Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interactiondesign?
It seems Andrei, whether or not you are right, that the question was already couched in terms of separating logic from presentation. The person then wanted to know, how to tell an idiot how this works. Titles be damned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interactiondesign?
Here's a model describing the distinction between the roles. In reality they are typically filled by 1 or 2 individuals. http://www.challishodge.com/models_edequation.html Note: the model is biased toward digital/interactive. -challis *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?
Dan Safer (by way of Carnegie Mellon I believe) does a nice job of this in his book, and includes a helpful vin diagram. While it is not the end all answer to your questions it is an excellent place to start. Mark On Jan 25, 2008, at 12:34 PM, lukeisha carr wrote: > "Just curious how some of you would differentiate an interaction > designer from a user interface designer? Apologies if it's been > discussed to death before." > > I think these kind of questions keep coming up again & again for some > of the following reasons: > > 1. Companies give many different titles to the same group of duties. > So, which titles does one need to look for in a job search to ensure > that you cover all of your bases? > > 2. Many people have different backgrounds. So, how does one know if > he/she has the correct experience or training for the any of the > multiple titled positions. i.e. My background is mostly in > "back-end" web development. Even though, I've coded in > HTML/JavaScript, but the "design" parts, like image > croping/creation, colors, etc. was done by someone else. So, does one > with that kind of background need to become proficient in Photoshop, > Illustrator, or Flash to be a good IxDer? > > Unfortunately, I'm not sure if these kind of questions will slow > down, until the field is many years old and dedicated training will > define what these positions do. But the challenge will still be how > to keep different companies from making a mis-mash of all the title. > > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > Posted from the new ixda.org > http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077 > > > > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
On Jan 26, 2008 2:57 AM, David Malouf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 1) People who have worked in and have been trained in the processes around > studio/crit > * this could be anyone who has either gone to a design school, or figured > out on their own to learn what is learned in a design school, or gained the > experience of design school studio through vocational experience. Hi David, not coming from such background, I don't think I've experienced to a great extent what you mention above, so I am quite interested to find out what is this mysterious "studio/critique" process and how it benefits a designer. Could you write something more on this, or do you have any references that you could point me to? Thanks, Alex *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] IxD translation ?
Hi Pedro, I don't think it's an industry decision so much as a cultural or linguistic one, depending more on the target language and audience than the sector in question. There are no exact rules, but factors that may influence whether a term is translated or not include: - Proximity to/contact with an English speaking country. For example, a lot of English terms are used in Mexico but are translated into Spanish in Spain, one example being "mouse" used in Mexico as opposed to "ratón" in Spain. Having said that, "radio buttons" is not translated in Spain, so there is always a degree of randomness(!). - Ease of translation. If it's easy to translate and will therefore be understood by more people, it makes sense to translate it. If, on the other hand, there is no easy way to translate it because the concept is new or the nearest translation is not accurate, leaving the term in the original language is sometimes the best solution. - Existence of similar equivalents. Ambiguity is best avoided whether that means keeping the term in the language it is derived from or translating it. - Business and IT language trends. What is more common in business and IT news? How are the subjects taught in universities? The press and the education system have a lot of influence in developing country-wide practices. In summary, I'm not sure it would make sense to say there was a correct IxD way to handle IxD terms. The best way would surely be that which communicates the idea most effectively to the target audience. Regards, Elizabeth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=24865 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?
Scott: " I liked Luis' definition: "UI designer delivers the interface, the IxD plans it" " I would expand that a little. Interaction Design as I perceive the role I play considers how the user interacts with the system/product, not just the interface. So while I do truly hate semantics I have to agree with Dave that defining/differentiating what we practice is very necessary. Therefor, for me; Interface Designer focuses on the presentation layer. IxDs are generalists who utilise aspects of the fields of IA, Industrial & Interface design in a world of increasingly complex products & services. I think the fact that most IxDs are/were Interface designers, and the majority of the work is in the web, really clouds the issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
Thanks David. I agree that design is a 'nothingness term' but it is also critically important if you are to define 'interaction design' for the non-designer world. Having looked at about a hundred resumes in the last 6 months for UI designer, interaction designers and information architects, way less than 15% have been in my opinion qualified for the jobs I had in mind. Yet they all applied for what are obviously (to me) 'design' positions. Less than 5% actually attended any sort of design school. So I kind of agree that defining design is mostly an academic endeavor. That being said... here is how I believe the world (outside of the industry) would define design: A designer is a person the arranges elements in a final order for a specific purpose. Those elements can be visual, physical or conceptual. The designer develops a strategy either prior to or while executing this arrangement. A professional designer is one who generates their livelihood by designing. Qualifications: Has been trained by a designer Has attended design school Has experience designing Has achieved a level of quality consistent with the medium or domain Proclaims themselves a designer Displays a creative tendency Bought a Mac (kidding) As we work to further educate our audience and bring ourselves into some consistency of message this bears keeping in mind. MBA's, engineers, executives, HR people and biz dev people do not see themselves as designers, but in this sense they often are. The do however see themselves as qualified to make many many design decisions. Mark On Jan 25, 2008, at 9:57 PM, David Malouf wrote: > 1) People who have worked in and have been trained in the processes > around > studio/crit > * this could be anyone who has either gone to a design school, or > figured > out on their own to learn what is learned in a design school, or > gained the > experience of design school studio through vocational experience. > > 2) People who practice multi-linear, exploration as their creative > practice, > as opposed to linear thinking > > I'll stop there. > > To me the question is annoying. Why? b/c so much of the question is > already > couched in this assumption that "everyone is a designer"; The > engineer, the > banker, my grandmother, etc. > > It is also a trap b/c "design" is such a nothing term, so to use > the term > "design" by itself, is meaningless. The contexts are important. > > So in my mind, most interactive designers are not designers, in > that they > actually apply aesthetic treatments usually using techniques that are > derived from engineering practices more than from the traditional > design > school processes. Yes, there is room for hybrids in this world and > we should > always be willing to take the best of everything we can expose > ourselves to, > but I believe there is something at the core of design practice, > methods, > education, and systems that is worth holding on to. > > design != creation or creativity > > -- dave > > > On Jan 25, 2008 2:04 PM, Mark Schraad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> So Dave, >> >> Only because I know that you don't mind being put on the spot. How >> do you >> define who is a designer? What are the criteria? >> >> Mark >> >> >> >> On Friday, January 25, 2008, at 10:57AM, "dave malouf" >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> wrote: >> >>> Sure, (Kumbaya!) we are all "D"esigners, great! (I actually think >>> that most of us aren't designers, btw, but that's a separate >>> topic). >> >> > > > -- > David Malouf > http://synapticburn.com/ > http://ixda.org/ > http://motorola.com/ > > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
