Week 6- by Tang Yook Meng

User Centred Design.

1. Simplicity.

• Simplicity is not simple
• Designing for simplicity is a process of elimination.
• It also forces you to have a good reason for everything.
• In film, it's called Foreshadowing
• As Albert Einstein once said : "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.”

2. Chunking.

• Definition: chunking is the elements of perception with memory.
• Presentation of information which is simplified by dividing it up to bite size for easy storage. Forming chunks in working memory depends on how information is presented.

3. Contrast.

• Definition: contrast is a difference along a visual dimension which means size or color.
• It is irregular in design that also considered as communicates information and makes elements stand out.

4. Visual Variables.

• Visual Variables are used for communication by encoding data and drawing distinctions between visual elements.
• There are two ways that visual variables work on perception: selectivity and associativity.

*Selective is the degree to which single value can be selected from the entire visual field by using position, size, orientation, hue, value, texture.

*Most variable are selective. You can locate green object at a glance, or tiny objects. (Shape, is not selective in general. It’s hard to pick selective in general.)

*Associativity is the opposite of selectivity. It is easy to ignore the variable and let it all blend together into one another.

5. There are 6 gestalt principles:

• Proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, area and symmetry.

6.UCD (User Centred Design)

(The differences between system centred design and user centred design is system centred design is system attributes first while user centred design is human attributes first is system centred design is system attributes first while user centred design is human attributes first.)

• UCD shifts focus from the designer of the applications to the user of that application/system/website to the user of the application/system/website.
• The difficulties of UCD is a good design is not always means that is has satisfied the customer. Design is evolves and also is a the collaboration between designers and customers. If the input from user is wrong, then the system will suffer.

• In a word, UCD is participatory design.
• Therefore, REMEBERS:

*USERS are the first class members in design process. It actives collaborators versus passive participants.

*USERS considered to know best about the subject matter included all the work context.

• The easiest way is talk to them.
• The problems that faced by users:

* USERS are hard to get a good pool of end users to test the product, either is expensive or reluctance, etc.

* USERS are not expert designers, so don’t expect them to come up with great design ideas .,

* USERS are not always the right, don't expect too much from them.

week 6 - Leng Cheok Kuan

Human perception
Chunking, visual variables, Gestalt Principles of Grouping

Graphic Design Guidelines
Simplicity, contrast, white space, balance, alignment

What is simplicity?

Week 6 lecturer slide mention that designing for simplicity is a process of elimination. Besides, simplicity forces you to have a good reason for everything. In film it’s called FORESHADOWING: Simplicity is not simple.

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
-Albert Einstein-

Chunking
What is chunking? The element of perception + memory = chunks. The presentation of information is simplified by diving it up. Forming chunks in working memory depends on how information is presented.

Contrast
Contrast is a difference along visual dimension (size or color). Communicates information and makes element stand out is irregularities in design.

Visual Variables
Visual variables are used for communication by encoding data and drawing distinction between visual elements. Selectivity and associatively are the 2 ways that visual variables work on perception. Selectivity means degree to which a single value can be selected from the entire visual field. Jaques Bertin defined Visual Variables consisting of position, size, orientation, hue, value, texture…

The Gestalt Principles
1. Proximity
2. Similarity
3. Continuity
4. Closure
5. Area
6. Symmetry

User Centred Design (UCD)

UCD shifts focus from the designer of the application /system/ web site to the user of that application /system/ web site.
The difficulties of UCD, good design not always satisfied customer. Design is a collaboration between designers and customers. UCD is participatory design, the problem of UCD : misunderstandings, interviews are not precise.

The method of involving the user is TALK TO THEM. Other than that, contextual interviews + site visits, interviews, prototyping, focus groups, direct observations, and others.

week 6 - Yau Fen Nie

- User Centred Design -

Human perception - Chunking, visual variables, gestalt principle

Graphic design guidelines - simplicity, contrast, white space, balance, alignments

simplicity, process of elimination. simplicity is NOT simple!!

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"--Albert Einstein

chunking -> elements of perceptions + memory = chunks

contrast - differences along a visual dimension (size/color)

visual variables - used for communication. 2 ways, selectivity & associativity

User Centred Design (UCD) - shift focus from designer to user. UCD --> Participating Design

Week 6 - by Lee Chen Yau

According week 6 lecturer class, simplicity is not simple. Designing for simplicity is a process of elimination and simplicity forces you to have a good reason for everything. In film it's called Foreshadowing.

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

Albert Einstein

The elements of perception + memory = chunking.

Presentation of information is simplified by dividing it up. Bite size for easy storage. Forming chunks in working memory depends on how information in presented.

