A quick note on everyday constraints.... I love puzzles. Crossword, Picture, Word Find, Mahjongg... they're all great. I enjoy finding patterns in things - once you get the pattern, you're home free. I have lately become addicted to a game which has a picture divided into tiny little squares. You have to either rotate or swap the squares in order to make the whole picture visible. I look for words on signs, patterns in the floor of a room or in the clouds in the sky. Norman describes this approach to a novel object, using "information in the world, particularly if the design of the new object has presented us with information that can be interpreted... One important set of signals comes through the natural constraints of objects, physical that limit what can be done." (Norman, 1988) What if my puzzles didn't have that discernible pattern that I so diligently search for? What if the picture I was trying to construct was of some wacky modern art piece that I have never seen, and where the sky is not up and the floor is not down? I don't think I would like those kind of puzzles so much...
Norman, D. A. (1988). The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Doubleday.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Module 2 Blog Post (2)
Once upon a time I was involved in helping our ITS department in setting up a VRU (voice reponse unit). At first I was just supposed to be The Voice. I ended up being much more involved because the poor guys setting up the VRU really had no idea what options should lead to what answers (logically speaking). Helping out with the design cycle from that end really got me excited about studying program and web design.
The HCI Life Cycle includes 8 steps and the first one may be the most difficult for a designer coming in from the outside. Knowing the end-users and their goals without knowing exactly what it is the end users do every day can be tricky. What questions do you ask? You can generally ask the user what they want the system to do but how do you know the detail to which they need the system to do what it does? How can the user describe how the system should work when they've never had a system to do what they need done? How do they know what to ask for when they've never had it in the first place?
I would love a system that lets me do what I do easily but to some extent, if I don't know what the possibilities are, its hard for me to describe what could help. What if there was a system that would interface with our existing system and outside systems to collect all the pertainent data I need, makes a decision based on the data, produces the needed documents, contacts the customer, follows up and files the required claims, while adhering to required timelines? Well first of all, I'd probably be out of a job. But how do I ask for such a thing? I'd have to describe every minute detail of my job and my thought processes based on thousands of pieces of data. Would the designer know what questions to ask me to get all the needed data? I'd hate for them to come back saying, "Why did this happen?" for me to only be able to respond, "Well you didn't ask me that?"
The HCI Life Cycle includes 8 steps and the first one may be the most difficult for a designer coming in from the outside. Knowing the end-users and their goals without knowing exactly what it is the end users do every day can be tricky. What questions do you ask? You can generally ask the user what they want the system to do but how do you know the detail to which they need the system to do what it does? How can the user describe how the system should work when they've never had a system to do what they need done? How do they know what to ask for when they've never had it in the first place?
I would love a system that lets me do what I do easily but to some extent, if I don't know what the possibilities are, its hard for me to describe what could help. What if there was a system that would interface with our existing system and outside systems to collect all the pertainent data I need, makes a decision based on the data, produces the needed documents, contacts the customer, follows up and files the required claims, while adhering to required timelines? Well first of all, I'd probably be out of a job. But how do I ask for such a thing? I'd have to describe every minute detail of my job and my thought processes based on thousands of pieces of data. Would the designer know what questions to ask me to get all the needed data? I'd hate for them to come back saying, "Why did this happen?" for me to only be able to respond, "Well you didn't ask me that?"
Friday, October 10, 2008
Module 2 Blog Post
Sensory Memory:
A funny thing happened on the way to my blog post.... I have a 2005 Dell laptop (Dude, I bought a Dell) that for some reason, runs as slow as molasses no matter how many times i defrag or what programs I remove. One trimester, the thing actually lost ALL of my data right before a big project was due. I was ready to put the thing in the oven and just bake it, but I changed my mind and was finally able to retrieve most of the data I needed. Then, last trimester the screen just went dark one day. Dell wanted $500 bucks to take it and fix it for me. Uh, no thanks. I ended up finding a small local business that found the problem and fixed it for less than $100 - parts and all! I realized that I couldn't afford for the thing to die on me in the middle of taking my classes so I broke out the credit card and bought a new laptop (NOT a Dell).
Now the old one, let's call her Spunky, still works so I see no reason to get rid of her yet. The new one, lets call her Spunkier, is AWESOME. I switch between the two depending on what I'm doing and what kind of mood I'm in. If I feel very patient and Zen and time is not of the essence I use Spunky. I'll haul her out on the porch or take her out to the park and work. Spunkier, I keep at home and use during times when internet usage is high (like now) and I can't wait for the computer to decide whether it wants to connect or not.
