%20strongly%20conveys%20the%20importance%20of%20being%20%22fast%20to%20failure%22.%20%20This%20means%20that%20the%20goal%20of%20a%20product%20or%20service-producing%20organization%20should%20be%20to%20develop%20a%20prototype%20of%20their%20system%20as%20quickly%20as%20possible%20to%20figure%20out%20whether%20or%20not%20it's%20worth%20producing.%20This%20is%20most%20commonly%20done%20to%20rule%20out%20bad%20ideas.%20As%20mentioned%20in%20the%20introduction,%20this%20design%20process%20is%20really%20about%20strategic%20humility,%20and%20this%20is%20never%20more%20true%20than%20in%20these%20later%20stages.%20I%20strongly%20suggest%20that%20you%20not%20be%20overly%20confident%20in%20your%20ideas%20or%20your%20designs,%20as%20they%20are%20likely%20wrong..or%20more%20accurately,%20not%20as%20good%20as%20they%20could%20be.%20What%20you%20should%20have%20confidence%20in%20is%20your%20ability%20to%20get%20them%20right.%20This%20shift%20in%20mindset%20is%20critical%20for%20the%20%22fast%20to%20failure%22%20approach%20and%20will%20allow%20you%20to%20learn%20from%20and%20improve%20upon%20the%20flaws%20in%20your%20product.%20%20%20%20%20%20Perhaps%20the%20most%20important%20lesson%20of%20addressing%20this%20uncertainty%20is%20the%20incredible%20return%20on%20investment%20that%20can%20come%20from%20fixing%20usability-related%20issues%20at%20an%20early%20stage.%20The%20cost%20of%20fixing%20a%20flaw%20in%20the%20design%20may%20seem%20signficant,%20but%20it's%20nothing%20compared%20to%20the%20compounding%20effects%20that%20will%20come%20from%20releasing%20a%20difficult-to-use%20product%20or.%20poorly%20designed%20service.%20For%20more%20on%20this%20topic%20of%20the%20ROI%20of%20User%20Experience,%20check%20out%20Dr.%20Susan%20Weinschenk's%20video%20presentation:%20%20%20%20%20%20http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O94kYyzqvTc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O94kYyzqvTc </a><br />
<br />
I hope this overview of designing for uncertainty has been helpful to you. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-57539785456236109672011-05-11T11:54:00.000-07:002013-06-10T12:04:57.535-07:00A Visual Representation of Ideation as a SystemIf you have been reading my (rare) blog posts over the past couple months, you have been aware of my ongoing work to attempt to visualize the concept of ideation as a system. I have been doing with work in support of MIT's Center for Media Dynamics alongside fellow classmate and SDM'er, Matt Harper. (Matt's blog can be found here: <a href="http://blog.hbs.edu/hbsinov8/">http://blog.hbs.edu/hbsinov8/</a>) Our final submission is contained below, complete with a link to our latest animation. Please provide feedback if you have ideas for improvement. Thanks!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aBF8VF2hMgQ" width="425"></iframe><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Abstract</b><br />
The goal of this project was to develop a visual representation of “ideation” – the creation of<br />
ideas. We achieved this by representing ideation as an evolving system of interconnected,<br />
hierarchically structured elements.<br />
<br />
To represent the system visually we developed a metaphor which structures the ideation<br />
process in three tiers. The first tier represents the environment in which the idea creator<br />
generates the idea, and includes the resources, ideas, experiences and knowledge that exist<br />
in that environment. The second tier represents the idea creator, who absorbs, filters and<br />
recombines those environmental elements. Finally, the third tier represents the idea itself, made<br />
of elements from the environment and constructed in response to the creator’s intent. Each tier<br />
filters and passes information to adjacent tiers in the system.<br />
<br />
The visual metaphor provides a comprehensible view of ideation as a system, and shows<br />
how ideas emerge from elements both internal and external to the idea creator. Finally, this<br />
visualization allows a viewer to simply understand how the creation of new ideas depends on<br />
ideas that already exist, and how cultural, technological and economic factors can have an<br />
impact on how this system behaves.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Background</b><br />
The development of new ideas is traditionally viewed as an unpredictable and ambiguous<br />
process best left to creative people and brainstorming sessions. Yet, history has shown us that<br />
ideas do not arise as haphazardly as one may think. In fact, the most well-known ideas often<br />
emerge, adapt, and evolve in predictable patterns. More specifically, the majority of “new” ideas<br />
are not new at all, but simply existing concepts that are re-purposed, evolved, or merged to<br />
create some new instance of the existing idea. As these ideas come together, they collectively<br />
behave in a Darwinian manner, slowly evolving, branching, and discarding as necessary with<br />