Tell me about contrast?

Contrast, differences along a visual dimension either in size or color. Contrast is irregularities in design that communicates information and makes elements stand out.

Visual variables are used for communication by encoding data and drawing distinctions between visual  elements. There are two ways of visual variables which are selectivity & associativity. Most variables are selective but shape is not selective in general because it is hard to pick out triangles a midst a sea of rectangle.

The Gestalt Principles

1. Proximity

2. Similarity

3. Continuity

4. Closure

5. Area

6. Symmetry

What is UCD (User Centered Design)?

UCD shifts focus from the designer of the application to the user of that application. From Wikipedia, user centered design (UCD) is a design philosophy and a process in which the needs, wants, and limitations of end users of a product are given extensive attention at each stage of the design process. The difficulties of UCD is good design is not means that is has satisfied the customer. Design is the collaboration between designers and customers. In a word, UCD is participatory design. Remember users are set class members in the design process. It actives collaborators versus passive participants. Users considered to know best about the subject matter included the work context. Methods of involving the user, the easiest way is TALK TO THEM. The problem of users are hard to get a good pool of end users to test the product. We have to know that uses are not expert designers. Don't expect they would come out with the design ideas from scratch. User is not always right. Don't expect them to know what they want.

Reference:

Lecturer's notes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User-centered_design

Week 6 - by Alice Low Soo Ying

Simplicity

Simplicity is not simple. Designing for simplicity is a process of elimination and simplicity forces you to have a good reason for everything. In film it's called Foreshadowing.

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

Albert Einstein

Chunking

The elements of perception + memory = chunking. The presentation of information is simplified by dividing it up. Bite size for easy storage. Forming chunks in working memory depends on how information in presented.

Contrast 

Contrast, differences along a visual dimension either in size or color. Contrast is irregularities in design that communicates information and makes element stand out. For example, designer will use contrast color for design typo poster because it can grab people attention.

Visual Variables 

Visual variables are used for communication by encoding data and drawing distinctions between visual  elements. There are two ways of visual variables which are selectivity & associativity. Most variables are selective but shape is not selective in general because it is hard to pick out triangles a midst a sea of rectangle.

User-centered design (UCD) is an approach to design that grounds the process in information about the people who will use the product. UCD processes focus on users through the planning, design and development of a product.

Problems
• Misunderstandings.
• Interviews are not precise.
• Never know what happen in the future.

Solutions (REMEMBER)
• users are 1st class members in the design process
- active collaborators vs passive participants
• users considered to know best about the subject matter
- know all about the work content
• Iterative process
- all design stages subject to revision

Methods of Involving the User
The easiest way is to TALK TO THEM.

Problems of Users
• hard to get a good pool of end users to test your product. (expensive, reluctance)
• users are not expert designers. (don't accept them to come up with design idea from scratch)
• user are not always right. (don't expect them to know what they want)

Methods of involving the user
• Prototype
• Direct Observations
• Indirect Observations
• Interview
• Focus group
• Studying Documentary
• Contextual interviews + site visits


References:
http://www.upassoc.org/usability_resources/about_usability/what_is_ucd.html
http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-usability/user-centered-design.shtml

Week 5 - by Tang Yook Meng

WHAT IS GRAPHIC DESIGN?

About.com defines graphic design in this way:

"Graphic design is the process and art of combining text and graphics and communicating an effective message in the design of logos, graphics, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, and any other type of visual communication. Today's graphic designers often use desktop publishing software and techniques to achieve their goals."

The Scope of this Industry...

Designs can include: brochures, posters, magazine covers, magazine layouts, tickets, business cards, T-shirts, signs, logos, book layout (typesetting), importing advertisements into a newspaper, websites, cd covers, dvd interactivity elements, Internet banners, flash animation, web interfaces, iPad app interfaces, and more.

Another use of this art form is in print media: Newspapers, magazines and others in the industry use it to a large extent to design their covers and pages. Use of the modern art form makes the pages more eye catching and attractive to the readers.

Graphic designing is not possible without some level of artistic inclination in the designer. It requires a good eye for color and combinations for the overall picture to turn out well.

Graphic design basically is creative process that combines art and technology to communicate ideas using text and/or graphical elements. A graphic designer aim is to create something that is pleasing to the eye, and gets the attention of the viewer. In other words, you (as a graphic designer) have a message you want to communicate. How do you “send” it? Designer can use any visual medium at all-if you are making a poster; type a letter; create a business logo, a magazine ad, or an album cover; even make a computer printout-you are using a form of visual communication called graphic design.

