Paper Reading #15 - Gesture Search: A Tool for Fast Mobile Data Access

Comments

Ryan

Wesley

Reference

Gesture Search: A Tool for Fast Mobile Data Access

Yang Li

UIST 2010 - New York

Summary

Mobile phones are beginning to store more and more data essential to the lives of their users. Quickly accessing specific data items on a platform which contains hundreds or thousands of pieces of information is a difficult task with current user interface designs.Gesture Search allows for user to employ their entire multitouch screen as a gesture area and quickly access specific data items. The software runs in the background and distinguishes regular user interface events from a gesture. When a gesture is detected the search feature becomes active. The gestures are in the form of handwritten letters in sequence. For example, a user searching for a contact named Anne, would first write the letter A using their finger as an input device, they would then continue to enter letters until the contact appeared. The Gesture Search software also provides a mechanism for distinguishing more frequently accessed data and ranking it higher in the candidate list of possibilities. A user study of overall like-ability showed an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 for over 5000 ratings.

Analysis

This paper points out an interesting fact about mobile devices: our data is a bit harder to find. The paper discounts current systems, like Spotlight search on iPhone, as requiring too much attention and time to use. While I agree that a general gesture across the entire screen is easier than using an onscreen keyboard, I am not certain this is the best method to employ for finding data. I have not had an opportunity to use a system like this and would be very interested in trying one. I believe users would quickly adapt to any recognition quirks and be able to use it as a tool quickly. Overall though, I’d still like my data to find me instead of the other way around.

Ethnography Week #5

As we continue our ethnography we are more and more accepted into the environment of the help desk. We have started to look at issues of blame and trust between users of the system, the system and the technician role. We are curious to know if there is a way to reduce the amount of blame placed on technicians when a system fails.

For the most part the help desk has been relatively calm this week with few calls and not much social activity occurring. We have generally observed employees browsing the internet and relaxing. There have been a few pending issues regarding installations which are upcoming, but we will not be present for those.

Overall we are beginning to feel the natural pulse of life in the helpdesk, adapting to its nature of altering between super busy and very relaxed.

Paper Reading #14 - Eden: Supporting Home Network Management Through Interactive Visual Tools

Comments

Jacob

Kevin

Reference

Eden: Supporting Home Network Management Through Interactive Visual Tools

Jeonghwa Yang, W. Keith Edwards, David Haslem

UIST 2010 - New York

Summary

Networking the home is a complicated task for most users. Unfortunately, as more and more network connected devices enter the world, the requirement of a networked home becomes more and more evident. Users often express a wide range of frustrations with attempting to network a home. Eden attempts to provide a visual interface for managing home networks. A user study was conducted to first determine the needs of home network users, a panel of mostly novices and a few experts were surveyed. From this, an interface for managing a home network was implemented. The interface shows network connected devices in the frame of a house and allows visual groupings, shown as rooms, of the equipment. It also allows user to place restrictions or privileges on connected devices using visual badges. The system was implemented as a custom router with a web interface designed in Adobe Flash. In a comparison against other network management software the Eden software performed favorably.

Analysis

While I appreciate the efforts of this paper, I felt that it was lacking many details concerning the technical implementation and the complexities that arise in real world networking scenarios. Additionally, the paper cited that many users have trouble understanding DHCP versus static IP address assignment, yet this system does not account for that error (as it does nothing at the client, where that mistake is usually made). The implementation details also gloss over how new devices are detected and communicated to by Eden to before they are allowed onto the network. Overall I think there are some security concerns. Additionally, the testing was done in the lab with known devices--- this weakens the claim of a real world implementation. Finally, I didn’t think the interface grouping devices by room was very wise -- it’s too definite for wireless devices which roam around and gives users the wrong idea.

Paper Reading #13 - TwinSpace: an Infrastructure for Cross-Reality Team Spaces

Comments

Derek

Jessica

Reference

TwinSpace: an Infrastructure for Cross-Reality Team Spaces

Derek F. Reilly, Hafez Rouzati, Andy Wu, Jee Yeon Hwang, Jeremy Brudvik, W. Keith Edwards

UIST 2010 - New York

Summary

TwinSpace is software aimed at combining real world workspaces with virtual world workspaces. TwinSpace focuses on creating a physical smart space which can be connected to by real physical interaction and through virtual world interaction. The system focuses on developing an architecture for supporting synchronization of both spaces. This architecture is mainly an event notification system. Two studies were performed with the system, one to enable brainstorming between team members and presentations, while the other study was focused around a game encouraging collaboration.

Analysis

This is a logical next step in combining the worlds of virtual collaboration areas with shared spaces in the real world. However, perception will still be a limiting factor. While our infrastructure to communicate data increases quickly, our ability to interpret physical cues grows at a much slower pace. The major goal I see for systems like this is to make them an integrated part of the environment, which is simple and natural to use. In its current state (from what I can see in the pictures and have read) the system is bulky, a bit buggy and has many conditions that must be just right in order to get that perfect interaction. The interaction itself shouldn’t be a chore for the user. So while I believe this is something that will become moderately used in the future, I think our current perception technologies are not yet ready to support it.