each innovation. Ideas can be as grand or as simple as one would like, from Einstein’s Theory<br />
of Relativity down to a home-owner’s clever fix for a creaky floorboard.<br />
<br />
<b>Specific Aims</b><br />
Our intention was to improve the viewer’s understanding of the formation ideas by presenting a<br />
novel visual metaphor that evokes both insight and clarity.<br />
<br />
<b>Methods</b><br />
Development of the Ideation visualization was a highly iterative process. It required the<br />
development and exploration of a great range of visual metaphors. We developed a series of<br />
hand-drawn sketches, with each iteration incorporating a peer review process for validation and<br />
ideas for improvement. This highly experimental process took us through the design metaphors<br />
of blueprints, DNA strands, musical notation, nested spheres, and finally, a multi-tiered structure<br />
with strands of information being filtered between tiers.<br />
<br />
Over time, the form of our final output evolved from a series of static representations. We<br />
realized that a dynamic treatment would be required to fully illustrate the cause-and-effect<br />
relationships that define the creation of a new idea. What was a static representation of the<br />
<br />
Ideation system turned into a dynamic, narrated, animated story. We produced this output<br />
through a series of a hand-drawn sketches that were digitally photographed, imported onto a<br />
computer, then cleaned and rendered in Adobe Photoshop. From there, the rendered images<br />
were transferred into Adobe Flash, where they were brought to life through placement on an<br />
animated timeline.<br />
<br />
The animation had two main sections. The first presents a personal narrative of a particular idea<br />
being created, dependent on the knowledge that the creator has within their environment. The<br />
second part of the narration introduces and describes the tiered model itself, and discusses the<br />
factors and dynamics which can affect how and when an idea comes into being. Both sections<br />
are both narrated and animated, with the verbal and visual components reinforcing one another.<br />
This adherence to the principles of visual storytelling yields a compelling, cohesive result.<br />
<br />
<b>Discussion</b><br />
Final peer reviews of this approach have been positive. We believe that the success of our<br />
approach lies in the combination of the different elements that were combined to yield the final<br />
work. First, the combination of both visual and audible information allows the greatest possible<br />
bandwidth for the communication of information, with the two elements at times reinforcing one<br />
another, and at other times providing different but complementary information.<br />
<br />
Second, the graphical elements used to visualize this system – the ontology developed – is<br />
again a combination of several different types of entities. Where the representation of hierarchy<br />
was required, we divided elements from one another and arranged them in a way that showed<br />
their hierarchical relation. This was used in particular in the separation of the environment –<br />
creator – idea structure, which showed hierarchy both by nesting concentric circles and by<br />
arranging layers vertically. Conversely, where appropriate we combined concepts into a single<br />
visual element; an example here is how the elements of an idea are shown as lines within a<br />
layer, while the passing of those ideas between layers is represented by the same line element.<br />
This technique – of adding complexity where needed but keeping other elements as simple as<br />
possible – increased the comprehensibility of the model overall.<br />
<br />
Finally, the approach of incorporating a story within a descriptive narrative seemed to resonate<br />
particularly strongly with individuals who have reviewed the work. The system this work<br />
describes is quite complex, but describing that system in the context of a simple, relatable story<br />
makes the system much less complicated for the viewer to understand.<br />
<br />
<b>Future Areas</b><br />
Future work will expand on the existing animation to discuss how the mechanics within each<br />
layer can be made more effective. In particular, we will look at the cultural aspects of idea<br />
creation, and consider both how the culture within a society (the human environment), and the<br />
