technology dissolved in the experience

Technology dissolved in the experience

James Box Skillswap Bristol | November 2008

Fan of Bruce Parry's Tribe. Armchair anthropologist.

Penan people / Nomadic hunter-gatherer tribe on the Malaysian state of Sarawak

Deeply affected large-scale selective logging in the late 1970s / More recently the creation of palm oil and acacia wood plantations has had a caused a profound reduction in the number of Penan people

Dense rainforest/jungle. Remarkably attuned to the environment around them. Responses to the change in light, sound, smell and temperature of the forest, nuances that outsiders over look.

The forest to which they are perfectly adapted, has been radically altered. Their everyday needs–collecting medicinal plants and clean water has become extremely difficult.

One particular scene which I love involves messaging without words or writing.

Communication between tribes has to be carried out discreetly (to avoid the attention of the logging companies) so they leave messages on the jungle floor using an ornate arrangement of sticks and leaves.

This one particular message involves:* One large stick...the message stick...points in a direction that the tribe must go* Another smaller stick, crossing the first, which indicates you MUST come. There is no choice.* Another stick with a sharp, pointed end pointing to the sky...the sharpness indicates the urgency.* A scraping down the main message stick runs down the length of the stick and indicates it's a very long journey* A piece of knotted bark with three knots indicates that the journey will take three days.* Then a notch further down the message stick a wrapped leaf which indicates they don't have any food* But the best bit is a single stick poking right through the leaf which says even though they're desperate, that they must come quickly, must make it in 3 days, that they are hungry and have no food…this stick means...don't worry I'm in a good mood.

Reminded me of nothing more than the humble smiley.

Despite our derision, its universally understood. And useful!

Me / Information Architect / IxD

Social spaces / Especially those mediated by technology

Clearleft, Brighton / UX consultancy / Silverback / dConstruct / UXLondon

Co-organise Skillswap Brighton with Natalie Downe

Evolution of a talk I gave at Barcamp called Built it like Dave…meet Dave:

How to imbue UX with personality/character by aligning behaviour with those of your friends.

Superficial stuff but was concerned with what I perceived as a general lack of attention to the human quality of user experience.

This talk is an attempt to explore that subject further…

Interaction Design is the creation of a dialogue between a person and a product, service or system. This dialogue is usually

found in the world of behaviour.

“

”

Tend to think of myself principally as an IxD. This where all the good shit happens.

Use this definition from ‘Thoughts on Interaction Design’ by Jon Kolko, but applies to UX as well.

Two words: dialogue + behaviour.

I’m going to focus on these aspects of an experience.

http://thoughtsoninteraction.com/section_one.html

The whole ‘personality’ thing is not new.

Brands love forming relationships with their customers.

Some do it very well indeed.

It works. It makes me smile.

And of course I’m telling you about it now right?

Lots of people have used this cutesy approach on the web:

Flickr greetings in foreign languages etc.

This I like: Picnik (flowers ‘grow’ as you complete your sign-up prividing progressive feedback.)

Problem is, I get bored easily.

I’m already bored of Obama.

The litmus test is: would an estate agent use this?

This is outside our office.

[Sign on left]

It all gets a bit saccharine, mawkish.

To design behaviour requires an understanding of the fluidity of natural dialogue, which is both reactionary and

anticipatory at the same time.

“

”

The problem is structuring dialogue is difficult as it occurs in a fourth dimension: over time.

[quote]

Two words: reactionary + anticipatory.

Something that can only happen when the dialogue is given sufficient context.

If we miss the mark here, the intent fails.

We begin to sound clichéd, formulaic and inauthentic…

This is a negative experience.

And even worse…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/diamondjoe/205674525/

We even risk entering ‘The Valley’.

“Mori's hypothesis states that as a robot is made more humanlike in its appearance and motion, the emotional response from a human being to the robot will become increasingly positive and empathic, until a point is reached beyond which the response quickly becomes that of strong repulsion.”

The suspension of disbelief is something we’re all prepared to entertain to an extent, but the danger here is when this fails, we break the illusion.

Amazon recommendations are great until Christmas, when you spend all your time shopping for others and consequently get recommended bread makers for the next six months.

One of the things I loved about the Penan tribe message was its authenticity.

The function/utility of the message was balanced with humour.

But when I thought back to my original presentation, I realised this is difficult to achieve with simple heuristics, rules of thumb like ‘be polite’, ‘be courteous’ etc.

