Re: [IxDA Discuss] How "high-touch" is IxD (was re: are we an early indicator...)
Flipping the question around, with all of the smart "virtual collaboration tools" lying around, what are we missing, in order to make telecommuting a realistic possibility for our profession? Nothing on the market seems to affordably provide that tactile sense of "we're working together" as much as just sitting next to each other in an office. Hi Bryan, I agree, there's no shortage of tools on the market to allow for remote collaboration. I've worked with a number of them from writeboards to sharepoints, and they all seem to work well for a fair price. From personal experience: - The beginning of many projects is a human endeavor requiring that people become familiar and comfortable working with each other. The in- person meeting is still a preferred way to gauge each other, bond in a direct way and put a face to a voice. People are behind productivity and that's the first step for me. As a result I always fly or walk to most locations to form bonds and share the human experience. - There are going to be points along any project where people need to come together in person. The week before freezing a design... communicating a design to upper management for buy-in... examples of critical times when in person presence is preferred. I've always thought that the periods in between should be flexible regarding in-person contact on a day-to-day basis. On the occasions I was not able to allow my colleagues (or not allowed myself) to work remotely, it was due to a lack of clear timelines and deliverables, frenetic project management leading to stressful daily activity rather than balanced individual contribution or teams that are made up of junior members that need mentorship on a regular basis. On occasion, nothing more than a personal preference. Personal preference here - any chance that I can allow people to stay off the roads, conserve and work in an environment that is best suited to their productivity... not to mention expanding the reach and experience of a team - I take it. All the best, -Dan Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Active/inactive state of physical buttons
Hi Dan, The Samsung Alias 2 cell phone uses e-ink technology to change the function of buttons based on device orientation and programmatic need. The same type of interface is used on the treadmills at my gym. They utilize an e-ink display to make keys available based on function; for instance blanking/darkening out those that are unused. The state of the buttons can change based on availability, function, orientation etc... http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/mobile/mobile-phones/verizon-wireless-phones/SCH-U750HAAVZW/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail Best, -Dan --- Dan Peknik - Interaction Design, Human Factors NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. --- On Nov 17, 2009, at 4:06 PM, Adam Korman wrote: I worked on a car stereo project 7 or 8 years ago where we used exactly this concept (we called it "contextual luminescent feedback"). At the time we couldn't find examples that really did this in any sort of sophisticated way either, but we ran with it anyway because we thought it was compelling & appropriate for what we needed. For all sorts of reasons it never was built, but as it played out in the detailed design, it seemed pretty successful. There are some simplistic examples (some vending machines indicate the availability of an item by lighting up the button that you press to get it), but I think that's probably not quite the same as what you're describing. On Nov 17, 2009, at 2:55 PM, Dan Zollman wrote: Hi all, I'm considering a pattern in which each button lights up when it's active/available and gets dark when it's inactive/unavailable. There are certainly many devices with buttons that light up in order to reflect the on/off state of a particular feature (e.g. caps lock key), or of the device itself. However, I can't think of any examples where lighted buttons reflect availability rather than state. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Interactive web charting tools?
Tia, Jason, Thank you! These look like decent solutions. There's actually an example that's close to what we want in the Flot area. Fusioncharts doesn't have a similar idea, but I'll keep looking. It seems robust. All the best, -Dan Dan Peknik NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California On Oct 2, 2009, at 10:22 AM, dnp607 wrote: Hi All, Apologies if this question has been asked and answered before - I've been searching for a canned toolkit or a complete package that I can recommend to our development for building an interactive web graph. The interaction would be specific to a zoom feature, allowing a user to increase or decrease the span of time and thus the data within the graph. Data for the graph is provided through a home-rolled database (it's not static). We've looked at jFreechart, and some of the GWT Google public tools, but they aren't sufficient to do this type of interaction from what we've seen. Must this be coded from scratch, in flash, java or similar - or does something exist to speed our efforts? Many thanks, -Dan Dan Peknik NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Interactive web charting tools?