I like your definition Mark, this might be something of a nuance but I dont see the creative aspect in "A designer is a person the arranges elements in a final order for a specific purpose." In my experience, thats lay-out, a design subset. Again, small point but I'd prefer to see this put as "A designer is a person who chooses and arranges elements in a final order for a specific purpose." Or if we were to take this a step further to capture good design. "A designer is a person who understands the necessary elements and arranges them in a final order for a specific purpose." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25127 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
I think I agree Pauric. I spent a lot of time thinking about the understanding/strategy (what we as designer most identify with) or the action/artifact, which is what I believe non-designers would relate most to. I also struggled with the linear implication of the word 'order' but could not find a better substitute. On Jan 26, 2008, at 1:53 AM, pauric wrote: > I like your definition Mark, this might be something of a nuance but I > dont see the creative aspect in "A designer is a person the arranges > elements in a final order for a specific purpose." In my > experience, thats lay-out, a design subset. > > Again, small point but I'd prefer to see this put as "A designer is > a person who chooses and arranges elements in a final order for a > specific purpose." > > Or if we were to take this a step further to capture good design. > > "A designer is a person who understands the necessary elements and > arranges them in a final order for a specific purpose." > > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > Posted from the new ixda.org > http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25127 > > > > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
On Jan 26, 2008 9:02 AM, Mark Schraad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > A designer is a person the arranges elements in a final order for a > specific purpose. Those elements can be visual, physical or > conceptual. The designer develops a strategy either prior to or while > executing this arrangement. > Ack Being a designer is not focused on the artifacts or decisions we make. That is focusing way too much on craft. Being a designer is about HOW! we make those artifacts & the decisions we make. By your definition above, anyone who does any sort of creativity is a designer. There is more to it than that. > A professional designer is one who generates their livelihood by > designing. > > Qualifications: > > Has been trained by a designer > Has attended design school > Has experience designing > Has achieved a level of quality consistent with the medium or domain > Proclaims themselves a designer > Displays a creative tendency > Bought a Mac (kidding) Talk about USELESS. What's the point? I especially like (NOT) the inclusion of "Proclaims themselves a designer". > As we work to further educate our audience and bring ourselves into > some consistency of message this bears keeping in mind. MBA's, > engineers, executives, HR people and biz dev people do not see > themselves as designers, but in this sense they often are. The do > however see themselves as qualified to make many many design decisions. Yes, and this is a problem b/c 1) they lack foundational education in both craft and theory 2) it devalues the true expertise of those who ARE designers 3) it leads to bad design Being a collaborator and contributor in a design process does not make one a designer. The fact that these people are making "design decisions" is usually a sign of corporate cultural flaws more than a sign of "innovation" or "design thinking" taking hold in the organization. -- David Malouf http://synapticburn.com/ http://ixda.org/ http://motorola.com/ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
On Jan 26, 2008 8:18 AM, Alexander Baxevanis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Jan 26, 2008 2:57 AM, David Malouf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 1) People who have worked in and have been trained in the processes > around > > studio/crit > > * this could be anyone who has either gone to a design school, or > figured > > out on their own to learn what is learned in a design school, or gained > the > > experience of design school studio through vocational experience. > > Hi David, > > not coming from such background, I don't think I've experienced to a > great extent what you mention above, so I am quite interested to find > out what is this mysterious "studio/critique" process and how it > benefits a designer. Could you write something more on this, or do you > have any references that you could point me to? > A fair question ... [Disclaimer, my experience with studio/critique is not formal, but only exists in the corporate sphere. I've been told that it is a good example. I've also taken 2 studio classes; but I have gone out of my way to try to bring these methods and processes into other facets of my design practice, and constantly look for mentors who are instructors in these processes, more than I do ones that are experts in other areas.] Studio is a place without walls. Studio is a philosophy of open collaboration "w/o asking permission" Studio is public display of ongoing work (among designers) Studio has expert or master guidance Studio uses the artistic review process of "critique" as opposed to "evaluation". Studio is the presentation of multiple ideas in plain site, in progress. Studio is constantly sketching during all phases of design and development Studio is a big brainstorming bubble Evaluation: Send someone a sample of your work and they send you back a laundry list of what is wrong, why and if you are lucky how to improve it. Critique: is a real time review of designs, among peers (fellow designers), who not only evaluate (aka judge your designs), but most certainly begin a short process of co-designing. It is often expert led, but everyone is involved at all levels of critique and analysis and contribution. The goal is to give guidance, not to give answers (except where the designers come asking for explicit help. The other goal is to elicit further exploration by increasing cerebral participation. Ok, I think that is as far as I can take this. David Armano has this great blog post (way in his archives) on "What I learned in Design School." it was one of the first things I read that really taught me that my grassroots, mostly technical background, was REALLY missing something. In conversations with my former head of Innovation & Design Studio here at Motorola Enterprise Mobility, he also had the same critique of the UX community-that our lack of formal studio education really puts us at a disadvantage. He also said that only through full-time education can you REALLY experience the benefits of studio education. This last point I'm trying to prove him wrong on. ;-) His thinking though is that unless you are locked in a studio with open workstations 15 hours a day, 7 days a week like you are in an ID Program, you really will have a hard time working in a professional industry studio. Most of us actually don't work in studios at all. In 15 years, this is the first time I have ever worked in one. And in my travels (I think I've been exposed to a lot of stuff), rarely have I seen studios in the software community, including in the agency community, etc. design agencies. Advertising agencies usually don't have studios. (I'm sure I'm going to get flooded with exceptions. I'm sure yours is just great!) -- dave -- David Malouf http://synapticburn.com/ http://ixda.org/ http://motorola.com/ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interactiodesign?