cultural context within which an individual works, can contribute to generating more great ideas.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-24679062045269567062011-05-03T05:10:00.000-07:002011-05-03T05:10:26.476-07:00The Increasing Importance of Product Experience<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/Product%20News/Tech/jul09/iphone-user-corbis-530-100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/Product%20News/Tech/jul09/iphone-user-corbis-530-100.jpg" width="320" /></a>Most people don’t think about the complexity of their mobile phones. After all, it may just be a phone like any other, allowing you to make calls, check your email on the train, and perhaps even play a game or find the nearest coffee shop. If you have the right model, your phone might even allow you to shoot high-definition video or actually see the person you’re talking to on the other end. Designed right, and this device is like "magic", effortlessly bringing you closer to your friends and loved ones and seamlessly delivering you all the world’s wealth of entertainment and knowledge. Designed poorly, and the phone becomes a point of annoyance, frustrating you on a daily basis as you struggle to check emails or find the Talk button. Surely you have experienced both ends of this spectrum and may even appreciate the value of a well-designed product experience. As technology continues to advance, and manufacturers integrate more and more features into our phones, the importance of getting that product experience will heighten to critical proportions. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Of course, increasing complexity of consumer products is not only true in the mobile phone market. Nearly all consumer technologies are advancing in complexity at an ever-increasing rate, escalating in capabilities and advancing by exponential factors of performance. Heightening the complexity, consumer electronics are also converging and colliding through networked capabilities and services. Gone are the days of single-function, isolated products. In order to be successful, today’s product producing firm must develop offerings that seamlessly integrate within a large network of other products of services, provide all the features and performance that are expected, and present it all in an elegant package that masks all of the complexity behind it. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Clearly, today’s consumer electronics and digital services market has matured beyond static functionality and performance and has become a more dynamic “experience-based” market. One needs to look no further than market leader Apple for evidence of that. Consider a consumer product firm that intends to compete with a new tablet computer. If they simply provide expected functionality and performance at a competitive price, then their product will not stand out amongst the competition. Even if the product delivers with exceptional performance measures, which would be expensive to the firm, this competitive edge will likely not last long. In order to truly differentiate their product, the firm must provide an innovative and cohesive “tablet computing experience” that encapsulates its performance and functionality while masking its complexity. This is a challenge endeavor as the experience quality of the tablet depends not only on the design and quality of the physical object and its interface, but the experience the user has utilizing the network services and interacting with the digital applications and content that it provides. Clearly, many of these impacting factors within the product’s system are not in control of the product firm, but failure to recognize, understand, and manage these forces is a recipe for failure.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://hacknmod.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/wii-tennis1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://hacknmod.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/wii-tennis1.jpg" width="320" /></a>This approach to differentiation through experience design may sound rather difficult or esoteric, but the benefits of competing on experience can be significant and enduring. In fact, recent examples show how optimizing for experience and not on capabilities can actually lead to creation of radically innovative products or better yet, creation of new markets. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">So what is this vague concept of “product experience”? As mentioned earlier, it is greater than the product’s capabilities and aesthetic appearance. Instead, product experience is what emerges when that product is encountered and perceived by a user. The product’s form and function play vital roles in the product experience, as do the user’s expectations, emotions, and overall psychological state when they interact with that product. The significance in regards to our discussion of the emerging importance of product experience is that it now takes more than technical acumen and manufacturing capabilities to develop superior products. Instead, the development of great products will require a multi-disciplinary approach that holistically addresses technology, business strategy, and user psychology, understanding the principles of each discipline and the results of their convergence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://samanthaluck.com/wp-content/uploads/dieter-rams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://samanthaluck.com/wp-content/uploads/dieter-rams.