Ethnography Week #4

As we’ve continued to spend time working twice a week with the technicians at the help desk, we have increasingly gained acceptance into their world, as well as met many new people. We have not had the chance to participate in many calls to the help desk, as in our visiting time there have been very few calls. This has left us with ample time to observe the culture of those working at the help desk and become part of their world.

One of the more interesting dynamics that we have become aware of is that of the interaction between the varying age groups of employees. Those who are in positions of management or supervisor are often middle aged or even later aged individuals compared to the college aged technicians. All technicians are male and all supervisors except one are male. The interaction is interesting in that there are no visible conflicts despite clear differences in work ethic and style. Both parties are extremely clear about their beliefs and thoughts, even when they conflict directly with another. There is often a large amount of joking associated with the differences in goals and motivation in life at the differing ages.

We also had the chance to meet one of the main supervisors of the program which supports this particular help desk. This supervisor was female and african american. She seemed to play the role of a motherly, yet strict, figure within the organization. She had knowledge of every worker’s personal life and situations. She demonstrated concern for them and confidence in their abilities to grow as employees. At the same time, she had an air of strictness and authority about her. We have observed technicians often joking with her while still treating her with a great deal of respect. The dynamic between her and the technicians seems to walk a fine line of both friendship and respect.

The tech call we attended this week was related to a professor attempting to use a remote for advancing his slide show. The remote needed to be reset with a complicated procedure, that the professor could not have knowledge of. The technicians reported that the system was becoming older in age and needed to be replaced. He also told us that he is careful not to express any promise in upgrades coming to professors, even if they are already in motion. He stated that professors become very anxious and interested in obtaining the updates as soon as possible once they are mentioned.

We were hoping to observe some installations of new equipment and the dynamics associated with the group installing them. However, it appears that all new equipment will be installed over spring break or the summer. We may be able to achieve an observation during spring break, but this is unlikely.

We continue to focus on the life of the help desk technician and those that surround them.

Reading #12: D-Macs: Building Multi-Device User Interfaces by Demonstrating, Sharing and Replaying Design Actions

Comments

Shena Hoffman

Steven Hennessy

Reference

D-Macs: Building Multi-Device User Interfaces by Demonstrating, Sharing and Replaying Design Actions

Jan Meskens, Kris Luyten, Karin Coninx

UIST 2010 - New York

Summary

This paper introduces D-Macs, a tool for designing interfaces across multiple devices. There is an increasing need in today’s growing technological device space for an easy solution to designing applications for multiple devices. This is easily seen with examples like YouTube, which has applications on major mobile platforms in addition to their web interface. D-Macs aims to allow designers to create designs for multiple devices in an easy way. They are able to see their designs for multiple devices in one easy to use GUI interface. Additionally, their design decisions are recorded and can be played back or shared with other designers. It does not require a high amount of learning and does not rely on artificial intelligence algorithms for automatically creating new designs for other systems.

Discussion

This paper addresses a definite problem in our community: designing the same application for multiple devices. I found that the paper’s solution, while nice and probably helpful to a large number of designers, was somewhat less capable of solving the problem it presented than other systems. Initially, I believed the system to be able to take one design and create for other systems. Instead, it appears that the designer must still specify for other systems as well as the primary, just with the assistance of recorded actions. It might be nice to have a mix of this kind of system and a system which relies on artificial intelligence techniques to create a new environment.

Microblog: Emotional Design

Chapter One - Attractive Things Work Better

Summary

In experiments run on both the Japanese and Israeli people attractive designs were found to be easier to use, or more enjoyable than unattractive designs. The author asserts that this is because of the positive affect that is created with an attractive design, leading to more creative ways of functioning. Three levels of processing are explored: visceral, behavioral, and reflexive. Visceral is very reactive and mostly hardwired the same in everyone. Behavioral is not conscious and is developed based on culture and influences. Reflexive is the highest with the ability to examine self.

Discussion

The idea that positive affect creates a more relaxed and creative environment is not surprising. Although, it may not always be best for technology to be designed with positive affect in mind. In certain situations, like the plant control room the author mentions, a negative affect may be required at times. Similarly a system which is trying to be in command should project negative affect to gain respect.

Chapter Two - The Multiple Faces of Emotion and Design

Summary

There are three levels of perception: visceral, behavioral and reflective. Each has an effect on design. Visceral perceptions are usually related to appearance, while behavioral relate to the ease of use and reflective perceptions contribute to the level of contentment a user feels toward a device.

Discussion

This chapter raised some interesting questions for me about the way products are marketed and designed. It makes perfect sense that a product which does well in these perceptive categories will sell better -- especially reflective perception.

Chapter Three - Three Levels of Design

Summary

There are three levels of design: visceral, behavioral and reflective. Visceral is more about emotions emitted from the design. Behavioral focuses on the actual use of the design in a productive manner. Reflective focuses on the meaning of the desing to the individual.

Discussion

This was an interesting expansion on the three levels of design. Many of the concepts are common sense, but easy to forget about in everyday life. I feel like this chapter is one that should be heavily consulted during product design.