Hi All, Apologies if this question has been asked and answered before - I've been searching for a canned toolkit or a complete package that I can recommend to our development for building an interactive web graph. The interaction would be specific to a zoom feature, allowing a user to increase or decrease the span of time and thus the data within the graph. Data for the graph is provided through a home-rolled database (it's not static). We've looked at jFreechart, and some of the GWT Google public tools, but they aren't sufficient to do this type of interaction from what we've seen. Must this be coded from scratch, in flash, java or similar - or does something exist to speed our efforts? Many thanks, -Dan Dan Peknik NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] On the topic of Recruiters
For what it's worth, I'm a big fan of the job postings here. They serve to: - Keep me informed of the changing job landscape - Keep friends connected to potential companies looking to hire (I often forward) - Inform me as to what skills employers are looking for The best part of the job postings here are that they meet with so many eyes. As long as they are applicable to our profession, it seems like a win-win. That said, I bin anything with "JOB" in the title and have the option to view them later -- suspect that pushing job postings off from the main stream would dilute the number of viewers and make it less attractive to employers to seek our talent. This is such a direct pipeline. It needs to be respected, but so far it seems to be working nicely. the alternative is that we could have no job postings at all, in any forum. I'm happy the industry knows of us and prioritizes this work highly. -D Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] How to hire an interaction designer?
Hey Jared, Totally agreed - considering a candidate who has little UX experience is just asking for trouble, unless a company is willing to invest serious resources and time to educate. This work is deceptively hard and just as candidates are often underestimated for their skills, so the job of UX is underestimated for it's need of experienced and focused professionals. Like most things in life, it's about balance I guess :-) Have a great weekend, -Dan On Mar 14, 2009, at 10:01 AM, Jared Spool wrote: On Mar 14, 2009, at 1:51 AM, dnp607 wrote: I often come across design managers who use the approach of assessing "demonstrated and comparable work" as a major hiring criteria. Jared nailed an important piece of the hiring puzzle with his comments and I agree completely - but, for balance, I humbly add: don't overlook candidates because they don't have the absolute, precise, mix of work you require. Dan, In most hiring scenarios, particularly for anyone who regularly visits this list, I agree with you completely. However, Scott's scenario was specific: the hiring manager (who I assumed would be the candidate's manager) didn't have any UX experience (and, I assumed, neither did anyone else in the org). In this case, I'd recommend against deviating too much from demonstrable comparable direct experience, because without the UX experience, it would be hard to tell if it translates well. Scott's scenario is rare (extremely so amongst our direct community). But, it's happening more and more. Jared Jared M. Spool User Interface Engineering 510 Turnpike St., Suite 102, North Andover, MA 01845 e: jsp...@uie.com p: +1 978 327 5561 http://uie.com Blog: http://uie.com/brainsparks Twitter: jmspool UIE Web App Summit, 4/19-4/22: http://webappsummit.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] How to hire an interaction designer?
I often come across design managers who use the approach of assessing "demonstrated and comparable work" as a major hiring criteria. Jared nailed an important piece of the hiring puzzle with his comments and I agree completely - but, for balance, I humbly add: don't overlook candidates because they don't have the absolute, precise, mix of work you require. For instance, I recently worked with a manager who needed someone with desktop application design experience. We found someone who had worked on web mainly, but had a great portfolio displaying amazing skills in visual thinking, logic through wireframes and writing communication. The first instinct was to overlook this person, but we pushed to have them back for another round of interviews. Turns out they hired this person and it's been a great relationship - better, in fact, as the person had incredibly solid design thinking skills and came up to speed in no time to assist in other projects such as a a web interface! You can have it all when hiring employees. Just remember that the dynamics of design productivity are more than a portfolio of micro- focused projects. Someone who has designed ten cell phones does not necessarily translate to someone who will make you a better cell phone on the eleventh try; or that they can grow into something more with your organization. I've made a habit of hiring the person first and the skills second whenever possible. Again, this doesn't negate what you said Jared - just a balancing point to caution against going a little too far with the definition of "demonstrated and comparable work". Best, -Dan On Mar 13, 2009, at 2:38 PM, Jared Spool wrote: So, we work hard to focus purely on those candidates who have demonstrated comparable work to the stated objectives. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Fun with comics (or storyboards!)
Very useful, thanks Adrian. I love that they have Vector versions available too - these will prove quite useful. Pixton looks to be quite interesting too, thank you Pat - checking it out this afternoon. Candy: Bitstrips is interesting. The interface is a bit more daunting for the first timer, but I'm going to see if my group likes it. Best, -Dan On Mar 9, 2009, at 9:04 AM, Adrian Howard wrote: On 9 Mar 2009, at 07:07, dnp607 wrote: Hi Troy, I was thinking it would be great to have a palette of images including (though just off the top of my head): [snip] You might want to lake at these: http://designcomics.org/ A bunch of trez useful assets for exactly that sort of thing. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Fun with comics (or storyboards!)