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">If the benefits of great product design are so significant, why are there still so many poorly designed or overly complex products on the market? Do companies simply not realize the vital role it can play in a sustainable business strategy? Or, do they realize its benefits but it’s just too difficult to commit to the long-view in the face of a fast-moving competitive market? Even with good intentions, does it just break down due to the nature of organizations, such as departments with varying perspectives and priorities each degrading the user experience? Finally, is it possible that it just comes down to need for great designers? From personal experience, I think most companies fail to understand the second-order benefits that come from a strong design strategy and process. Beautifully-designed products with perfect usability are great, and I do believe they enable long-term brand loyalty, but the real hidden benefits of design may come from the clarity and agility that a well-implemented design-process can provide. What do you think? Would love to get more input on the matter... </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-65311372546658034932011-04-20T18:26:00.000-07:002011-05-23T07:55:31.116-07:00Applying Gestural Interfaces to Command-and-Control<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0yV4yxiSlDTy_hm628qjmZsa3Xt4Vyhp82ELsJlD4qJIV13nZyFUlhrZtx_J67sW4a228aYBwprEpEjQLiBfdOeNeQsp61LUYJuP7x26-m_OFvzOV8-DaQv6unmEon0kizps2mK-Yhg/s1600/SketchAsset_WearableComputers_Large.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0yV4yxiSlDTy_hm628qjmZsa3Xt4Vyhp82ELsJlD4qJIV13nZyFUlhrZtx_J67sW4a228aYBwprEpEjQLiBfdOeNeQsp61LUYJuP7x26-m_OFvzOV8-DaQv6unmEon0kizps2mK-Yhg/s200/SketchAsset_WearableComputers_Large.png" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last fall, I was fortunate enough to be tasked with a fascinating challenge by the US Army's Command-and-Control Directorate (C2D). Along with Martina Balestra, a co-worker at MITRE and fellow Human Factors Engineer, I had the opportunity to explore the possible application of gesture-based interface technologies to command-and-control (C2) workflows and environments. The work that we produced, entitled "Applying Gestural Interfaces to Command-and-Control (C2)" was subsequently submitted and accepted to be presented at HCI International 2011 in Orlando, Florida this July. Since public release was required for this work to be presented, I now have the ability to share it. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlgRYa09OKYVtQq87a_Pb1Axt7HbjuLNP_T7-R7RfWNW7R1mrF2eD1V2ADUA1f07FX3AM7haNYeDVfWVxRpzRIdVPFAcM1BZ036Mmr-_oI248quvnMWwDp2ltvRQu6806H69Bwff8JJk/s1600/3DUI_CollabTable.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlgRYa09OKYVtQq87a_Pb1Axt7HbjuLNP_T7-R7RfWNW7R1mrF2eD1V2ADUA1f07FX3AM7haNYeDVfWVxRpzRIdVPFAcM1BZ036Mmr-_oI248quvnMWwDp2ltvRQu6806H69Bwff8JJk/s200/3DUI_CollabTable.png" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The following is a short abstract of the paper in addition to some concept sketches developed as part of the project. Please contact me if you're interested in hearing more about our process! I'm proud of this work as it was one of the most rewarding challenges of my professional career. </span><br />
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<div align="left" class="keywords" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7__k9aMLZX_Rr7VFv6uyuF6YFWJZ4bNSZ7oLefAkpAyMrIKvJDX8It0xD5IBcVY-akMqoXGBLgPkelQvLTdp4weeWntVsK4lZwt8FNGWxRM7CjPSQbNaV-v6UQpz5rKAPxRjUxYlTLI/s1600/MultitouchTable_TangibleUI.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7__k9aMLZX_Rr7VFv6uyuF6YFWJZ4bNSZ7oLefAkpAyMrIKvJDX8It0xD5IBcVY-akMqoXGBLgPkelQvLTdp4weeWntVsK4lZwt8FNGWxRM7CjPSQbNaV-v6UQpz5rKAPxRjUxYlTLI/s200/MultitouchTable_TangibleUI.png" width="200" /></a><span lang="DE">This whitepaper examines the applicability of gesture-based user interfaces in notional Command-and-Control (C2) environments of the United States Army. It was authored by a team of Human Factors Engineers at The MITRE Corporation, a not-for-profit research and development organization funded by the United States Government. Since MITRE resides in a not-for-profit advisory position to their federal sponsors, the research team was able to take an unbiased perspective driven solely by identified issues, the search for improved workflows, and practical opportunities for technology development. The goal of the effort was to inform the US Army community so that it can make responsible, needs-driven decisions regarding gestural interface technologies, and avoid the potential pitfalls that may arise from technology-centered or profit-driven decisions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="left" class="keywords" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="DE"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsOzGw0ajemfZx97Me1yoad5V1X74jGcCpPlUORGvUiejnwxvoJQTb5-yR1y-LLcymMsxmnqCSF_I1UvXsSpHubnooPNeOpZosL1sYDbqGD4CJVsR6lulKo14nLgGwjexJJ1zMJ5HuKo/s1600/MultitouchTable_Collaborators.