On 25 Jan 2008, at 13:48, Paul Eisen wrote: Wipe out the entire design colony and start afresh and just name anyone who does work in any of these areas as a Designer. >>> Amen brother. > >> That makes two of us. > > That unfortunately still doesn't solve the problem that often people - > including arguably at least two postings to this very thread - > refer to > people who *develop* interfaces as designers. But that opens up a > whole > new can of worms that I doubt I have the appetite for. And that's a problem why? (just in case your appetite has returned :-) Adrian *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
On Jan 26, 2008, at 11:28 AM, David Malouf wrote: > On Jan 26, 2008 9:02 AM, Mark Schraad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >> A designer is a person the arranges elements in a final order for a >> specific purpose. Those elements can be visual, physical or >> conceptual. The designer develops a strategy either prior to or while >> executing this arrangement. >> >> > > Ack > Being a designer is not focused on the artifacts or decisions we > make. That > is focusing way too much on craft. Being a designer is about HOW! > we make > those artifacts & the decisions we make. > If being a designer is mostly about process, then how will we ever progress? In fact, a major outcome of the design thinking movement is the export of methods and tools to areas outside of what is traditionally considered design. This is a dangerous component to hitch our wagon to. Buying design, or deciding that design is important, at the upper level, based upon process is a mistake. Your 'exclusive patent pending branded process' is snake oil... unless of course you plan on solving the same problem over and over. At the moment process is still a sellable concept, but I believe its shelf life to be fairly short. Routinized solutions do not help to appropriately position what we do. It will actually help to make designers and design a commodity. Personally, I never want to join a local design union. > > By your definition above, anyone who does any sort of creativity is a > designer. There is more to it than that. > > I did pen these words, but based them upon reading many many definitions submitted by non-designers. > > >> A professional designer is one who generates their livelihood by >> designing. >> >> Qualifications: >> >> Has been trained by a designer >> Has attended design school >> Has experience designing >> Has achieved a level of quality consistent with the medium or domain >> Proclaims themselves a designer >> Displays a creative tendency >> Bought a Mac (kidding) >> > > > Talk about USELESS. What's the point? I especially like (NOT) the > inclusion > of "Proclaims themselves a designer". > Agreed. But this is the reality of our field. There are an awful lot of these working in a professional capacity - even those who just 'bought a mac'. > > >> As we work to further educate our audience and bring ourselves into >> some consistency of message this bears keeping in mind. MBA's, >> engineers, executives, HR people and biz dev people do not see >> themselves as designers, but in this sense they often are. The do >> however see themselves as qualified to make many many design >> decisions. >> > > > Yes, and this is a problem b/c > 1) they lack foundational education in both craft and theory > 2) it devalues the true expertise of those who ARE designers > 3) it leads to bad design > > Being a collaborator and contributor in a design process does not > make one a > designer. The fact that these people are making "design decisions" is > usually a sign of corporate cultural flaws more than a sign of > "innovation" > or "design thinking" taking hold in the organization. > Look at the roster of designers at IDEO, Cooper, Razorfish... and so many other firms. If you look up their qualifications, you will find lots of very qualified people doing great work that do not have a formal design education. Lots of good professional designers do NOT have deep theory or a craft background. This is not an component that is required (but I would agree that it has a huge upside) no matter how much we wish it so. And, it can be learned in a good work environment. Frankly, I believe that foundation skills are much easier to teach in a working environment than user/customer empathy and market vision. *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
On 26 Jan 2008, at 16:41, David Malouf wrote: [snip] > Studio is a place without walls. > Studio is a philosophy of open collaboration "w/o asking permission" > Studio is public display of ongoing work (among designers) > Studio has expert or master guidance > Studio uses the artistic review process of "critique" as opposed to > "evaluation". > Studio is the presentation of multiple ideas in plain site, in > progress. > Studio is constantly sketching during all phases of design and > development > Studio is a big brainstorming bubble > > Evaluation: Send someone a sample of your work and they send you > back a > laundry list of what is wrong, why and if you are lucky how to > improve it. > > Critique: is a real time review of designs, among peers (fellow > designers), > who not only evaluate (aka judge your designs), but most certainly > begin a > short process of co-designing. It is often expert led, but everyone is > involved at all levels of critique and analysis and contribution. > The goal > is to give guidance, not to give answers (except where the > designers come > asking for explicit help. The other goal is to elicit further > exploration by > increasing cerebral participation. [snip] Y'know the first thing that struck me after reading that was that it sounds *exactly* like the most effective and pleasant environments that I've worked in. The (possibly) interesting thing is that these weren't "design" environments (in the sense most folk use the term here :-) They were pure software development shops. I don't think this isn't a design issue in of itself. Working in an open collaborative manner with your peers, along with a sprinkling of leaders in particular domains, is pretty much the best way to get a group of folk to do or learn _anything_. A lot of work in the agile software development world is creating work environments that work that way. > In conversations with my former head of Innovation & Design Studio > here at > Motorola Enterprise Mobility, he also had the same critique of the UX > community-that our lack of formal studio education really puts us at a > disadvantage. I see the opposite problem with folk coming out of academia into software development. They're trained to work by themselves. I'm trying to build collaborative working environments. Are you seeing the "studio" as just a learning environment, or a working environment too? Cheers, Adrian *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
On 26 Jan 2008, at 17:27, Mark Schraad wrote: [snip] > Look at the roster of designers at IDEO, Cooper, Razorfish... and so > many other firms. If you look up their qualifications, you will find > lots of very qualified people doing great work that do not have a > formal design education. Lots of good professional designers do NOT > have deep theory or a craft background. This is not an component that > is required (but I would agree that it has a huge upside) no matter > how much we wish it so. And, it can be learned in a good work > environment. Frankly, I believe that foundation skills are much > easier to teach in a working environment than user/customer empathy > and market vision. [snip] I've also found teaching in the workplace to be effective. I wonder if your working environment resembles the studio system that David described? Cheers, Adrian *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