But Spunkier has some weird differences. It has a 10-key where Spunky does not. I didn't think that it would matter, I mean I use a QWERTY keyboard with a 10 key at work - no problem. I find myself typing whole words incorrectly because my fingers aren't in the right place. Using the 10-key while I'm sitting at a desk typing might be a little different than when I'm sitting in my bed with the computer on my lap. Who knew? The other difference is with the keys themselves. I have to push a little harder to type than with Spunky. I also have to go back and capitalize my "I's". Its like shift+i is just ignored the first time around some times on Spunkier.
Here's the point. My sensory memory has been trained one way on Spunky for the last 3 years. It makes the adjustment to Spunkier kinda difficult. That and the fact that I'm not the best typist in the first place...? Yeah.
A funny thing happened on the way to my blog post.... I have a 2005 Dell laptop (Dude, I bought a Dell) that for some reason, runs as slow as molasses no matter how many times i defrag or what programs I remove. One trimester, the thing actually lost ALL of my data right before a big project was due. I was ready to put the thing in the oven and just bake it, but I changed my mind and was finally able to retrieve most of the data I needed. Then, last trimester the screen just went dark one day. Dell wanted $500 bucks to take it and fix it for me. Uh, no thanks. I ended up finding a small local business that found the problem and fixed it for less than $100 - parts and all! I realized that I couldn't afford for the thing to die on me in the middle of taking my classes so I broke out the credit card and bought a new laptop (NOT a Dell).
Now the old one, let's call her Spunky, still works so I see no reason to get rid of her yet. The new one, lets call her Spunkier, is AWESOME. I switch between the two depending on what I'm doing and what kind of mood I'm in. If I feel very patient and Zen and time is not of the essence I use Spunky. I'll haul her out on the porch or take her out to the park and work. Spunkier, I keep at home and use during times when internet usage is high (like now) and I can't wait for the computer to decide whether it wants to connect or not.
But Spunkier has some weird differences. It has a 10-key where Spunky does not. I didn't think that it would matter, I mean I use a QWERTY keyboard with a 10 key at work - no problem. I find myself typing whole words incorrectly because my fingers aren't in the right place. Using the 10-key while I'm sitting at a desk typing might be a little different than when I'm sitting in my bed with the computer on my lap. Who knew? The other difference is with the keys themselves. I have to push a little harder to type than with Spunky. I also have to go back and capitalize my "I's". Its like shift+i is just ignored the first time around some times on Spunkier.
Here's the point. My sensory memory has been trained one way on Spunky for the last 3 years. It makes the adjustment to Spunkier kinda difficult. That and the fact that I'm not the best typist in the first place...? Yeah.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Assignment 4-1 Norman 1 Blog Entry (2)
Its a little funny reading the Design of Everyday Things in 2008 when it was published twenty years ago. In chapter 3, Norman poses a question to the reader, "Would you like a pocket-size device that reminded you of each appointment & daily event?" I laughingly realize that I would be completely lost without my BlackJack and hope, if Norman is still alive, he's found one for himself.
I've never been too good at remembering names and was only nominally better at numbers but these days?? Whew. If you've ever seen Disney's "Finding Nemo" I'm Dori. If you haven't seen it just know - I have NO short term memory anymore. I need constant reminding.
Norman says, "One of the most important and interesting aspects of the role of the interplay between knowledge in the head and in the world." I've tried to remember appointments by rehearsal. I've found it only works right before I go to bed but if I don't set up another reminder once I wake up, flash-bang, its gone! I've also tried transferring the knowledge to the outside world. The problem with writing things down on paper is that I would forget where I put the paper. So I became a Post-It addict. I had Post-Its on the bathroom mirror, bright pink ones in books, different sized ones in my wallet, animal Post-Its on the dashboard and the sun visor in the car. But adhesive only lasts so long.
But now, technology has finally caught up with my rapidly failing memory and given me the perfect reminding device - the Smart Phone aka Crackberry, iPhone, whatever your flavor. My phone knows and does everything. Do I have an assignment due? I don't know, I'll ask the phone. When is grandma's birthday? Better ask the phone. How do I get there from here? What's the lowest gas price? What movie did I see her in? Where am I supposed to be right now? Its all in the phone!
...now where did I put that thing anyway?
Norman, D. A. (1988). The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Doubleday
I've never been too good at remembering names and was only nominally better at numbers but these days?? Whew. If you've ever seen Disney's "Finding Nemo" I'm Dori. If you haven't seen it just know - I have NO short term memory anymore. I need constant reminding.