Hi Troy, I was thinking it would be great to have a palette of images including (though just off the top of my head): - Generic human forms in different states of standing, sitting, walking etc. - Generic human hands in different states of action - pressing, tapping, etc... - Generic user Interface elements such as buttons, windows, sliders etc... - Office space elements such as desks, chairs, tabletops... - Generic cell phones, keypads, mice and other input devices - Different types of frames to which items above could fit into, like comic book frames; various motifs like window frames? If these items were vector-exportable, even better. The real benefit here would be the objects themselves, but also the quick and easy framework they could fit into. Honestly, I have hundred (maybe thousands) of images I've vectorized - usually from photos of myself, my surroundings or items I have, converted into Illustrator - but a good framework to assemble them that I could give to my co-workers to express their ideas (they don't use or want to learn Illustrator) would be excellent! Best, -Dan On Mar 8, 2009, at 10:56 PM, Troy Gardner wrote: I've built things identical to it, curious what shapes would you want? Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Fun with comics (or storyboards!)
Well, what the heck, I sent the site creators a quick note to see if they would be interested in an expanded version of the site specifically for interaction design :-) Looks like a fun little tool! Have fun, Best, -Dan On Mar 8, 2009, at 10:09 PM, dnp607 wrote: I was hunting around tonight and found a link to this site: http://stripgenerator.com/create/ ...it struck me that a simple site like this with basic human shapes would be great for quick story-boarding on the fly. I use Illustrator and a full set of images that I've created over the years - but I can see something like this being useful for non-pro's who want to express ideas. I enjoyed the interface as well! No connection to the site, just a fun find. Best, -Dan Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Fun with comics (or storyboards!)
I was hunting around tonight and found a link to this site: http://stripgenerator.com/create/ ...it struck me that a simple site like this with basic human shapes would be great for quick story-boarding on the fly. I use Illustrator and a full set of images that I've created over the years - but I can see something like this being useful for non-pro's who want to express ideas. I enjoyed the interface as well! No connection to the site, just a fun find. Best, -Dan Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Do you work from a home office?
Hi All, I wanted to get a pulse on how you feel about designers who work a good amount of their time from a home office. I've noticed that most companies prefer 9-5 onsite employees. The reasoning that most often comes up is that it's "corporate culture" and better for communication. However, I've never been able to get comfortable with being creative in a cubicle... More, I've found that my ability to communicate is run by email and phone most of the time whether I'm onsite or not. Perhaps I'm idealistic, but I get so much work done by attending meetings on site as needed, then retiring to complete my work. I can blast music, pet my cat, make phone calls without needed to hush down for fear of bothering others... it's just conducive to productivity. My gas mileage is better to boot :) I've read about how many organizations are progressive in dealing with such things, but to be honest, it hasn't materialized outside of consulting work. What are your experiences? Is this still considered a "privilege" or has the mindset changed? Thanks for any input! -Dan Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] IxD Portfolios @ Interviews: What Do You Do?
Hi Karen, Can I impose on you to describe an example of how this item would be accomplished? I'm curious if you'd seen this done well, and how it was achieved. Thanks for the great description, -Dan - I always ask to see more strategic documents, illustrating how decisions got made based on user research and business goals. Many candidates did not have examples of this nature. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Microsoft Surface and Windows 7
Glad to help. Forgot to append these links to get the ball rolling: http://www.touchuserinterface.com Also, a neat dissertation on the subject: http://tinyurl.com/9cfkh7 Best, -Dan --- Dan Peknik * Industrial/Interaction Design NASA Ames Research Center * Moffett Field, California --- On Jan 7, 2009, at 1:07 PM, Jake Trimble wrote: BTW...Dan, Thank you so much for your post! That was the type of response I was trying to incite. I would love to see your paper if you ever are able to write it. -Jake Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Microsoft Surface and Windows 7
