1

Interface Metaphors & Conceptual Design

Dr. Cindy Corritore

Creighton University

ITM 734Fall 2005

2

? According to Cooper, our design methods haven’t caught up with our society’s move from an industrial society to an information society.

What does he mean?

Why don’t these methods work?

3

some reasons

• computers more complex– more features, more flexible (fewer

constraints)– harder to use

• cognitive friction– no 1:1 correspondence machine behavior:

user manip.– intense mental engagement - engineers thrive– Reaction?

• Use minimal set of features

4

some reasons

• focus on internal computer processes & structures (eg file structure)

• not tolerant of errors

5

? What does Cooper’s question “What do you get when you cross a car with a computer” have to do with software design?

6

some answers

• you get a computer– don’t inform and guide us

7

? What is Cooper’s Dancing Bear analogy?

Wonderful it dances at all – don’t see that it dances poorly

8

? What does the Dancing Bear phenomena lead to?

9

some possibilities

• acceptance of bad design

• techno-rage

• Survivalists & Apologists– apologize for the software – “it is so cool, look

what it can do”• worth the cost

– survivor – live with it

• amateurs expected to be experts

10

? Why does Cooper feel these problems are present today in our [software] designs?

11

some reasons

• technologists tasked with design– completely different mindset/cognitive model

& culture• different goals and focus user and programmer• good programmer focuses on details (hard task;

immersive)• love a good challenge with mastery• love details

– their baby - don’t see the problems– design for themselves

12

? What is the big problem with features?

13

some reasons

• used by developers as bargaining chips against time

• don’t know what ‘done’ looks like – feature list is at least quantifiable

• more features increases complexity– edge cases

• UI is hard – falls to bottom of list, bargained away

• employs a focus on tasks, not goals

14

some reasons

• creeping featurism or bloatware– adding new features to software seems ‘free’ – reality - adds complexity– unlike adding new physical features to a

hardware device - constrained

15

? What are some examples of bad design (systems) that Cooper gives.

16

some examples

• email programs don’t consider threads• calendars focus on appts, not projects,

deadlines, events• software has no memory of where currently

(context-wise) files are kept• software doesn’t take responsibility for errors

– makes users feel stupid

• software inflexible (people like to fudge)• browser-based interfaces

17

? Cooper provides an example of hi-tech company qualities – what are these and how apply to a company (give a concrete example).

18

3 qualities

• Capability– what can be made?

• Viability– what can be made and sold for a profit?

• Desirability– what do people want?

• Examples - Novell, Microsoft, Apple

19

? What is Cooper’s take on customer loyalty? How does this play into design?

20

some reasons

• desirability vs. need– long-term– builds loyalty– keeps customers through down-cycles

21

next …….. the Inmates …..

22

23

some reasons

• desirability vs. need

• time to market

• users only care about their goals