On Jan 26, 2008 8:41 AM, David Malouf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Critique: is a real time review of designs, among peers (fellow > designers), > who not only evaluate (aka judge your designs), but most certainly begin a > short process of co-designing. It is often expert led, but everyone is > involved at all levels of critique and analysis and contribution. The goal > is to give guidance, not to give answers (except where the designers come > asking for explicit help. The other goal is to elicit further exploration > by > increasing cerebral participation. > > The critique session can be a challenging and threatening experience for those unaccustomed to it. Work is up on the wall or screen, and designers just as good as you take potshots at it and tell you all the ways it can be improved. The first dozen or two times this happens, especially on something you really care about, it feels like your heart's being torn out. After that, you learn to be a bit detached from your design artifacts. You still care deeply, but you can let go and look from a place of perspective when your work is being critiqued, and join in yourself. Design school lets you get these first heartbreaking experiences with critique going in a safe environment. You're not going to get fired if your classmates can't get behind your work. You learn to "step back". You learn to take it. I worked on a team of designers a while back where nobody else came out of a studio environment or graphic/industrial design school. I wanted to introduce critiques but didn't want them to be threatening. So we experimented by meeting every couple weeks to critique something else - an external website typically - that none of us had worked on. It's not the same as a session focused on work that comes out of the team, but it's a starting point. After a couple of those, I volunteered to have one of my current design projects critiqued, and the team began to be more comfortable and knew what to expect. Like music or any other craft, it takes practice to develop critique skills to a sensitive and useful level. But the "group mind" is very powerful and everyone on the team will grow as a result. Michael Micheletti *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
On 26 Jan 2008, at 16:28, David Malouf wrote: > On Jan 26, 2008 9:02 AM, Mark Schraad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> A designer is a person the arranges elements in a final order for a >> specific purpose. Those elements can be visual, physical or >> conceptual. The designer develops a strategy either prior to or while >> executing this arrangement. > > Ack > Being a designer is not focused on the artifacts or decisions we > make. That > is focusing way too much on craft. Being a designer is about HOW! > we make > those artifacts & the decisions we make. > > By your definition above, anyone who does any sort of creativity is a > designer. There is more to it than that. Surely it's about both? Adrian *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
On 26 Jan 2008, at 17:45, Michael Micheletti wrote: [snip] > Design school lets you get these first heartbreaking experiences with > critique going in a safe environment. You're not going to get fired > if your > classmates can't get behind your work. You learn to "step back". > You learn > to take it. [snip] That's not to say that you can't have a good workplace environment where you can get safe critique? Adrian *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
Unfortunately not at the moment. We are trying... but cultural change in a corporate environment is difficult. Right now I work (and do not preside) in a cross between what Dave describes and an agency environment. About half the work is collaborative, but not all. I have run and worked in environments like what Dave is calling 'studio'. It can be amazing. Mark On Jan 26, 2008, at 12:44 PM, Adrian Howard wrote: > > On 26 Jan 2008, at 17:27, Mark Schraad wrote: > [snip] >> Look at the roster of designers at IDEO, Cooper, Razorfish... and so >> many other firms. If you look up their qualifications, you will find >> lots of very qualified people doing great work that do not have a >> formal design education. Lots of good professional designers do NOT >> have deep theory or a craft background. This is not an component that >> is required (but I would agree that it has a huge upside) no matter >> how much we wish it so. And, it can be learned in a good work >> environment. Frankly, I believe that foundation skills are much >> easier to teach in a working environment than user/customer empathy >> and market vision. > [snip] > > I've also found teaching in the workplace to be effective. I wonder > if your working environment resembles the studio system that David > described? > > Cheers, > > Adrian > > > > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Why do crappy interfaces sell?
On 25 Jan 2008, at 21:34, Christine Boese wrote: > I'm having this wild urge to blaspheme in the temple again, don't > ask me > why. > > OK, devil's advocate answer to the question: "Why do crappy interfaces > sell?" > > What if, in the immortal words of Bill Murray in the classic summer > camp > film "Meatballs," "It just doesn't matter!"? [snip] It matters - it's just not the _only_ thing that matters :-) Adrian *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?
On 25 Jan 2008, at 17:34, lukeisha carr wrote: > "Just curious how some of you would differentiate an interaction > designer from a user interface designer? Apologies if it's been > discussed to death before." > > I think these kind of questions keep coming up again & again for some > of the following reasons: [good reasons snipped] > Unfortunately, I'm not sure if these kind of questions will slow > down, until the field is many years old and dedicated training will > define what these positions do. But the challenge will still be how > to keep different companies from making a mis-mash of all the title. The thing is I just don't care whether the roles are defined or not :-) There's a whole bunch of knowledge, skills and practices that need to be applied to get a successful product from inception to release. I care a great deal that there are people involved that have all of the necessary knowledge, skills and practices - and know how to apply them and work together well. I care very, very little for picking a subset from the list and calling it interaction design, or usability, or information architecture, or accessibility, or software architecture, or domain design, or ... Talking about knowledge, skills and practices. How to learn and apply them well. That helps me a huge amount. Talking about what a particular subset should be called and where a person with that subset sits in the org chart doesn't help me at all. But maybe that's just me... Cheers, Adrian (possibly being unnecessarily grumpy :-) *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] biz dev
On 25 Jan 2008, at 14:38, Mark Schraad wrote: > This may only apply to inhouse folks, but I am curious about how > you as a designer interact with business development folks? Those > are the people, sometimes in marketing, bizdev (obviously) and > sometimes in product, that come up with great ideas that they want > to flush out. > > Is this a collaborative process - or is it more waterfall.? Do you > get enough input? Is there research done? Collaboration is the name of the game as far as I'm concerned. Get everybody in the same room. Throw up as many ideas as possible. Prioritise them in order of business value. Go away and attack the most important ones. Come back together in a couple of weeks to review progress and come up with more ideas. Repeat. Cheers, Adrian *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?