Hi Jake, I think some talented designers from Stimulant in San Francisco might be on the list to comment. They're doing great work in this area and are most qualified to comment. I can pipe in with some realizations I had during my limited experience working on Surface design(s). Hope it helps a little. * Human factors: became more important in the design process. Users having both hands or multiple fingers on the screen really meant having to think about limits of human anatomy more. How might this technology help or alienate the handicapped? * Multiple user interactions: The surface table has an added challenge of multiple users sharing the same device, so dealing with simple screen real-estate, making best use of the physical and social interactions between users and designing new and interesting methods for such interactions is both challenging and fun. I really was amazed how much intellectual property there is in this space - despite being worked on by major companies, it's wide open. * Consistency of interaction: Designing for this space means that the connection between visual cues and user actions is more complex. For instance, what signals a user that they can touch multiple sides of a window simultaneously? How might an interface convey to the user multiple-fingers can be used to select and object for differing behavior? One finger means x, while two, three or more means y. Where do the menus fall if hands are in the way during this procedure? Architecture is king in this space - and I can't say enough how many more variables are introduced by the addition of multi-touch, multi- user. This will tax our skills as designers. To your excellent question about preemptive measures... being exposed to the technology is a good first step. We all have relatively active imaginations and some hands-on time with a surface table might light up the issues at hand. I think your enquiry is on time rather than too early. This technology is being defined now and will be making it's way into devices regularly. I'd love to write a very complete paper defining architecture consistency in this space... What "best practices" should be applied to multi-touch/multi-user interfaces? Best, -Dan --- Dan Peknik * Industrial/Interaction Design NASA Ames Research Center * Moffett Field, California --- On Jan 7, 2009, at 10:46 AM, Jake Trimble wrote: I was just wondering what people thought about the new Microsoft Surface. Has anyone had a chance to demo it or play with the SDK? Also, any thoughts on how interaction design will be impacted with MS Surface technology being used with Windows 7 (due out late 09 early 10)? What preemptive measures can we take to deal with the shift in how a user interacts (touch screen vs mouse) with applications on there desktop pc or laptop? http://www.microsoft.com/SURFACE/index.html Thanks, Jake Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] IxD in government
Hi William, I work as a contractor at NASA and have also spent some years on DHS projects in the past. As far as I know, it's quite rare to find positions marked with this specific career goal. At NASA it's not titled "Interaction Design" per se, rather, Human Factors. NASA has done a tremendous amount of work researching how humans interact with machines since it's inception as an organization - and since the digital age (which they helped to create) has overtaken analog, I would agree they are behind industry, but not behind the curve. They employ many traditional methods of IxD and I if given the right financial climate, are poised to have a renaissance in this area. Much of Human Factors has been based in the psychology study area, but more and more we are impressing the bigger picture of interaction. For instance, in the arenas of FAA, Aeronautics and Space, prototyping and critique of inherently complex software interfaces has become a huge time saver. That need has pulled IxD along for the ride. The need to visualize before deployment has researchers asking an important question: "Can this [software/hardware] look and function more effectively?" and "Who knows how to do that?".. San Jose State, CMU and others have been offering programs that work with NASA for some time. That said, I honestly don't know of anyone else at NASA or DHS doing IxD directly. Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Web Design and the like - yes... IxD, no. It's a little lonely at times, but exciting in terms of the huge possibility for improvement. I'd be happy to talk about starting a grass roots effort in this area and even creating a proposal. In all honestly, the financial and changing political climate makes this a bad time to pitch ideas. Not a bad idea to get *ready* to pitch ideas and prepare for a new administration though. In my admittedly limited estimation, such an effort would require a big commitment, perhaps even a big sacrifice to achieve. On the other hand, my parents always told me to be careful what I asked for... NASA has been an amazing experience, and I've been pleased at the level of progress made in my group(s). In this case, your tax dollars are going to a worthy task. :) Best, -Dan -- Dan Peknik, Industrial/Interaction Design NASA Ames Research Center * Bay Area, California -- On Oct 10, 2008, at 11:42 AM, William Brall wrote: Howdy everyone, I've spent my career working through various government agencies - NASA, DOD - and one of the most nerve-racking aspects of software development in here is how far they lag behind the curve. It is to the point where almost all of the people I interact with haven't the slightest inkling of what IxD is. Sometimes they don't even ask the bad questions like, "Do you mean designing button graphics and such?" Software, especially web software in the government sector is so remarkably bad that they actually have internal marketing campaigns inside an organization to promote new sub-sections of their vast web-presences. Recently, I attended the AUSA conference to help promote Army.mil and the army CMS CORE, and almost everyone who came to our booth assumed we were AKO (Army Knowledge Online) which is the Army's Intranet. My question here is two-fold. Are there any other IxDs who work in government, as IxDs or stubbornly supporting IxD while under other titles, and if there are, what are your thoughts on how to help the government at large to embrace IxD? Perhaps if we can band together, in-government-IxDs and out, we can effect some change. Or perhaps my own time working for the government (as a contractor) has been unique. I hope it has been, I fear it has not. Thoughts? 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 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] Blogger versus WordPress versus TypePad