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsOzGw0ajemfZx97Me1yoad5V1X74jGcCpPlUORGvUiejnwxvoJQTb5-yR1y-LLcymMsxmnqCSF_I1UvXsSpHubnooPNeOpZosL1sYDbqGD4CJVsR6lulKo14nLgGwjexJJ1zMJ5HuKo/s320/MultitouchTable_Collaborators.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div align="left" class="keywords" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="DE">The problems focused upon by this research primarily revolved around the collaborative human workflows that occur within Command-and-Control environments. Specifically, the effort targeted US Army-based C2 environments, such as a notional fixed command center, a mobile command center, and the environment of the dismounted soldier in the battlefield. The primary issue is that the currently-implemented technologies, while independently sufficient, present constraints when distributed personnel are collaborating across them. The research team addressed this cross-platform issue by adhering to a Systems Engineering framework that required a holistic approach to the “system” of distributed C2 personnel and their technologies. The goal for the final output was to demonstrate how these technologies may come together as a system to support a more efficient, dynamic, and effective operational workflow than today’s reality. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="left" class="keywords" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsB5ou1Km52LG389u4XOXKCewjoenoQC8V6r-srZy5C57FVqcgYNGWIO32ArhU3bkydXpH00vLTNbdDuf-MPEWyKR6TztMeKz7BuuUTibv8t_31FHNo0nAC6F3JiZc6w65qLSIcBqXSPk/s1600/MultitouchTable_TangibleData.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsB5ou1Km52LG389u4XOXKCewjoenoQC8V6r-srZy5C57FVqcgYNGWIO32ArhU3bkydXpH00vLTNbdDuf-MPEWyKR6TztMeKz7BuuUTibv8t_31FHNo0nAC6F3JiZc6w65qLSIcBqXSPk/s200/MultitouchTable_TangibleData.png" width="200" /></a><span lang="DE"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="DE">After carefully examining the field of current and emerging gestural interface technologies, and mapping them against available HCI-related research findings, the team concluded that US Army personnel may indeed benefit from effectively and appropriately implemented technologies from this domain. At a high level, gestural technologies offer C2 personnel an ability to conduct more efficient and collaborative workflows across distributed environments. The exact details of these workflows, including the key users, actions, and technology paradigms, are outlined in the content of the whitepaper. In an effort to be as prescriptive as possible, the research team decided that it would be valuable to include a sizable section within the whitepaper dedicated to instructing the user on how to implement gestural technologies for C2 application. In this section, they outline the key design patterns to selecting proper solutions and developing effective interaction design frameworks. The nature of this instructional portion ranges from high-level design principles and best practices down to detailed visual demonstrations of recommended gestures. </span></span><br />
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</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-71572229519648546882011-03-29T18:54:00.000-07:002013-06-10T12:04:16.168-07:00Ideation-to-Innovation: An Evolving Storyboard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As I've continued my examination of the ideation process this semester, I have become increasingly convinced of the benefit of graphical depictions of complex systems such as this. My most recent work has been done in collaboration with Matt Harper, an MIT System Design & Management fellow who is equally as interested in the product design/innovation process. The following is our in-progress storyboard for our course in System Visualization. The final output will be a more polished and animated version, similar to the RSA Animation series. <a href="http://www.thersa.org/">http://www.thersa.org/</a>. This is very much a draft so please fire away with ideas for improvement. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here you are, taking your daily two mile walk from work to the train station. Today’s like any other day… that is until a cool wind picks up and a dark sky forms over your head and it begins to rain…really rain. Of course, you forgot your umbrella and <span style="color: black;">are not even wearing a</span><span style="color: black;"> decent </span><span style="color: black;">raincoat. You</span><span style="color: black;"> continue </span><span style="color: black;">to walk, thinking </span><span style="color: black;">about your lousy, </span><span style="color: black;">soaked situation</span><span style="color: black;">…</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Then</span><span style="color: black;">, it dawns on you What if there was an application for your phone that monitored the weather, recognized that you were walking, identified your contacts that were driving nearby, and notified them of your situation</span><span style="color: black;">.