erova notebook: user experience blog - Latest Comments

Re: Attentional Experience Distracts Attention from Good Design

rotkapchen — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:32:05 -0000

"
I can say it's no one else's purview which is why it falls through the cracks."

Therein the dilemma -- the reason I am finding I can't identify with the discipline any more, because of the hyperfocus on what Richard Buchanan refers to as 'flatland' -- and the reality that people are doing other things and might not need to go into a system for a simple piece of data.

I've grown weary of the battle attempting to fight for reality when everyone else wants to assess you based on how much fantasy can you create.

Re: Attentional Experience Distracts Attention from Good Design

Craig Roth — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:02:18 -0000

I just found this posting and, first off, want to apologize about your comment not appearing. I love getting comments on my postings, whether confirming or pointing out differing views. I blog to engage the community - I can publish my content through our standard client deliverables if I just want to put it out there. The only comments I've ever rejected are robocomments or spam. I never saw your comment. I just looked and my dashboard says "0 comments pending", so I'm not sure what happened. We have had various technical issues with comments and the ignoring of your comment was due to that, not my personal or Gartner's disregard for other points of view.

I'm introducing the AX term for convenience (if you're going to refer to something several times it helps the reader to name it) and to make it easier to focus on what's different/unique about what I'm saying, not to create a new market or anything like that. If user experience reviews contain the types of items I mention then I'm happy, whether they name the section "AX" or not.

Still, I'm not sure if the core of what I was recommending sunk in. I certainly agree about "efficient, predictable steps to accomplish business tasks." but that's not exactly it. And "seeing business critical information" may be different than noticing it depending on how you're using the words. Activity streams (as I've seen them implemented) are great at letting someone see everything going on, but terrible about boldfacing or changing the color of the few entries are really important.

Moreover, when you're talking several systems instead of just one, a good attentional experience (see - the term made this sentence easier to read!) requires each system to provide content in an easily integratable form so that users can aggregate and sift through that info as desired. This could include providing RSS output, an ability to apply rules, or multiple choices in how to consume the information. This is most helpful for casual users of a system that only need to grab a few pieces of info from it every few months, but still need to know if something important has happened.

Programmatic access and aggregation, in my experience, does evade most UI designers. For example, an internal administrative system here was recently rolled out and the designer was proud to demo how nicely the information was laid out. He was knocked for a loop when I asked how those of us who don't need to log into that system on a daily basis can just get the nuggets we need added to existing calendar entries instead since we're already in that system before each meeting. That's not a great example of AX (in terms of pulling forward and pushing back), but it is an example of the bias towards designers assuming their system is important and people will live in them. And if you say things outside the UI design are outside the purview of the UX designer, I can say it's no one else's purview either which is why it falls through the cracks.

Re: Field Trip: Social Capital and Computer Mediated Communication

Mia Green — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 03:00:11 -0000

I agree with Dr. Mesch, blogs are more trusted than other social media platforms. If you prefer to go with the Social Media trend, I'd say use it wisely but don't stop investing in your own website.
Mia @ Bow Strings

Re: Wrapping up Social Media: Social Uprising at NYU

Entwisjj — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:44:54 -0000

per your comments above:

"The panel discussion was a worthwhile overview into understanding the
role social tools can play in social uprising as communication channels.
Though I would have enjoyed deeper discussion into the social
structures of the people using the tools instead of just how the tools
are being used, it was an enlightening experience to be exposed to
discussions of social tools that weren’t exclusively tied to my day to
day work."

how would you relate the use of social media in the Arab Spring events to the now globally recognized "occupy" events that are popping up in our own backyard? It seems as though the threat of capture (sans misdemeanor arrest) or death here in a protest is much less applicable, hence the need for anonymity is probably muted, potentially allowing a more direct, dynamic flow of info. But, could that flood of expression ultimately backfire on such movements as over-saturation is commonplace these days?

Thanks
ODS

Re: Personality, Usability Critical to Successful Design

Vita Tänder — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 05:45:01 -0000

A good design is user-friendly, service oriented, highly functional, and must always provide a memorable experience for the user. For me Nike + got it all!

Re: Wrapping up Social Media: Social Uprising at NYU

Free Books — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 02:15:53 -0000

We're seeing the effects of social media. It's evolving so fast that we might not be able to cope up with disadvantages of these tools but it's never too late to understand...

Re: Personality, Usability Critical to Successful Design

donne ucraine — Mon, 23 May 2011 11:33:25 -0000

What an excellent blog! I just care that the thing has the features I need, and that I can use them when I need them.

Re: UX Remix: UPS Tracking Screen

russische frau — Mon, 23 May 2011 10:56:16 -0000

Searched for the information on this theme, and only here I found it. It should be noted that when using the sequence pattern, a web
implementation usually provides an active state of the current step,
which isn't appropriate in this case.

Re: Shunning Cute Design: Identifying Anti-Patterns

Rencontre femmes russes — Mon, 23 May 2011 09:38:12 -0000

This theme has interested me! What the designer makes up for in keeping with their intended
appearance (regardless of whether or not it looks good), they lose
several cues available to the user had they used standard scrolling.

Re: Personality, Usability Critical to Successful Design

Fashion men clothing — Mon, 23 May 2011 09:12:41 -0000

Always was interested in this theme! I agree partly that personality of a user interface is important to
getting the most out of the system, but I'm one of those peope who
doesn't care for bells and whistles.

Re: Shunning Cute Design: Identifying Anti-Patterns

date russian women — Mon, 23 May 2011 01:30:53 -0000

The interesting information, the tonic on a note! Specifically, if the designers used conventional scrolling controls, I
could look at the size of the scroll bar itself and determine how much
news content is actually available based on what’s currently displayed.