I was swayed by the fact that Wordpress's documentation is stellar, informative and downright educational - especially with respect to CSS. Best, -D On Jul 22, 2008, at 10:15 AM, Tiago Marques wrote: Hello creative people, Can I get your opinion on blogging services? I'm unsure on which one to start using: Blogger, WordPress or TypePad. 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] Contextual awareness on mobile apps
Thanks Bryan, I'll check it out. I'll also be on the lookout for other contextual apps - I'm just fascinated with this concept... Best, -Dan On Jul 15, 2008, at 1:01 PM, Bryan J Busch wrote: Dan, Did you see the mobile version of OmniFocus? From their intro page (http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnifocus/iphone/): %u201CUsing your location, OmniFocus can create a custom list of actions to complete nearby. Buying groceries? OmniFocus can show you the closest grocery store and create an instant shopping list.%u201D In fact, I just now noticed that it can run standalone on the iPhone (not needing to sync with my Mac at home), so I'm going to pay for it right now and see how things go. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=31360 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 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] Contextual awareness on mobile apps
I've been watching the growth of contextual awareness in mobile apps recently There are several GPS, positionally aware apps... but I wonder where else this contextual awareness can go? What else do people want to know about their social networks beyond location awareness? Events and shared interests are well traveled... In general, the more (reliably) connected mobile devices become the more opportunity for contextual awareness of the world around me... but how? Best, -Dan -- Dan Peknik Industrial..Interaction Design NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California -- 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] iphone 3g and new apps?
Hi Michele, I've been using a 3G since launch; some impressions: - My 3G iPhone is more honest about my reception. The 2G phone had 3 bars in my house, but the call quality was... well, it was bad. The 3G says zero bars and means it. Same reception as 2G, more honest readings. Don't know what's better, really. Optimism or realism :) Many have reported better reception with the 3G, but I've seen the opposite if anything. Also, not sure if this is a "thing", but when I cross from 3G to Edge coverage during a call, I drop. Something goofy is going on. Also, 3G indoor coverage is not good at all. I get Edge indoors without much issue, but 3G... not so much. For instance, I have Edge in my living room. Walk out the front door, 3G. Walk back in, nada. - I like the app store and there's some good stuff in there (love yelp and google), but some of the apps are truly weak. For instance, I wanted a simple app that allowed me to track calories. There is such a thing, but it's just full of bugs and there is no return policy for apps at all. Buyer beware and do read the responses from other users. Many apps are good, and the ratings will tell the tale. Also, this can only get better with time as more developers come online. At the moment, many of these seem very homegrown and lacking in stability and professional support and/or polish. Lastly, battery life. I turn Location Services off most of the time to keep from draining quickly. It also helps to leave 3G off unless needed, but that's yielded less of a return that disabling Location Services. Conclusion: I like it and am so far happy. When 3G is available, it's so nice. The Location Services help, but are less optimal than the real turn by turn GPS I had on Verizon (and AT&T with a Blackberry)... Some say turn-by-turn will never come to the iPhone due to GPS power, others say hogwash. We'll see... The app store is good, but will be great once more stable and professional apps come online. Also, I do hope for some sort of comprehensive return policy for the more "bogus" apps. At the moment, it's a fly-paper scenario that some uneducated users get stuck in. Good luck! -Dan On Jul 13, 2008, at 7:45 AM, Michele Marut wrote: All, Has anyone had the chance to try out the new iphone 3g and the new apps available? If so , what are your thoughts? Michele 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 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] Open source wireframe software
Hi Oliver, While not specifically for wireframing, I've been using "CMapTools" for both concept mapping and some basic wireframing as well. I don't know of any free tools that come close to a tool like Axure though. http://cmap.ihmc.us/download/ Good luck in your search, -Dan - Dan Peknik * SF Bay Area Interaction & Industrial Design - On Jun 13, 2008, at 9:32 AM, oliver green wrote: Hi All, Any recommendations for an open source wireframe tool? Something that is similar to Axure - the license is too expensive for me. Thanks, Oliver 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] What do you do best?