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWh8NRfqTLG_V3yGb2C6EreyTYQ9OtpzZMdfxyvzB5nalLfhzPvOe_H65RESyt0m69xKtPWOKNX411MG2z7gHAeAnjnk07Fy4AXshtMnhJZHcLRAYWJjH8CcTh_lubOgVhDCEvQU2acI/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWh8NRfqTLG_V3yGb2C6EreyTYQ9OtpzZMdfxyvzB5nalLfhzPvOe_H65RESyt0m69xKtPWOKNX411MG2z7gHAeAnjnk07Fy4AXshtMnhJZHcLRAYWJjH8CcTh_lubOgVhDCEvQU2acI/s200/3.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Your </span><span style="color: black;">kind friends could excitedly rush to your rescue with one lucky companion getting the honor of scooping you up in their warm, day, coffee-ready sedan. </span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">Like that, an idea is formed. Nothing real or tangible was actually created of course, but a notion of a possibility was </span><span style="color: black;">conceived. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">So where did that idea come from? It certainly didn’t fall from the sky with the rain…or did it? The unexpected rain combined with your lack of umbrella created a circumstance that served as a catalyst for an idea to be formed. You came up with the idea because you wanted to reduce your discomfort in the environment. You wouldn’t have come up with that idea if you strolling comfortably on a sunny day. </span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Without that circumstance, problem, or challenge, that creative spark may never had existed! That may sound foolish when you consider the “pick your friend up” mobile application, but what if the idea had a much more profound contribution, say to a cure for cancer or source of sustainable energy. The beauty is not in the idea itself, but in the concept that the challenge presented by the environment triggered your problem-solving creativity to produce something novel. Circumstances create intent to form ideas. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">Intent Relies on Readiness</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Of course, the formation of the idea is not even possible without some form of readiness on the part of idea’s </span><span style="color: black;">creator.</span><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: black;">It took you having at least some knowledge of the possibilities of today’s mobile phones. And of course, it took</span><span style="color: black;"> an understanding of </span><span style="color: black;">the generally accepted ways that we help each other, and how giving a ride to a friend in the rain is a perfectly reasonable gesture. Whatever ideas you come up with are going to be products of your knowledge and experiences. In a sense, the ideas are novel combinations of everything you know, filtered in order to achieve a specific intent.</span><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">Readiness Relies on Environment </span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">So the idea has been conceived based upon novel combinations of the information in your head. But where did that knowledge come from? From your environment of </span><span style="color: black;">course… </span><span style="color: black;">the experiences you’ve had, the people you’ve known, the books you’ve read, the institutions you’ve attended, and the culture you’ve lived in all play a part in forming your knowledge base and </span><span style="color: black;">values</span><span style="color: black;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">This concept becomes even more powerful when you consider the effect of many people working together to form an idea. After all, if ideas are simply novel combinations, simply adding people will greatly increase the chances of great ideas, right? Well not exactly, but we’ll address that in a minute. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">Stepping Back: Ideation as a System</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHggO2Ar8V93Lups9Kgpqm6rdSgv85ELwsAFW3Jpr46t9OaA9Jio-Bm-xioXQQOinv8R2urySOwWKxexAgh2NUwGLSvRHtOH90Dl9wrzvS35vPhfAi8tlOTio9wqbXsy-bKq_wMllPaA/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHggO2Ar8V93Lups9Kgpqm6rdSgv85ELwsAFW3Jpr46t9OaA9Jio-Bm-xioXQQOinv8R2urySOwWKxexAgh2NUwGLSvRHtOH90Dl9wrzvS35vPhfAi8tlOTio9wqbXsy-bKq_wMllPaA/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Stepping </span><span style="color: black;">back from the simple mechanics of a single idea, one could see that this ideation environment is really a system. Each component plays a critical role within it,</span><span style="color: black;"> feeding </span><span style="color: black;">into each other and contributing to the ever-changing form and overall value of the system.