Re: Field Trip: Social Capital and Computer Mediated Communication

steroids — Tue, 10 May 2011 07:58:52 -0000

the IA summit looked interesting but was too far for me to travel.

dianabol

Re: Shunning Cute Design: Identifying Anti-Patterns

bad boys 3 — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:44:54 -0000

What the designer makes up for in keeping with their intended appearance (regardless of whether or not it looks good), they lose several cues available to the user had they used standard scrolling.

Re: Field Trip: Social Capital and Computer Mediated Communication

Entwisjj — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:06:59 -0000

I can appreciate your interest in and questioning motive, benefit, and trust when it pertains to social capital in certain social media outlets or engines. What I feel to be critical underpinnings to new social experiences and connections in the blogosphere and even facebook (not so much IM) is the reality or perception of anonymity. As bloggers post, and FB friends of friends comment on everyday issues, they can engage in conversation or exchange ideas and viewpoints with, at least a perceived safety blanket of anonymity. What has been your experience in observing the collection of or expenditure of social capital in these relative new outlets and platforms? As Velasco no doubt touches on, adults new to these arenas probably routinely exhaust social capital by excessive disclosure of intimate items or personal ideals in digital public forums, that would otherwise be off limits in a conventional "public" avenue. I can only imagine, that as children and teenagers grow up connected to and aware of engagement and consequences within these social media outlets, they have a better grasp on and inherently better language and filters for retaining social capital.

Re: Field Trip: Discussing Goffman and Social Interaction Design

John Labriola — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:06:11 -0000

Great summary Chris. I can see how you were disgruntled, the title of event, location, speaker, etc.. all lended itself being an intermediate to expert type event. My guess this was more of a introductory. If you have never read Goffman or really thought about the theory behind social design, it sounds like it would have been more intriguing.

As with Lis and Lynn I think we need to balance the practical with the theory. About two years ago I made a goal to alternate.

I also think conference and event organizers need to balance their event offerings. But they have the added difficulty of balancing beginner, intermediate, and expert.

Thanks for the write-up! Keep em coming, events like these are far and few in-between in Cordoba ;-)

Re: Field Trip: Discussing Goffman and Social Interaction Design

Chris Avore — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:54:50 -0000

Sounds great Lis. I'm going to do a better job of giving our friends a heads up of when I find events like this Goffman event.

Here's a couple more I tracked down as well that I'm going to try making an appearance at as well:
http://www.cencom.org/index.ph...
(I've already signed up for Program or Be Programmed and Social Media: Social Uprising)

The Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences is also something I really want to check out:
http://qmss.columbia.edu/conte...

It would have been great to have had you there to kick ideas around afterward so let's try to make it happen next time.

Re: Field Trip: Discussing Goffman and Social Interaction Design

Lis Hubert — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:25:59 -0000

This is great Chris! I very much want to get into "uncomfortable" things like this moving forward. Always a step ahead :-)

Re: Field Trip: Discussing Goffman and Social Interaction Design

Chris Avore — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:48:51 -0000

Hi there Lynne and thanks for sharing your ideas.

I definitely agree we need to get out of reading the same stuff, talking about the same ideas, and using the same methods to different challenges or opportunities we encounter every day and every project.

But it's not easy--I notice the irony re-reading this post that I wanted to branch out but then I appear disgruntled that the talk didn't reflect my own interests and tactical applicability of the subject matter.

Perhaps this was branching out on training wheels, or four extra ice cubes in my scotch. To really expand my perspective, I'd probably be best served sitting in on lectures that didn't even cross into interaction design or digital mediums at all, leaving me to grapple with concepts that require a deeper synthesis to incorporate into my work instead of surface-level bolt-on approaches.

I'm certainly up for exploring these ideas more in Denver over oysters and cheese at the IA Summit (when yet again we'll be mingling with our own tribe of practitioners).

;-)

Re: Field Trip: Discussing Goffman and Social Interaction Design

Lynne — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 11:05:32 -0000

It is most definitely a challenge to partake in discussions like this, or even to just wrap your head around more theoretical stuff. We do get buried in our day-to-day and busting out and doing 'field trips' like this are key to shaking things up--and are what ultimately lead to innovations and breakthroughs (for me at least!)

Goffman is certainly interesting--I wish I'd been able to join you! Thanks for the nice write up, Chris :)

Re: Attentional Experience Distracts Attention from Good Design

rotkapchen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:52:32 -0000

And since the likelihood that Gartner would 'do' anything with our comments is low, let's just have a relevant conversation here.

Indeed, as you pointed out, it is likely that Roth sees his perspective as 'insightful' because the analyst community is still sorely lacking in its understanding of 'what the hell it is that we actually do'. But they're not alone in this. I've actually given up a bit on directly practicing UX, because I've grown weary of the battles -- even in interviews, where I suddenly realized that the interview has taken a turn for the worst because I'm arguing over what it is that I do.

There is still a lot of ground to cover. Let's keep the conversation open.

Re: Attentional Experience Distracts Attention from Good Design

R Pope — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:20:19 -0000

Chris, once again, great, thought provoking ideas. This is something that I have dealt with as a user and an architect in for crisis management systems. I agree that the business world is on terminology overload, yet we need to incorporate this concept of attentional experience design. I have found this a challenge. Users tend to resist (both active and passively) devices to guide their focus to the content or information deemed important.

Re: Personality, Usability Critical to Successful Design

Laura - Personal Trainer — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 19:03:50 -0000

I agree partly that personality of a user interface is important to getting the most out of the system, but I'm one of those peope who doesn't care for bells and whistles.

I just care that the thing has the features I need, and that I can use them when I need them.

Re: Personality, Usability Critical to Successful Design

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Re: Perceived Control Better for Users and the Business

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Re: Perceived Control Better for Users and the Business

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