Seems like some things come easy - humbly, for me it's always been the ideation and visualization of ideas. I stay up at night thinking through new ideas and have always been oddly suited to paradigm- shifting concepts. The sketching/conceptual creation phase and being a catalyst for new ideas (in myself and others) is natural. Also, composition - the "big picture" of how things come together from smaller pieces I thought it was by schooling and training, but I'm finding through critique and empirical data of my work that it's just who I am. Accepting and working with this skill has made my career so much more enjoyable and fruitful... The trick was to harness that into usable, concrete ideas - and that's where the experience of apprenticing, professional work and practice has been most useful. Hope that helps you query... -Dan Dan Peknik Interaction/Industrial Design On May 23, 2008, at 6:39 AM, Jack Moffett wrote: As an Interaction Designer (or Interface Designer, Information Architect, Usability Specialist, etc.), what is it that you do best? Curious, Jack Jack L. Moffett Interaction Designer inmedius 412.459.0310 x219 http://www.inmedius.com If there's anything more annoying than a machine that won't do what you want, it's a machine that won't do what you want and has been programmed to behave as though it likes you. - Don Norman 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 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] Need suggestions for iconography
Hi Rob, Design is so much fun - heck, you gave away the fun part! Here's a super quick ideation page for you: http://www.peknik.com/temporary/IxDN.jpg I couldn't spend any real time on it and had to use my iPhone for the pictures, but what the heck... The ideation process was as follows: 1) Identify key inspirational words: advance/d test assess skill level education challenge forward progress movement climb accomplish education achievement success 2) Sketch or google for some ideas that represent these words... you can do this as a group exercise or alone. I enjoy both. ...If you were to continue, you'd just: 3) Refine the ideas (Design, Test, Repeat) ...from this fast 10 minute exercise, I like the astronaut concept. It applies to both children and adults, embodies the ideas in the word list, and is internationally understood to mean "difficult but exciting journey to arrived safely with great success". Have fun, -Dan Dan Peknik Interaction/Industrial Design Bay Area California On May 9, 2008, at 7:48 AM, Rob Mitchell wrote: Hello All, This is my first post to the group. I'm going to admit that the discussion topics each day are really enlightening. I'm involved in a project (educational software) whereby we need to come up with an icon that represents a test the user takes to assess their skill level before they proceed with with more advanced functionality. The icon will be standard windows icon size. Any suggestions for icon depiction? Thanks Rob 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 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] Interaction Designer in new Ford Commercial
I did see this one! It cracked me up a little as I just finished researching and designing a GPS interface for a Northern Cali company... The commercial had me thinking about how quickly in-car nav systems are becoming obsolete to handheld and phone versions. Most of the people I interviewed in my research ended up either using, or planning to use a handheld or phone system due to portability, upgrade or end-of-life issues. ...not to hijack the thread, but has anyone seen the Prius' built-in nav system? I'm working on a paper now where this system is the prime example of usability faux pas. The Infinity system, in contrast, was better. It was truly educational to see how each of the system (Garmin, TomTom, built-ins) dealt with the unique issues of this space. I'm just fascinated with these mobile design spaces. Best, -Dan Dan Peknik Interaction/Industrial Design Bay Area California 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] At what point does a mailing list become counter-productive?
For what it's worth, I enjoy seeing the job postings, announcements and even the occasional feel-good off-topic question. The list has garnered a huge gathering of talent and momentum - a threaded mailing list view might be your answer, but I vote to keep it as is (and growing). I've learned so much here, and it seems to be a never ending trove of great people and information in one big, wonderful soup-of-the day. Static is always the price to pay for popularity. Regarding recruiters: this career is exploding - when the recruiters stop knocking and looking for people, worry! We're in a recession and the jobs still abound - smile, it's a good time for us! I'm enjoying the growth and opportunities of this creative and interesting career path. Apologies if this offends - just wanted to voice a positive opinion of thanks and great respect to the people here. -Dan On Mar 27, 2008, at 8:15 AM, Zack Frazier wrote: > Here goes ... > > First, I admit that I am not an IA but rather a developer who believes > in creating a synergy with IAs and designers to help solve our common > problems. > > That being said, this list has become unmanageable. > > There are great discussions happening here but it is becoming > increasingly hard to find them amongst the job postings, event > announcements, feel-good off-topic questions, and especially the > numerous snarky replies. I mean there were 15 replies to the Nannybot > etiquette post ... we get that you're all clever and witty. > > I understand this is a balancing act. Some people want to lurk and > some want this to be their second home. Ultimately, what should a non- > IA like me get from this list? > > Has the possibility of breaking into multiple lists been discussed? I > fear that a monolithic list could further silo this community even > while members are saying traditional walls in the industry need to go > away. > > Have any list personas been created? > > Zack Frazier > -- > Senior Developer > VSA Partners, Inc. > 1347 South State Street > Chicago, Illinois 60605 > http://www.vsapartners.com > > > > > > > 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 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] Silicon Valley IxDA Meeting, Wednesday, January 16, at Google Mountain View
> Date & Time: > Wednesday, January 16, 2008 > 6:30-7:30 pm—Socializing and Refreshments > 7:30-9:30 pm--Program and Q&A > > Location: > Google > 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway > Mountain View, California 94043 > > > Go to the Lobby of Building 41 to sign in with security, who will then > escort you to the event in Building 40. Hi Pabini, I drove over for this event - at 6:40 building 41 had no attendant in the lobby, it was breezy and cold, and there were no instructions... so I left. A few of us were milling around and the guards at Building 40 weren't helpful. Perhaps I missed something obvious? Apologies if so. If someone recorded this session, please let me know! All the best, -Dan *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] How do I send a Flash prototype to a small/non-pc screen?