I also realised that by highlighting noticeable–arguably quantifiable–personality traits, I was ignoring one of the most important attributes of meaningful dialogue.

That which is subtle or even unsaid often underpins the most delightful, remarkable experiences.

Make all visual distinctions as subtle as possible, but still clear and effective.

“”

And this is undeniable true when we think of design.

Edward Tufte is famous for celebrating ‘The smallest effective difference’ as illustrated in this quote.

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HarringayGreen Lanes

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KingGeorge V

WoolwichArsenal

381/N381

Key to lines Check before you travel

Transport for LondonMAYOR OF LONDON

Bakerloo

Central

Circle Cannon Street open until 2100 Mondays to Fridays.Open Saturdays 0730 to 1930. Closed Sundays.

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No special arrangements.

There is step free interchange between Canary Wharf Underground and DLR stations and Heron Quays DLR station at street level.

District Cannon Street open until 2100 Mondays to Fridays.Open Saturdays 0730 to 1930. Closed Sundays.Earl’s Court - Kensington (Olympia) 0700 to 2345Mondays to Saturdays, 0800 to 2345 Sundays.Turnham Green is also served by Piccadilly line trains early mornings and late evenings.The East London line is closed. Use replacement buses or alternative Tube and DLR routes via zone 2.

East London

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Bermondsey

SouthwarkWaterloo East

Moor Park

NorthwoodNorthwoodHills

Eastcote North Harrow

Maida Vale

Queen’s ParkKensal Green

Neasden

Dollis Hill

Willesden GreenKilburn

West Hampstead

Swiss CottageSt. John’s Wood

Finchley Road

Amersham

Ruislip Manor

Chorleywood

Rickmansworth

Watford

Croxley

Harrow-on-the-Hill

PrestonRoad

Hillingdon Ruislip

Rayners LaneWest Harrow Northwick

Park WembleyPark

Ealing Common

EalingBroadway

GreatPortland

StreetBakerStreet

Moorgate

Aldgate

EustonSquare

ActonTown

WestActon

EastActon

StamfordBrook

RavenscourtPark

Hammersmith

WestKensington

West Brompton

Parsons GreenPutney Bridge

Wimbledon Park

Southfields

East Putney

Wimbledon

VictoriaSouthKensington

GloucesterRoad

Embankment

Blackfriars

MansionHouse

Temple

CannonStreet

Bank

Monument

BaronsCourt

Fenchurch StreetTowerGateway

TowerHill

AldgateEast

Stepney Green

Mile End

BowRoad Bow

ChurchBromley-by-Bow

Plaistow

UptonPark

East Ham

Becontree

DagenhamHeathway

Elm Park

Upney

DagenhamEast

Hornchurch

UpminsterBridge

Upminster

High StreetKensington

NottingHill Gate

Bayswater

Kensal Rise Brondesbury CaledonianRoad &

Barnsbury

EdgwareRoad

St. James’sPark

SloaneSquare

Westminster

Barking

Latimer Road

WestbournePark

Ladbroke Grove

Finchley Road& Frognal

Royal Oak

Goldhawk Road

Wood Lane

West Ruislip

Greenford

RuislipGardens

SouthRuislip

Northolt

HangerLane

Perivale

WhiteCity

NorthActon

KilburnHigh Road

SouthHampstead

Paddington

Paddington

ChanceryLane

BethnalGreen

BondStreet

OxfordCircus

TottenhamCourt Road

St. Paul’sMarbleArch

Queensway

LancasterGate

SouthTottenham

LeytonMidland Road

WalthamstowQueen’s Road

Stratford

WansteadPark

Leyton

Leytonstone

Snaresbrook

SouthWoodford

Epping

Theydon Bois

DebdenLoughton

Buckhurst Hill

Redbridge

ChigwellRodingValley

Fairlop

Barkingside

Newbury Park

Wanstead GantsHill

Knightsbridge

Hyde ParkCorner

Green Park

PiccadillyCircus

LeicesterSquare

RussellSquare

Caledonian Road

HackneyWick

HollowayRoad

CrouchHill

Arsenal

Manor House

Turnpike LaneWood Green

Bounds Green

Arnos Grove

Southgate

Cockfosters

Uxbridge Ickenham

Waterloo

Colliers Wood

Morden South Wimbledon

Tooting Bec

Clapham South

Balham

Clapham Common

Tooting Broadway

Stockwell

Oval

Kennington

Borough

Old Street

Angel

GoodgeStreet

Euston

MorningtonCrescent