On 25 Jan 2008, at 12:13, Adam Connor wrote: [snip] > To be honest I stopped caring about my title a few years ago. Perhaps > it would be different if I weren't an in-house, but it seems more > important to me to just deliver the best products I can. Me too! Adrian *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
I can't believe I'm getting into this again, and I beg your collective pardon in advance, but I strongly suspect that -- in the absence of a particular context -- if you simply went up to John Q Human and said "What's a Designer?" You would find that "the world (outside of the industry)" would define design as an entirely visual and aesthetic pursuit. That being said, I expect if you asked Mr. Human "what's an interaction designer" you would get back a definition of "interface designer". In my experience, and the experience of many of my friends and colleagues in this industry, we are widely believed -- except among those who actually practice Interaction Design, or who rely on Interaction Designers -- to be the people who make the site "look good." And all those times I've railed against using the term "designer" it's because of that belief. I'm very tired of spending a large part of my professional life explaining that I am *not* the person who decides it should be pink and round (or whatever). I am also not the first person to point out that in the world at large, people with the word "design" in their titles are largely diminished and dismissed. It's why Tog preferred the the title "Interaction Architect" Katie At 9:02 AM -0500 1/26/08, Mark Schraad wrote: >Thanks David. I agree that design is a 'nothingness term' but it is >also critically important if you are to define 'interaction design' >for the non-designer world. Having looked at about a hundred resumes >in the last 6 months for UI designer, interaction designers and >information architects, way less than 15% have been in my opinion >qualified for the jobs I had in mind. Yet they all applied for what >are obviously (to me) 'design' positions. Less than 5% actually >attended any sort of design school. So I kind of agree that defining >design is mostly an academic endeavor. > >That being said... here is how I believe the world (outside of the >industry) would define design: > >A designer is a person the arranges elements in a final order for a >specific purpose. Those elements can be visual, physical or >conceptual. The designer develops a strategy either prior to or while >executing this arrangement. > >A professional designer is one who generates their livelihood by >designing. > >Qualifications: > >Has been trained by a designer >Has attended design school >Has experience designing >Has achieved a level of quality consistent with the medium or domain >Proclaims themselves a designer >Displays a creative tendency >Bought a Mac (kidding) > > >As we work to further educate our audience and bring ourselves into >some consistency of message this bears keeping in mind. MBA's, >engineers, executives, HR people and biz dev people do not see >themselves as designers, but in this sense they often are. The do >however see themselves as qualified to make many many design decisions. > >Mark > > > >On Jan 25, 2008, at 9:57 PM, David Malouf wrote: > >> 1) People who have worked in and have been trained in the processes >> around >> studio/crit >> * this could be anyone who has either gone to a design school, or >> figured >> out on their own to learn what is learned in a design school, or >> gained the >> experience of design school studio through vocational experience. >> >> 2) People who practice multi-linear, exploration as their creative >> practice, >> as opposed to linear thinking >> >> I'll stop there. >> >> To me the question is annoying. Why? b/c so much of the question is >> already >> couched in this assumption that "everyone is a designer"; The >> engineer, the >> banker, my grandmother, etc. >> >> It is also a trap b/c "design" is such a nothing term, so to use >> the term >> "design" by itself, is meaningless. The contexts are important. >> >> So in my mind, most interactive designers are not designers, in >> that they >> actually apply aesthetic treatments usually using techniques that are >> derived from engineering practices more than from the traditional >> design > > school processes. Yes, there is room for hybrids in this world and >> we should >> always be willing to take the best of everything we can expose >> ourselves to, >> but I believe there is something at the core of design practice, >> methods, >> education, and systems that is worth holding on to. >> >> design != creation or creativity >> >> -- dave >> >> >> On Jan 25, 2008 2:04 PM, Mark Schraad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >>> So Dave, >>> >>> Only because I know that you don't mind being put on the spot. How >>> do you >>> define who is a designer? What are the criteria? >>> >>> Mark >>> >>> >>> >>> On Friday, January 25, 2008, at 10:57AM, "dave malouf" >>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> wrote: >>> Sure, (Kumbaya!) we are all "D"esigners, great! (I actually think that most of us aren't designers, btw, but that's a separate topic). >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> David Malouf >
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Myers Briggs, DISC, Personality of UX Folk
I've found that DISC is most helpful when looked at not unnecessarily as a measure of personality (which involves values) but is more a measure of personal style in the workplace and how one approaches a task/project/challenge. My results showed that I'm a high "D" and a low "S". I think they were spot-on. However, I agree that there is danger in treating the results like a persona-builder for employees. What is really needed is a DISC-type analysis tool for processes, not people. THAT would be helpful. I think the result should be displayed purely visually. Perhaps in the form of automobile types. One score of a company's processes might yield an AMC Pacer, while the other might yield an Audi A8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25081 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interactiodesign?