</span><span style="color: black;"> Ideas </span><span style="color: black;">are how we evolve ourselves and our environment.</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Not surprisingly, the Ideation System mimics many of the patterns we see in nature. Ideas, much like seeds, play a fundamental role in the evolution of a society. Ideas are constantly forming and germinating in the environment… some catch on and grow, while others fail to catch on. Much like seeds, an environment needs to foster a high quantity of ideas in order to flourish and evolve. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Much like sunlight and rain for seeds, ideas require proper </span>conditions from which to form… and once they do form, they need the cultivation of a supporting environment and culture in which to grow. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">The Tiers of Innovation</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
Of course, this process of filtering from environment to a ready idea creator to the idea itself is not as simple or mechanical as this model presents it. Culture plays a critical role… the promotion of education, the exploration of new ideas, the questioning of old ones… all require the proper cultural environment. A culture of learning, communication, and experimentation are all fundamental to the formation and realization of great ideas. Let’s take a closer look to see how that culture influences innovation… </span><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Consider an environment where there is a strong culture of communication, idea exploration, experimentation, and acceptance of failure. The environment is dynamic and rich with cross-pollination. People learn from institutions and organizations, develop new theories and innovative thoughts, and in turn, contribute back into society.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">In a very evolutionary way, organizations and individuals evolve through the discovery and advancement of knowledge. They are constantly consuming and organizing their new information to fit their values and mental models of the world. Advancement of organizations and individuals is often done through the production of ideas, pulling knowledge and capabilities from the environment in novel or unexpected ways to address emerging circumstances</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">Lenses</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">This may appear all too chaotic and random, and to some extent it is. There is a great deal of forces at play within an open society, from the free sharing of ideas from people to the deliberate intent of organizations and institutions. If one were to examine the flow of information and ideas in a society, they could look at it from a range of perspectives, from cultural influence to structured regulatory effects</span><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Taking this approach may allow one to even examine the story behind an idea, as it travels from the foundational knowledge and capabilities from the environment that made it possible to the individual or organization that consumed that information to the final idea that was conceived and then added back into the system for potential growth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Interested in seeing how the project turned out? <a href="http://treilanderror.blogspot.com/2011/05/visual-representation-of-ideation-as.html" target="_blank">here</a> it is.. </span></span><br />
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510336452588357232.post-55513873755496377462011-03-17T16:49:00.000-07:002011-03-17T16:59:29.574-07:00The Russian Doll Theory of Ideation<style type="text/css">
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I've often discussed my research into the ideation and innovation process. This work is most recently being conducted as a "systems visualization" effort in alignment with MIT's Comparative Media Studies program (<a href="http://cms.mit.edu/">http://cms.mit.edu/</a>) in support of Professor V. A. Shiva Ayyadurai (<a href="http://www.vashiva.com/">http://www.vashiva.com/</a>). An interesting aspect of this attempt to graphically depict the formation of ideas is that it has given me a new perspective on the process and the results that it produces.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDewQyZSAewdBKP5sLzpbRa1ucmBZxKSqvRjFXqhk8lU0iaytv_Vhw84vfWqWqI1uN_4QjnKTzUUKB9fjOYL1ATSutW8AjyfZisxjIX9cL3oFbiUYxWsDpjA5ePR01C7VlhK-KkFXS4M/s1600/Idea.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDewQyZSAewdBKP5sLzpbRa1ucmBZxKSqvRjFXqhk8lU0iaytv_Vhw84vfWqWqI1uN_4QjnKTzUUKB9fjOYL1ATSutW8AjyfZisxjIX9cL3oFbiUYxWsDpjA5ePR01C7VlhK-KkFXS4M/s200/Idea.png" width="200" /></a>The first part of the new perspective is that ideas are essentially packages of remnants from the knowledge, values, and experiences of the person (or people) that originated it. In other words, an idea has a "DNA" that gives evidence from where it came from. Since the originator of the idea is also a product of their environment and culture, the idea’s roots can be traced back even further. From this perspective, we developed a series of graphical models that attempt to give a new viewpoint of what an idea is exactly. <br />
