Slides from 8/27 class

1. Comm / INFO 2450
Communication and Technology
Professor
Drew Margolin

2. 2450 in the News

3. Review
Everyone should be set up in:
1. BlackBoard –readings, syllabus

4. Review
Everyone should be set up in:
1. BlackBoard –readings, syllabus
2. Twitter
• create twitter account
• follow @2450fall2015
• Make sure TA knows your handle if not standard

5. Review
Everyone should be set up in:
1. BlackBoard –readings, syllabus
2. Twitter
• create twitter account
• follow @2450fall2015
• Make sure TA knows your handle if not standard
• send a few more tweets to show you are not a spam bot
• Our account will follow you, too

6. Review
Everyone should be set up in:
In next day or two
3. Blog – practice post, set up your page
You will get a blog assignment next week
1. BlackBoard –readings, syllabus
2. Twitter

7. TweetReport

8. TweetReport
Most key concepts well represented
Visibility a bit low

9. TweetReport
eli_2450: Interesting read. Actually ran into a lousy door today that had a
handle, suggesting us to pull it, but could only be pushed
Cornell Doors!… Everydayness
imorse2450: Gates Hall has the worst case of Norman doors I've ever seen.

10. TweetReport
eli_2450: Interesting read. Actually ran into a lousy door today that had a
handle, suggesting us to pull it, but could only be pushed
Cornell Doors!… Everydayness
imorse2450: Gates Hall has the worst case of Norman doors I've ever seen.
Could you make these visible to
us ??

11. TweetReport
jhubbard2450: Does natural mapping change from generation to
generation? For ex. the mapping of a landline is much different than an
iPhone
The generation gap
JMcManus2450: Gaps in age greatly influence some conceptual models. My
mom and I have very different ideas about how our Iphones operate.

12. TweetReport
EGonzalez2450: The problem in human centered design is differences in
users. Is there a way to make design more intuitive for all users?
Provocative Questions
rpicard2450: Won't tailoring design toward 'understanding' inhibit users using
products in creative ways? Intended use isn't always best...

13. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things

14. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
• everyday objects filled with design issues
• we interact with them deeply, unconsciously, constantly
• typically people blame themselves
• good design is rare but achievable
Everyday-ness
mrothstein2450: the ultimate goal of an interactive device should be user-
friendliness without making users feel like they are being babied

15. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Affordances
Visibility
Mappings
Feedback
Conceptual Models
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness

16. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
• actual and perceived properties of how a thing can possibly be used
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness
Affordances

17. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Affordances
• actual and perceived properties of how a thing can possibly be used
• “clues” to use
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness

18. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things

19. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Affordances
• perception informed by culture and habit are important
•But physical can also be sufficient
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness
cboutwell2450: It's interesting to think how being overly logical can make
design less user friendly. I've always thought logical == simple.
Affordances are less logical, more “gut feel”

20. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Affordances
• origins at Cornell with J.J. Gibson – interactive possibilities
• perceived and actual properties of how a thing could possibly be used
• “clues” to use
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness
Online examples?

21. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Visibility
• we are visual creatures – often fastest perception
“visual first, think later”
Visibility” often means salience – noticeability
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness
ddaniels2450: Could a design have too many signifiers and as a results the
person becomes more confused or frustrated with the design?

22. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Visibility
• we are visual creatures – often fastest perception
• making design functions visible aids ease of use
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness

23. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Where should I speak? Where is the ON switch?

24. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Visibility
• we are visual creatures – often fastest perception
• making design functions visible creates ease of use
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness
Smartphone / Touch Screens
• What’s visible?
• What’s invisible?
?

25. Breakout
• - identify an everyday virtual or physical object
• - analyze in terms of affordances and visibility
• - write out points, include your names, pass to TAs
5-7 Minutes

26. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Mapping
• relationship between two things (controls and their actions)
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness

27. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Mapping
• relationship between two things (controls and their actions)
• natural mapping:
– physical analogies
– cultural standards
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness
hhwang2450: it should be noted that visual, nonverbal signifiers may mean
entirely different things to people of distinct cultures and age

28. An Example

29. My Brand New Chair!
performs?

30. My Brand New Chair!
Visible?
Natural? Anything else?

32. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Mapping
• relationship between two things (controls and their actions)
• natural mapping: physical analogies, cultural standards
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness
Any others ?

33. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Mapping
• relationship between two things (controls and their actions)
• natural mapping: physical analogies, cultural standards
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness
• metaphorical mappings: e.g., “links”, “desktop”

35. mapping
Mapping &
affordance

36. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Feedback
• information back to the user about effect of actions
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness

37. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
Feedback
• information back to the user about effect of actions
• visual, tactile, audible
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness
ikaplan2450: An example of unintended, but helpful feedback is the sound of
a car engine starting. The user then knows the car started.

38. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness
Conceptual Models
A set of mappings between controls and functions…
… that are guided by a simple set of principles or
overarching logic

39. Conceptual Models

40. Conceptual Models
People will make sense out of any information you give them
This is bad, because they jump to all kinds of crazy conclusions
But this is also good, because it means they can be easily trained to
understand new technology with the right affordances and signifiers
as cues

41. Chapter 1 – The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
High-Level Principles
Everyday-ness
Conceptual Models
Design Model
User Model
System Image

42. Design Models and User Models
Do they work in exactly the same way?
Are there clues to how they are different?