Camden Town

Chalk Farm

Regent’s Park

Belsize Park

HampsteadHampstead

Heath

Canonbury

GospelOak

HackneyCentral

DalstonKingsland

Homerton

KentishTown West

CamdenRoad

Colindale

Edgware

BurntOak

Totteridge & Whetstone

Woodside Park

West Finchley

East Finchley

High Barnet

Highgate

Archway

Tufnell Park UpperHolloway

KentishTown

CanadaWater

Canary Wharf

Canary Wharf

Elverson Road

Deptford Bridge

Kenton

Stanmore

Canons ParkQueensbury

Watford High Street

Kingsbury

South KentonNorth Wembley

Wembley CentralStonebridge Park

HarlesdenWillesden Junction

Kilburn ParkWarwick Avenue

EdgwareRoad

BrondesburyPark

Marylebone

LambethNorth

Elephant & Castle

CharingCross

BlackhorseRoadSeven Sisters

WalthamstowCentral

TottenhamHale

FinsburyPark

Highbury & Islington

Pimlico

Brixton

Wapping

New CrossVauxhall

Limehouse

Westferry

Devons Road

PuddingMill Lane

WestIndia Quay

Cutty Sarkfor Maritime Greenwich

Greenwich

Lewisham

Blackwall

EastIndia

West Ham

Warren Street

All Saints

Heron Quays

South Quay

Mudchute

Island Gardens

Shadwell

Gunnersbury

Richmond

Kew Gardens

Poplar

LondonBridge

100m

100m

Euston 200m

for St. Pancras International

150m

Charing Cross 100m

LiverpoolStreet

200m

200m

South Harrow

Sudbury Hill

North Ealing

Park Royal

Alperton

Sudbury Town

Holborn

London CityAirport

WestSilvertown

PontoonDock

Royal Victoria

Custom Housefor ExCeL

Prince Regent

Royal Albert

Beckton Park

CyprusGallionsReach

Beckton

Canning Town

Brent Cross

Golders Green

Hendon Central

Sudbury Hill Harrow(no weekend service) 150m

Watford Junction is outside Transport for London zonalarea. Special fares apply.

Crossharbour

Fulham Broadway

Langdon Park

ChiswickPark

LeytonstoneHigh Road

South Ealing

Osterley

NorthfieldsBoston Manor

HounslowEast

Hounslow Central

HounslowWest

Terminals1, 2, 3

HattonCross

Woodgrange Park

Harrow &Wealdstone

Hatch EndHeadstone Lane

Carpenders Park

Bushey

Watford Junction

This diagram is an evolution of the original design conceived in 1931 by Harry Beck · 10.08Correct at time of going to print, October 2008

Shepherd’sBush Market

Chalfont &LatimerChesham

Mill Hill EastFinchley Central

Farringdon

Barbican

King’s CrossSt. Pancras

Woodford

Clapham NorthClapham High Street 100m

Shoreditch

Covent GardenLeicester Square 340m

Earl’sCourt

Hainault

Grange Hill

TurnhamGreen

Whitechapel

( no weekendservice)Oxford

Circus

ClaphamJunction

Kensington(Olympia)

ActonCentral

SouthActon

Improvement works may affect your journey, particularly at weekends.Check before you travel; look for publicityat stations, visit tfl.gov.uk/checkor call 020 7222 1234

( no weekendservice)

( no Sunday service)

Rotherhithe

Surrey Quays

New CrossGate

150m

Pinner

Terminal 4

100m

250m100m

HollandPark

Oakwood

Shepherd’sBush

Terminal 5HeathrowAirport

Thameslink 200m from

Tube Map

Openingearly 2009

NorthGreenwichfor The O2

Closed until spring 2009Underground station

closed March 2009until late 2011

Limited serviceCheck publicity for

information

Successful Information visualisation thrives on its ability not just to reinterpret but also condense information in to understandable, intelligible and unambiguous representations.

What’s left out is as crucial to this message being communicated as what is left in.

Harry Beck’s Tube Map is the canonical example.

Tufte often bemoaned the prevalence of Chartjunk within information design: those “visual elements that are not necessary to comprehend the information represented on the graph, or that distract the viewer from this information.”

Design for serendipity

Architecture can be good mediating this kind of experience.

Rather than a cold, urine-smelling NCP style Fire Exit, the main staircase within Cardiff’s Millennium Centre is intentionally positioned within the central social hub of the building. Exposed for all to see.