I find there are two ways of looking at this problem. 1) What do I need to do my job today? 2) What will it take to advance practice and discipline and community? The first group are "d"esigner/developers/engineers. The latter tend to be interaction designers. Part of this is about environment. Part of this is about background. Part of this is about personal taste. If you are in the camp, that its all "blank" and it doesn't matter how or if you dissect the pieces, I suggest, this conversation is not pertinent to you, or your practice or your future. In essence it is an academic endeavor, at best is entertaining, at worst is filler in your mailbox. If you are in the other camp, and believe that the trees make up the forest and not the other way around, this discussion about semantics, roles, and titles is at worst entertaining, and at best incredibly strategic. Here are the background questions that concern me: 1) What does the future of formal education look like for the eco-system of interaction designers? 2) What are the problems, and how do we solve these problems that are coming up in the next 100 years? Big #, right? But I love how Allan from Core77 Thurs night said that "designers don't design things they design consequences." That's HUGE. Further Sigi Moeslinger will be talking about a common interaction design notion of interaction design is designing interventions. 3) How do we know that a design is good? From an art critic perspective? I bet those in group 1 could care less, so long as it makes money. To me that perspective is Souless design and is the difference between an HTC and an Apple. Even IKEA has more soul in their design eco-system than HTC or ASUS or Disney between Katzenberger's departure and Pixar's acquisition. 4) Human Resources - I'm sick of people responding to job descriptions they have no right to respond to. And I'm sick of head hunters not knowing what it is I do. This wastes time and thus money and well spirit and soul. I got a note from someone who said, (paraphrasing), "I've been calling myself a UI Designer for 20 years. All of a sudden this group comes a long and now says that what I've been doing is Interaction Design. WTF?" Well, my response is, I bet someone else will change that. I.e. Royal College of Art changed the name of their program from Interaction Design to Designing Interactions. What it means, I'm not so sure, but I'm not really all that upset about it. --d ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
Please see my response in the other thread. It highlights why this sort of pedantic response is without foresight or strategic thought. Why I disagreed with Tog from the beginning on his titling (as well as many others). What I find so interesting so far is the USer centricism in the conversation. In Europe there is such a different take on interaction design vs. interface design. It's probably why Western Europe has 900% more interaction design programs. They are almost all in design programs. Since when do designers do what John Q says. We are strategic problem solvers who look for the latent problems that John Q can't articulate. If we just made what John Q wanted, we would all have Homer-mobiles (and since you are all so acquainted with John Q, I shouldn't have to explain what a Homer-mobile is.) -- dave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25127 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] [event] 2/28 IxDA-SF presents: Mental Models: Sparking Creativity Through Empathy
http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/288994/ IxDA-SF is back in 2008 with our fourth event in our design tools series. We are very excited to be presenting Indi Young's book launch party! Indi will be discussing her book: "Mental Models - Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior". Mental Models: Sparking Creativity Through Empathy Anybody can tell you when they're in love, but can they map out the behavior that leads to this sought-after state? Take a look at other models of behavior, such as the habits of good project managers, the diverse considerations that go into the selection of a university, perhaps what long-distance runners expect while on training runs, or even what motivates the behavior of cats. Once you understand a group this deeply, imagine the creativity it sparks for the products you are designing. Indi's work spans a number of decades, from the mid-80's when the desktop metaphor was replacing command line and menu-based systems, to the mid-90's when the Web first toddled onto the scene, to now, when designers are intent on crafting good experiences. After 10 years of consulting, Indi helped found Adaptive Path with six other partners, all hoping to spread good design around the world, making things easier for people everywhere. Indi's mental models have helped both start-ups and large corporations discover and support customer behaviors they didn't think to explore at first. She has written a book about the mental model method, Mental Models - aligning design strategy with human behavior, published by Rosenfeld Media. Date/Time: February 28, 2008 6:30 pm – Social hour with light refreshments 7:00 pm – Presentation Location: CNET Networks headquarters in San Francisco 235 Second Street, 94105 Between Howard and Folsom Presented by IxDA-SF and CNET Networks. This is a FREE event. Have a great idea for a future event? Interested in sponsorship? Get in touch! sf-local at ixda.org http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/288994/ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] [event] 2/28 IxDA-SF presents: Mental Models: Sparking Creativity Through Empathy
here's the correct link to upcoming: http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/417667 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://gamma.ixda.org/discuss?post=25182 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Myers Briggs, DISC, Personality of UX Folk
One problem with psychology -- rather with the popular use of psychology -- is that everbody believes themselves to be a lay psychologist; the same doesn't hold true for medicine, for example, or biology. A related problem is the way technical terms become appropriated by society, their meanings becoming distorted even while people believe the distorted meanings to refer to the same original terms. 'Relativity' is one such term from physics that has become a part of everyday speech but the common connotation is quite removed from its technical definition. I'm referring here to the terms 'extraversion' (rather than 'extroversion') and 'intraversion'. These terms are commonly taken to mean -- the backslapping sociable behavior is extraversion, while sitting alone in a corner reading a book is introversion. Not at all. A Extravert TRAIT as understood by people in business) is understood to mean that the individual draws energy through relatively intense interaction with people. An Intravert TRAIT would mean that the concerned individual feels drained by interacting with people. The terms don't mean that a Intravert avoids people or that an Extravert is relentlessly garrulous. One realizes that there are a variety of activities one is required to engage in in order to live a productive life, but there are some activities one prefers and thoroughly over others. OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. Personality tests should not be administered to children who are still developing their personalities and may not show stable results for those under 25. But for older persons, the results tend to become increasingly reliable --- provided one is not gaming the instrument [which will happen if it is seen as something to 'score' in]. Being 'animated' does not -- by itself -- an EXTRAVERT make. An intraverted person can become very animated about an issue that she is very passionate about. Being intraverted and passionate are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the halls of academe are filled with intraverted persons who aren't necessarily dull and boring in class. Giving lectures doesn't demand 'extraversion'. Doing presentations in the manner of Tom Peters and Steve Ballmer does demand 'extraversion'. Likewise, being not very communicative at a cocktail party does not imply that one is an 'intravert'. Perhaps the context doesn't excite you very much. It is possible that you are really an 'intravert'. Judge your 'intraversion' and 'extraversion' from how you feel about interacting in small or large groups intensely with others, not necessarily on matters that are your primary interest (such as IxD, for instance). As for me, I enjoy solitude as much as the next person and many of my deepest insights come from going out for a walk alone. But I can (and do) pick up conversations with