Graphic designers work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computer-generated images (pictures), but they also design the letterforms that make up various typefaces found in movie credits and TV ads; in books, magazines, and menus; and even on computer screens. Designers create, choose, and organize these elements-typography, images, and the so-called “white space” around them-to communicate a message. Graphic design is a part of your daily life. From humble things like gum wrappers to huge things like billboards to the T-shirt you're wearing, graphic design informs, persuades, organizes, stimulates, locates, identifies, attracts attention and provides pleasure.

Image-based design

• To represent the ideas their clients want to communicate.
• Images can be incredibly powerful and compelling tools of communication, conveying not only information but also moods and emotions.
• People respond to images instinctively based on their personalities, associations, and previous experience.
• The images must carry the entire message; there are few if any words to help.
• Images may be photographic, painted, drawn, or graphically rendered in many different ways.
• For example, a chili pepper is hot, and this knowledge in combination with the image creates a visual pun.

Type-based design

• Rely on words to convey a message, but use words differently from the ways writers do.
• The words look like is as important as their meaning.
• The visual forms, whether typography (communication designed by means of the printed word) or handmade lettering, perform many communication functions.
• Arrest the public attention on a poster, identify the product name on a package or a truck, and present running text as the typography in a book does.

Image and type

• Combine images and typography to communicate a client's message to an audience.
• Designers explore the creative possibilities presented by words (typography) and images (photography, illustration, and fine art).
• Once a design concept is chosen, designers use illustrators and photographers as well as with typesetters and printers to create the final design product.

Symbols, logos and logotypes

• Special. Highly condensed information forms or identifiers.
• Symbols are abstract representation of a particular idea or identity to recognize as representing a particular concept or company.
• Logotypes are corporate identifications based on a special typographical word treatment. Some identifiers are hybrid, or combinations of symbol and logotype.
• Designer must have a clear vision of the corporation or idea to be represented and of the audience to which the message is directed.

http://www.aiga.org/guide-whatisgraphicdesign/

http://www.adigitaldreamer.com/articles/what-is-graphic-design.htm

week 5- what is graphic design? by Leng Cheok Kuan

Week 5 class was lectured by Mr. Radzi Bedu. We discussed about graphic design.

What is graphic design? Graphic Design is the combination of image, picture, information and communication.

Graphic design is a part of your daily life. For example, design of a T-shirt, TV ads, books, magazine and others. All this are relate to graphic design.
Other than that, someone says that, an image can tell hundred words. I agree with that, image can be incredibly powerful and compelling tools of communication. Graphic designers also work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computer-generated images (pictures), but they also design the letterforms that make up various typefaces found in movie credits and TV ads.
According to Wikipedia, Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form, for example printers, programmers, sign makers, etc.– undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience. The term "graphic design" can also refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines that focus on visual communication and presentation.
This is the URL that Mr. Radzi Bedu show us http://vimeo.com/14251169


http://www.aiga.org/guide-whatisgraphicdesign/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design

Week 5 - by Yau Fen Nie

Week 5 class was lectured by Mr. Radzi Bedu. We discussed about GRAPHIC DESIGN in class.

What is graphic design?

"Art of combining pictures, images and decoration in the process of creating medium of communication."

"Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form (i.e., printers, programmers, signmakers, etc.) – undertaken in order to convey a specific message (or messages) to a targeted audience. The term "graphic design" can also refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines that focus on visual communication and presentation."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design

Graphic designers work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computer-generated images (pictures), but they also design the letterforms that make up various typefaces found in movie credits and TV ads; in books, magazines, and menus; and even on computer screens. Designers create, choose, and organize these elements-typography, images, and the so-called “white space” around them-to communicate a message. Graphic design is a part of your daily life. From humble things like gum wrappers to huge things like billboards to the T-shirt you're wearing.

Graphic design informs, persuades, organizes, stimulates, locates, identifies, attracts attention and provides pleasure.

Graphic design is a creative process that combines art and technology to communicate ideas. The designer works with a variety of communication tools in order to convey a message from a client to a particular audience. The main tools are image and typography.

Week 5 - by Lee Chen Yau

In week 5, Mr. Radzi Bedu was our lecturer and the topic was Graphic Design. Many people hear about graphic design but don’t really know what it entails. People look at things all day every day that have been designed by a graphic designer. What is Graphic Design? Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form (i.e., printers, programmers, signmakers, etc.) – undertaken in order to convey a specific message (or messages) to a targeted audience. Graphic Design is a creative process that involves using shapes, colors, symbols, letters and images for an expression or to communicate a message.  Graphic design is the process in which many things are artistically designed to relay a message.