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You might read this and say "So what? You came up with an abstract way of visualizing ideas. Big deal", and perhaps you're right. However, what these graphical models convey to me is that an idea is more than a novel connection of insights and existing ideas, as recent books on the topic have conveyed. While that concept is accurate, I believe that it makes the process sound more random than it really is. What are graphical models began to convey is that an idea is a set of connections resulting from a filtered version of the stored knowledge of its originator (person or people). Furthermore, the idea is instigated and tightly filtered by intention or circumstances that led to it. This is particularly interesting when you consider that the originator itself is essentially a filtered version of its environment. In other words, the development of ideas mimics a "Russian Doll" paradigm, which I believe has major implications on the development of new ideas <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_XTDCllWxZu0m8c9ucd1EtaPdfxY4LveYcJ7EAL_nrbKSga9kjds3HxOKxeeiRGt7jaHpJrHxgWBZl5UdMRjmZzwiZ0Apgf5zXUf49XwkpQHQba3iPU59Zc7mimNJrMYOa2kOuXnyynE/s1600/IdeaRing_Overview.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_XTDCllWxZu0m8c9ucd1EtaPdfxY4LveYcJ7EAL_nrbKSga9kjds3HxOKxeeiRGt7jaHpJrHxgWBZl5UdMRjmZzwiZ0Apgf5zXUf49XwkpQHQba3iPU59Zc7mimNJrMYOa2kOuXnyynE/s320/IdeaRing_Overview.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<b>The Importance of Culture</b><br />
If an idea's elements are a sub-set of its creator's knowledge, and that creator's knowledge is a sub-set of its environment, then by association, the quantity (and therefore, quality) of ideas is greatly influenced by the creator's ability to increase their knowledge from their environment. Of course, there also has to be a culture in place that promotes not only the increase of this knowledge but the experimentation of the ideas that it can produce. Beyond just isolated knowledge increase (e.g. reading a book), you can see the combinatorial benefits of a culture that promotes communication and sharing of knowledge. In other words, a culture of learning, communication, and experimentation is the fundamental to the creation of great ideas. Think of a brainstorm. It's essentially the repeated process of people creating random combinations based on elements from their collective knowledge bases. Of course, the importance of culture on creativity is common sense to anyone who has worked in an innovative environment, but it's nice to see the graphical models re-affirm it. <br />
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<b>From Circumstances Comes Intent</b><br />
As I mentioned, an idea is instigated and filtered by the intent and circumstances of its originator. Let me give a concrete example of what I mean. Say you step out of work to discover that it is pouring rain, you don't have an umbrella, you don't want to get wet, and you have to walk a mile to the subway. These circumstances immediately create an intent for you to minimize how wet you get from the rain. You react to your environment immediately based on your experience in the world and make the knee-jerk decision to look for something to block your head from the rain. You quickly think of all the items in your bag, ruling out some and considering others. You then reach into your bag, grab a newspaper and hold it over your head, shielding off some of the rain.<br />
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This was the formation of an idea. It's certainly not an original idea, but it follow the process by which ideas are created. Circumstances led to Intent, Intent led to a filtering of choices and exploration of possible combinations, and finally, a single idea was selected. An important takeaway from this example is that the idea did not just spring from thin air. The process to create an idea was quickly instigated and executed due to the tension or constraints presented by the environment. Without it, the idea never would have been formed. This example of an idea is trivial of course, but many aren't, and they are formed (or not formed) and essentially the same manner.<br />
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Next time you have an idea, give a good hard look at it...I bet you'll recognize where it came from.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04174779052092675094noreply@blogger.com10