anybody, anywhere, without signficant effort. And such interactions leave me energized rather than drained. [Now, there are people and situations that drain me, but those are exceptions.] I conclude, therefore, that I am an Extravert. And that is exactly what the instrument tells me. I do my taxes, and run through the numbers with a fine toothcomb. Heck, I have qualifications in engineering, business, and information technology. And I can do detailed, structured, technical stuff when required. But I absolutely enjoy fuzzy, ambiguous, uncertain situations and tasks. I must emphasize that the evaluation is to be done by oneself. One may use the observations of others as additional data points to either reinforce or refute one's position. And by aggregating a lot of such anecdotal data, one can get close to the 'truth', whatever that might be. There is another issue relating to the 'attribution error' point that you make. Some individuals -- and personality styles -- tend to be better at accurately understanding themselves than others. Howard Gardner calls this 'intrapersonal intelligence.' Both Gardner and the MBTI have been trashed by 'fine scholars everywhere' as well as sneering skeptics. Nevertheless, a lot of very intelligent and reasonable people (and not just those that read the National Inquirer, Readers Digest and People) find a lot of face validity in both Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences and the MBTI (and other personality tests). Always keep in mind George Box's dictum: All models are wrong. Some are useful. And Richard Hamming's advice: The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers. Insight is what we're looking for. Personality style instruments are not accurate, but accuracy is not their purpose, but insight. And a model. And who doesn't use models. -- murli nagasundaram, ph.d. | www.murli.com | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | +91 99 02 69 69 20 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ _
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
Qualifications are IMO optional, it depends on where you get mentored 1) teachers/bosses 2) books 3) hacking. Passion combined with aptitude will allow greatness grow, especially those diamonds that form in the pressure of deliverables... be it self-imposed or externally. > Since when do designers do what John Q says. We are strategic problem > solvers who look for the latent problems that John Q can't > articulate. Amen brotha! Relatedly, 1) Often users being heads down will be 'in the box' behaviorally trained to stay in that box, are unable to even know what solutions are possible. Outside the box, we are free to see how a given medium can minimize a particular workflow for a particular, and in particular with workflows measuring the benefits to such changes differentiates it from purely subjective design. Schooling and corporate culture can produce a similar behavior conditioning, which is why cross-disciplines teams tend to produce innovation. 2) in interaction design and experience design, great products often boil down to flow states, which by definition are getting people to move through the system fluidly without paying much attention to the details, so ask end user to say why they like an ipod better than some other mp3 player and they can't really enumerate, it's just makes them happy. The downside to this for us, is that XD+IA are illusive. It's that savory flavor, most can't really describe, so either don't allocate resources for the recipie or spend volumes of hours trying to recreate it. *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] [Plug] Mental Models: Getting Into Your Customer's Head
*Speaking of mental models etc...* Check out UIE's virtual seminar: Mental Models: Getting Into Your Customer's Head http://www.uie.com/events/virtual_seminars/indi_young/ When it comes to your users, do you really know what they want? Is your team struggling to agree on a common design because everyone has a different opinion about what's right? Are you unsure how to organize your site or product to match user expectations? Design teams work hard to address the entire user experience, yet many don't have the right techniques to uncover all the information occupying a user's attention. To build a robust design, it's essential that design teams firmly understand what users want to get done. That's where mental models come in. To help you get into the head of your customers, we've turned to expert UX designer, Indi Young, who has written the hot off the press book, *Mental Models:* *Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior*. In this Virtual Seminar, Indi will introduce you to the concept of *Mental Models*, a method for modeling the attention flow of your users. Mental Models give design teams a solid method for matching functionality and features to the user's motivations, thought processes, emotions, and philosophies. In this presentation, Indi Young will discuss: - *How mental models represent the whole user experience.* You will learn how mental models will help you better understand the entire user experience before making design and strategic decisions. - *How to develop mental models that represent the true roots of your users' behavior.* By walking you through the process of building mental model diagrams and teaching you the "hallway test," Indi will show you how to dive down to the core emotions, philosophies, and actions that drive people's behavior. - *How you will discover things about your customers you never thought to ask. *Mental model diagrams enable your team to see beyond the boundaries of what they've decided is the product. Indi will discuss some of the valuable information teams have gathered from mental models. - *Common mistakes to avoid when building mental models*. ** Google, the United Nations, Wells Fargo, and PeopleSoft are just a few of the organizations that have leveraged Mental Models to improve their designs and processes. ** Who Should Attend? This seminar is for web designers, product designers, user ethnographers, and marketing professionals who want to uncover their customer needs at a deeper level. Instructor Biography Indi Young recently published her long-awaited book, Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior, which shows other user experience professionals (and laypeople as well) how to align product design with customer behavior research. Mental models help organizations get inside their potential customers' minds, which leads to more lucid decision-making during the lifetime of the design. Indi leads a small band of re-designers and re-thinkers in a quest to bring the effectiveness of mental models to enterprises around the globe. After graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in Computer Science in 1987, Indi lasted five years as a programmer. During this time she became acutely aware of gaping holes in software where the user interface ought to be, because that was what she was responsible for. Having few tools for understanding user motivations, Indi started out drawing state machines of user activity, and ended up just going out to talk to users about the deep roots behind what they were trying to accomplish. Thus her career as a UX designer was born. Special Registration Package: Get Indi Young's new book for free When you sign up for Indi's Virtual Seminar, you'll also receive her newly published book,* Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior. *This book will teach you how to better understand your users before making design and strategic decisions. On Sat, 26 Jan 2008 11:57:24, Kim lenox <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > here's the correct link to upcoming: > > http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/417667 > > > > > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > Posted from the new ixda.org > http://gamma.ixda.org/discuss?post=25182 > > > > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help > -- ~ will "Where you innovate, how you innovate, and what you innovate are design problems" --- will evans user ex
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Myers Briggs, DISC, Personality of UX Folk
RE: Extraverted and Introverted. I feel these are badly defined terms, social introversion/extroversion, introverted/extroverted thinking and problem solving, and introspection and empathy of others are very different, and very context dependent. RE: MBTI Trying to capture the vast world of human behaviors into 16 boxes is at best a gross approximation. But if you're talking to a person, and need to approximately describe them it has utility...at least more predictive utility than astrological signs. Troy (INTX btw) *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Criteria?