Hi Michele, I've successfully used two methods for this: 1_ Created a screen based mockup of the actual hardware. It's 2D, but if this is proof-of-concept and hands-on isn't critical, it's a good way to go. I used a password protected website to host the application and sent prospective users to it. 2_ Deployed a prototype into a small HP PocketPC with attached keyboard. Flash, Illustrator and Photoshop can export directly to this screen size. PocketPC runs the Flash VM. This worked quite well, and I was even able to embed the PocketPC into a larger foam model. Regards, -Dan -- Dan Peknik * Interaction/Industrial Design NASA Ames Research Center * Moffett Field, CA. -- On Jan 16, 2008, at 8:38 AM, Michele Marut wrote: > > How do I send a Flash prototype to a non-pc screen? > What type of screen and connections do I need? > *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] Embedded Interaction Design?
Thanks Pauric, Dan, Dave, Michele - I appreciate the feedback. I think the straightforward approach is best and will update my portfolio towards that end. Also, re-assess medical as a target area. I've had excellent interactions with recruiters in the past and it can be a symbiotic relationship. It's a tough field to pin down and I want to be as specific as possible. There will be confusion, but I can minimize it. All the best, -Dan -- Dan Peknik * Interaction/Industrial Design NASA Ames Research Center * Moffett Field, CA. -- On Jan 5, 2008, at 10:28 PM, dnp607 wrote: > Happy New Year All! > > I was hoping to tap the collective consciousness with a career > direction question... I'm keen to work on projects that have a > hardware component as the deployment platform: Cell, GPS, PDA, Set > Top, embedded, etc... I just feel better suited to this realm based > on experience and Industrial Design training... I've been getting a > LOT of call for web work, but prefer to stay focused on my chosen > area of expertise. > > How can I communicate this to prospective contracts, hiring managers > or would-be suitors? Is it sufficient to say "I prefer to do embedded/ > hardware based IxDN" ? Is there a succinct subcategory of Interaction > Design that best defines this area? I hope this isn't too limiting; > there certainly appears to be a great call for it based on my > interactions with products... > > It's my hope to influence a shipping (hard) product in my contracting > moving forward. > > Thanks for any input and all the best, > -Dan > > -- > Dan Peknik * Interaction/Industrial Design > NASA Ames Research Center * Moffett Field, CA. > -- > > > > > > > *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] Embedded Interaction Design?
Happy New Year All! I was hoping to tap the collective consciousness with a career direction question... I'm keen to work on projects that have a hardware component as the deployment platform: Cell, GPS, PDA, Set Top, embedded, etc... I just feel better suited to this realm based on experience and Industrial Design training... I've been getting a LOT of call for web work, but prefer to stay focused on my chosen area of expertise. How can I communicate this to prospective contracts, hiring managers or would-be suitors? Is it sufficient to say "I prefer to do embedded/ hardware based IxDN" ? Is there a succinct subcategory of Interaction Design that best defines this area? I hope this isn't too limiting; there certainly appears to be a great call for it based on my interactions with products... It's my hope to influence a shipping (hard) product in my contracting moving forward. Thanks for any input and all the best, -Dan -- Dan Peknik * Interaction/Industrial Design NASA Ames Research Center * Moffett Field, CA. -- *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