Norman says, "One of the most important and interesting aspects of the role of the interplay between knowledge in the head and in the world." I've tried to remember appointments by rehearsal. I've found it only works right before I go to bed but if I don't set up another reminder once I wake up, flash-bang, its gone! I've also tried transferring the knowledge to the outside world. The problem with writing things down on paper is that I would forget where I put the paper. So I became a Post-It addict. I had Post-Its on the bathroom mirror, bright pink ones in books, different sized ones in my wallet, animal Post-Its on the dashboard and the sun visor in the car. But adhesive only lasts so long.
But now, technology has finally caught up with my rapidly failing memory and given me the perfect reminding device - the Smart Phone aka Crackberry, iPhone, whatever your flavor. My phone knows and does everything. Do I have an assignment due? I don't know, I'll ask the phone. When is grandma's birthday? Better ask the phone. How do I get there from here? What's the lowest gas price? What movie did I see her in? Where am I supposed to be right now? Its all in the phone!
...now where did I put that thing anyway?
Norman, D. A. (1988). The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Doubleday
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Assignment 4-1 Norman 1 Blog Entry
Helplessness: Learned vs. Taught?
okay first, the concept of learned OR taught helplessness sounds ludicrous to begin with. I mean, shouldn't we be avoiding helplessness altogether? BUT after reading through the text about it, I realized that whoa, guess what? I have experienced both. I have come across an impossible task or two. I have tried and tried to get into coding as a means of programming and you know what? Its freakin' impossible! (Well obviously its not because someone had to create this blog space using CSS, HTML & Javascript which came from BASIC, Livescript etc. But I have learned, through MANY failures that I just can't code. I like my Visual Studio. I'm a point n click girl! And then there's the Dad syndrome. Bill Cosby talks about it. If dad messes up enough things around the house, he is labeled as helpless (and hopeless) and is no longer asked to do these things. Frankly, we're scared to ask because last time he blew up something in the basement. And that was his goal in the first place - just to be left alone.
"Do the common technology and mathematics phobias result from a kind of learned helplessness?" asks the Design of Everyday Things. The text shows that a few failures in mathematics (and boy have I had those too) can create a phobia. And a few failures with poorly designed systems can cause the same kind of phobias. "The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at something, you think its your fault. Therefore you think you can't do the task. As a result, next time you have to do the task, you believe you can't so you don't even try. The result is that you can't, just as you thought. you're trapped in a self-fulfilling prophecy." (Norman, 1988) The Rubik's cube was my technological version of learned helplessness. I still won't even touch one to this day. But what about the people who still don't use e-mail because they can't figure it out? Trust me, they're out there. I have a friend who has DVR with her cable and hasn't used it because she tried to record a show once, failed to do so, and won't try again. Not having cable, I haven't experienced this issue, but just hearing about other people who are frustrated by the set-up, I'm a little intimidated. But then, I'm too cheap to get cable anyway...
Norman, D. A. (1988). The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Doubleday.
okay first, the concept of learned OR taught helplessness sounds ludicrous to begin with. I mean, shouldn't we be avoiding helplessness altogether? BUT after reading through the text about it, I realized that whoa, guess what? I have experienced both. I have come across an impossible task or two. I have tried and tried to get into coding as a means of programming and you know what? Its freakin' impossible! (Well obviously its not because someone had to create this blog space using CSS, HTML & Javascript which came from BASIC, Livescript etc. But I have learned, through MANY failures that I just can't code. I like my Visual Studio. I'm a point n click girl! And then there's the Dad syndrome. Bill Cosby talks about it. If dad messes up enough things around the house, he is labeled as helpless (and hopeless) and is no longer asked to do these things. Frankly, we're scared to ask because last time he blew up something in the basement. And that was his goal in the first place - just to be left alone.
"Do the common technology and mathematics phobias result from a kind of learned helplessness?" asks the Design of Everyday Things. The text shows that a few failures in mathematics (and boy have I had those too) can create a phobia. And a few failures with poorly designed systems can cause the same kind of phobias. "The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at something, you think its your fault. Therefore you think you can't do the task. As a result, next time you have to do the task, you believe you can't so you don't even try. The result is that you can't, just as you thought. you're trapped in a self-fulfilling prophecy." (Norman, 1988) The Rubik's cube was my technological version of learned helplessness. I still won't even touch one to this day. But what about the people who still don't use e-mail because they can't figure it out? Trust me, they're out there. I have a friend who has DVR with her cable and hasn't used it because she tried to record a show once, failed to do so, and won't try again. Not having cable, I haven't experienced this issue, but just hearing about other people who are frustrated by the set-up, I'm a little intimidated. But then, I'm too cheap to get cable anyway...
Norman, D. A. (1988). The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Doubleday.
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