The document discusses contextually aware web design, which uses JavaScript to access data points about a user's environment and context in order to adjust the design of a website accordingly. It covers defining contextual awareness, examples of contextual awareness in major companies like Google, and new opportunities through features like level 4 media queries that can customize a site based on light level, pointing device precision, and other environmental factors. The goal of contextual awareness is to provide a better user experience by tailoring a site to a user's inferred context and immediate needs.

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Front-End Design Conference 2014
Contextually Aware Web Design

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1. Defining contextual awareness
2. Applications in web design
3. Level 4 Media Queries
4. Summary
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We bring together product
design, brand communications,
social connections and content
to help businesses thrive.
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Context is as important as content.
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Can context effect design?
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We’ve already answered yes.
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Responsive web design is all
about being contextually aware.
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What is Contextual Awareness?
SECTION 1
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Contextually Aware Web Design:
Appropriating user context based on any JavaScript accessible data point in
order to deduce a users assumed context. Essentially its a theory that if you
can assume what a user is doing you can alter a design to meet the users
immediate needs and use all available user data to circumvent frivolous UI or
build more intelligent design systems based on a users physical surrounding.
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Contextually aware design uses
JavaScript to access available
data points within a users
environment and adjust the
design accordingly.
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Sensors are used to establish
context.
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@media(sensor){
adjustment
}
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Disseminating active map
information to mobile hosts

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Historically the web design has
been an observed medium.
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Google uses personal data to
extend contextual awareness
across all it’s products.
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Apple’s M7 co-processor
introduced a whole new set of
capabilities.
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Contextual Awareness for the web
SECTION 2
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User
Task
Environment
Technology
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User: What can we contextualize
about the user to create a better
experience?
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Task: What is the user
attempting to accomplish?
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Environment: Where and when
is the user.
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Technology: What device is the
user visiting with?
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A contextual breakpoint is the
point at which the context of a
website has changed.
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morning
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time of day
night
coffee milkshake
noon
tea

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In this example our contextual
breakpoints are morning, noon,
and night.
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var sensors = {
morning: function(){
var x = new Date();
x = x.getHours()
return !!(x > 4 && x < 12);
},
afternoon: function(){
var x = new Date();
x = x.getHours()
return !!(x >= 12 && x < 18);
},
evening: function(){
var x = new Date();
x = x.getHours()
return !!(x >= 18 && x < 24 || x > 0 && x <= 4);
},
};
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All contextual breakpoints
should result in true or false.
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if(sensors.morning){
// morning actions
}
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for (var x in sensors) {
console.log(sensors[x]());
}
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for (var x in sensors) {
if(sensors[x]()){
var html = document.documentElement;
html.className += "is-" + x;
};
}
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.is-afternoon #message{color:red;}
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nome.js is a JavaScript library for
contextual awareness.
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nome.ready(function() {
!
});
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Level 4 Media Queries
SECTION 3
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With Level 4 Media Queries
there are a few interesting
possibilities.
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@media(light-level: [value])
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@media(light-level: dim){}
@media(light-level: normal){}
@media(light-level: washed){}
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<script>
CSS.customMedia.set('--foo', 5);
</script>
<style>
@media (_foo: 5) { ... }
@media (_foo < 10) { ... }
</style>
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Pointer is used to define the
target area covered by a
pointing device
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@media{pointer:coarse}
@media{pointer:fine}
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Display Quality Media Features:
scan, resolution, update frequency
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Summary
SECTION 4
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iOS8 seems to be built around
contextual awareness
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The internet of things still needs
the internet.
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Contextual aware requires
thoughtfulness and imagination.
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Thank you,
@matthew_carver
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