On Jan 26, 2008, at 5:49 AM, dave malouf wrote: snip > What I find so interesting so far is the USer centricism in the > conversation. snip snip > > Since when do designers do what John Q says. We are strategic problem > solvers who look for the latent problems that John Q can't > articulate. If we just made what John Q wanted, we would all have > Homer-mobiles (and since you are all so acquainted with John Q, I > shouldn't have to explain what a Homer-mobile is.) snip There is an aspect to these UCD conversations that has thus far been missing. UCD - or the mentions of the design process being user centric are only worth wile if they reduce ill-informed design. This is design that occurs in the absence of previous domain knowledge or without conducting user research. All too often design happens without real understanding of the context of use. That understanding can only be gain if the designer has access to research or is immersed in the usage context. Without this user empathy one of two things are likely to occur. First, the designers uninformed vision becomes a reality. Second, technology or monetization influences the final deliverable. In both cases product will likely fail. Less than 10% of all products launched actually succeed in the marketplace. How many resources are wasted in the launch of those bad products? Can designers contribute to sustainability efforts? You bet, stop designing crappy products destined to fail in the marketplace. We can and should be designing better. The hardest part of this UDC process is interpreting and applying the research. The user and the research should NEVER make design decisions. Those decisions have to be made by the informed designer. But all of this still falls short of an ideal process. Here is the kicker. The designer has to play the role of visionary. The designer needs to anticipate the future. And, the informed design has a much better chance to accomplish this. Rarely do customers anticipate what they will need next. That is our job and this is were the great designers shine. They answer the questions that are about to be asked. They solve the problems that have almost surfaced. And, they create demand by providing value and an outstanding, often unanticipated user experience. This is the criteria we should use to call a designer 'genius' - not their process. Mark *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Myers Briggs, DISC, Personality of UX Folk
Approximations work pretty well even in the hard sciences. in fact, science chugs along merrily for hundreds of years with inaccurate models, making real progress, before more accurate models come along -- and as a bonus, you don't have to trash all the progress you have made. Outside of the physical sciences - in the social sciences, humanities and the arts -- exactitude is not even an available option; approximation is all you that can attain. And in fact, any attempt to be exact is not only sisyphean, but completely counterproductive because meaning is actually generated holistically, at the level of approximations. Perfectly accurate descriptions are reductionist and necessarily wrong. -m (ENFP btw -- but you might have guessed that already! ;-)) On Jan 27, 2008 1:51 AM, Troy Gardner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > RE: Extraverted and Introverted. > > I feel these are badly defined terms, social > introversion/extroversion, introverted/extroverted thinking and > problem solving, and introspection and empathy of others are very > different, and very context dependent. > > RE: MBTI > Trying to capture the vast world of human behaviors into 16 boxes is > at best a gross approximation. > > But if you're talking to a person, and need to approximately describe > them it has utility...at least more predictive utility than > astrological signs. > > Troy (INTX btw) > -- murli nagasundaram, ph.d. | www.murli.com | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | +91 99 02 69 69 20 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interactiondesign?
On Jan 25, 2008, at 5:02 PM, dave malouf wrote: > the UI Designer, says, the button is left aligned, bevelled, has this > rollover, and that action state, and this disabled state. > > The IxDer says how did the user even get to the page with the button, > why is the button necessary and what comes after the button is > pressed. For real? Why must there be a difference? Isn't this just a Yam/Sweet Potato thing? Jared Jared M. Spool User Interface Engineering 510 Turnpike St., Suite 102, North Andover, MA 01845 e: [EMAIL PROTECTED] p: +1 978 327 5561 http://uie.com Blog: http://uie.com/brainsparks *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interactiondesign?
I'm with Jared. This is a ridiculous semantic distinction. Like there's some mythical confused poor UI designer sitting in a cave who doesn't even know to think about the whole interaction or like there's some interaction designer who never gets into the details of buttons. Let's move on. :-) On Jan 25, 2008, at 5:02 PM, dave malouf wrote: > the UI Designer, says, the button is left aligned, bevelled, has this > rollover, and that action state, and this disabled state. > > The IxDer says how did the user even get to the page with the button, > why is the button necessary and what comes after the button is > pressed. For real? Why must there be a difference? Isn't this just a Yam/Sweet Potato thing? Jared *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interaction design?
Jared wrote: > Isn't this just a Yam/Sweet Potato thing? That's an apt analogy. If two tangible objects so objectively distinct (the yam is over two meters long) can be confused and treated as identical, how much more difficult to recognize and agree on subjective differences? One of President Lincoln's favorite riddles was this: How many legs does a dog have if you call its tail a leg? The answer? Four. Just because you call the tail a leg doesn't make it so. // jeff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=25077 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface and interactiondesign?
To be contrarian, I routinely work with UI designers who take wireframes (from an IA/IxD) and convert them to high fidelity comps (primarily in photoshop but sometimes in illustrator). They are thinking I need: 1) the whole page layout to be properly blocked and centered 2) whole ui to be consistent in feel, Rounded edges vrs square edges, particular fonts. Colors in the ui need to compliment or contrast sufficently with the the main video/game/etc. 3) themed inline with BrandX, BrandY, etc. They are so immersed in the page by page metaphor,they often miss any interactivity at all, be it modal, or tabs, or preloading. Almost 100% of the time don't think about hover or disabled states...I frequently have to hound them to put them in. So in that sense they are a truly UI designer. Troy On Jan 26, 2008 8:56 AM, Jared M. Spool <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Jan 25, 2008, at 5:02 PM, dave malouf wrote: > > > the UI Designer, says, the button is left aligned, bevelled, has this > > rollover, and that action state, and this disabled state. > > > > The IxDer says how did the user even get to the page with the button, > > why is the button necessary and what comes after the button is > > pressed. > > For real? > > Why must there be a difference? > > Isn't this just a Yam/Sweet Potato thing? > > Jared > > Jared M. Spool > User Interface Engineering > 510 Turnpike St., Suite 102, North Andover, MA 01845 > e: [EMAIL PROTECTED] p: +1 978 327 5561 > http://uie.com Blog: http://uie.com/brainsparks > > > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help > > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Head Tracking for Desktop VR Displays using the WiiRemote
Not sure of the applications, but cool nonetheless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Differnce between user interface andinteractiondesign?
> So in that sense they are a truly UI designer. I dunno, that sounds like a visual designer to me -- which, in my mind, is someone who's able to skillfully adapt the craft of graphic design for an online medium. *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] [event] 2/28 IxDA-SF presents: Mental Models: Sparking Creativity Through Empathy
Here's a link to Indi's book site: www.rosenfeldmedia.com/books/mental-models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://gamma.ixda.org/discuss?post=25182 *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help