The intention here is to create a sense of fluidity by exposing the movements but also to create chance encounters, serendipitous exchanges between the building’s temporary inhabitants.

There is no instruction, just implication.

When the 'feature' or function is held in reserve, and not overtly forced, it becomes discoverable.

Engagement then becomes a delightful, serendipitous experience.

Ambient signifiers

In Japan, the notoriously complex railway system employs a set of individual chimes for each station that play as the passengers wait to get on or off.

Design elements that communicate subtly as part of the environment’s ambiance.

They allow passengers to gauge status or context without having to actively seek it.

Previous incarnation of the BBC home page was originally created with a ‘digital patina’ which altered the colouring of the page according to usage patterns.

Similarly when we’re walking the streets, many county councils alter the texture of the pavement to indicate caution i.e. when approaching a zebra crossing etc.

Again, subtle. For some, not even noticeable.

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/ambient_signifi

Systems like last.fm (scrobbler) rarely interrupt, instead they gather silently.

The product’s output is simply a manifestation of my typical, intrinsic behaviour.

The data and therefore the value of my dialogue with last.fm emerges through use.

Similarly Nike+

Transaprently extracting my behavioural information directly from the shoe/iPod and publishing this to ‘The Cloud’ to be viewed, shared, recombined and probably laughed at!

There is no ungainly input device–no keyboard, mouse or RSI–to battle with.

Technology dissolved in the experience.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ldandersen/249465130/

SeeShell is an augmented Oyster Card (the RFID-enabled Underground ticket), designed by PhD student Johanna Brewer

A simple sleeve which displays, over time, the journeys the owner has taken.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicohogg/344132621/

Violet’s Mir:ror project.

(Sidenote (something I was reading before I came in here): Violet the creators of the notorious Nabaztag have recently announced their Mir:ror project in which they have devised “a simple, two-step strategy for the construction of an Internet of objects i.e. a time where all objects are internet-enabled. * One: connect the Rabbits. * Two: connect everything else.”

1. Connect the Rabbits



1. Connect the Rabbits2. Connect everything else



A warning.

As our personal data becomes exponentially more available, connected and discoverable, the need for privacy controls becomes greater and greater.

There is no excuse for ‘security through obscurity’ when dealing with user’s personal data–even our genome data is now sharable with services like 23andme.

And this is especially true for those products whose dialogue with technology manifests itself as a seamless, invisible or ambient experience.

This is a big challenge for designers.

This is something I was playing around with: applying the OAuth model of managing access to all our personal data.

In case you don’t know what OAuth is, in laymen’s terms it allows a user to grant access to their information on one site (e.g a Service Provider like Flickr), to another site (e.g. Consumer like Moo), without sharing all of his or her identity.

It also ensures maddeningly, immoral, lazy patterns like the password anti-pattern stop proliferating the web.

Sketched this after experiencing the pain of public sector organisation’s attempts to control OUR data.

They seem to move from one extreme to the other: either paralysed by fear or imploding with their own ineptitude.

So this is an imagined ‘personal dashboard’ for your own personal data.

There are other risks to be mindful of as well as privacy.

Mobile me.

These services become so deeply ingrained, sometimes invisible, that they become close to muscle memory.

Twitter fail whale.

This hurts.

Gentle. Open. Transparent. Deferential. Ambient. Anticipatory. Invisible. Humble. Modest. Assured. Well-mannered. Considerate. Contextual. Subtle. Unassuming. Discoverable. Reactionary.

In conclusion:

Design does not need to be ‘obvious’ or contrived.

We don’t always have to impose dialogue on our users.

Context (reactionary + anticipatory) is everything but don’t be arrogant or rude and assume you can predict this.

Be open

Be transparent

The ambient and invisible can be more meaningful.

“I like a view but I like to sit with my back turned to it.”

GERTRUDE STEIN, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B.TOKLAS

I leave you with this quote from Gertrude Stein which says it all for me.

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike

Photo Credits:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74845103@N00/415981279/

http://icanhaz.com/penan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncan/2084134925/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/972289835/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxbraun/1489103461/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/w00kie/225861208/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicohogg/344132621/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/otrops/2702646947/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbaron/2657690363/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suntom/181044383/

and a bunch from my Flickrstream:

http://flickr.com/photos/boxman







technology dissolved in the experience

Design

main message stick

large stick

foodthis stick

smaller stick

penan tribe message

particular message

single stick poking

interaction design