Graphic Design is an interdisciplinary, problem-solving activity which combines visual sensitivity with skill and knowledge in areas of communications, technology and business. Graphic design practitioners specialise in the structuring and organizing of visual information to aid communication and orientation. The graphic design process is a problem solving process, one that requires substantial creativity, innovation and technical expertise. An understanding of a client's product or service and goals, their competitors and the target audience is translated into a visual solution created from the manipulation, combination and utilisation of shape, color, imagery, typography and space.

Graphics Design informs, persuades, stimulates, locates, identifies, attracts attention, provides pleasure.

Images of Graphic Design:

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design

http://www.agda.com

Week 5 - by Alice Low Soo Ying

What is Graphic Design?

Good design makes a difference in our world. Whether it’s communicating a social ideal, helping a business attract clients, motivating people to join an organization, enabling citizens to vote for the candidate of their choice, or simply helping travelers find their way through a busy airport, good design means connection.

Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form (i.e., printers, programmers, signmakers, etc.) – undertaken in order to convey a specific message (or messages) to a targeted audience. The term "graphic design" can also refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines that focus on visual communication and presentation. The field as a whole is also often referred to as Visual Communication or Communication Design. Various methods are used to create and combine words, symbols, and images to create a visual representation of ideas and messages. A graphic designer may use typography, visual arts and page layout techniques to produce the final result. Graphic design often refers to both the process (designing) by which the communication is created and the products (designs) which are generated.

Common uses of graphic design include identity (logos and branding), web sites, publications (magazines, newspapers, and books), advertisements and product packaging. For example, a product package might include a logo or other artwork, organized text and pure design elements such as shapes and color which unify the piece. Composition is one of the most important features of graphic design, especially when using pre-existing materials or diverse elements.

Image-based design

Designers develop images to represent the ideas their clients want to communicate. Images can be incredibly powerful and compelling tools of communication, conveying not only information but also moods and emotions. People respond to images instinctively based on their personalities, associations, and previous experience. For example, you know that a chili pepper is hot, and this knowledge in combination with the image creates a visual pun.

Type-based design

In some cases, designers rely on words to convey a message, but they use words differently from the ways writers do. To designers, what the words look like is as important as their meaning. The visual forms, whether typography (communication designed by means of the printed word) or handmade lettering, perform many communication functions. They can arrest your attention on a poster, identify the product name on a package or a truck, and present running text as the typography in a book does. Designers are experts at presenting information in a visual form in print or on film, packaging, or signs.

Image and type

Designers often combine images and typography to communicate a client's message to an audience. They explore the creative possibilities presented by words (typography) and images (photography, illustration, and fine art). It is up to the designer not only to find or create appropriate letterforms and images but also to establish the best balance between them.

Symbols, logos and logotypes

Symbols and logos are special, highly condensed information forms or identifiers. Symbols are abstract representation of a particular idea or identity. The CBS “eye” and the active “television” are symbolic forms, which we learn to recognize as representing a particular concept or company. Logotypes are corporate identifications based on a special typographical word treatment. Some identifiers are hybrid, or combinations of symbol and logotype. In order to create these identifiers, the designer must have a clear vision of the corporation or idea to be represented and of the audience to which the message is directed.

Graphic design have the ability to publish anything that is written and there is a difference in layout, compared to that of the printed paper. Not only that, it also can help people to connect with their audience and reach their business goals.

Week 4 - by Tang Yook Meng

Creator of Affordances - James Jerome Gibson

The concept of an affordance was coined by the perceptual American psychologist, J.J. Gibson (1904-1979). Gibson defined an "affordance" as the quality of an object, or an environment, that allows an individual to perform an action. According to his theory, perception of the environment inevitably leads to some course of action. Affordances, or clues in the environment that indicate possibilities for action, are perceived in a direct, immediate way with no sensory processing. Examples include: buttons for pushing, knobs for turning, handles for pulling, levers for sliding, etc.

Gibson’s affordance is independent of the actor's ability to perceive it. A door can have the affordance of 'open-ability' (its affordance relative to the actor) but can be hidden, camouflaged or likewise (the information specifying its affordance are not available to the actor). On the other hand, when both the affordance (the door can be opened by the actor) and the information in the environment that specifies the affordance (the door is visible, has a handle etc.) are present, a state of direct perception is reached. The environment thus affords many potential actions to the active observer. For Gibson, the affordance resides outside the observer; it is in the environment, but only potentially, for it depends on the relationship between the environment and an active observer.

Gibson's Affordances

• Action possibilities in the environment in relation to the action capabilities of an actor
• Independent of the actor's experience, knowledge, culture, or ability to perceive
• Existence is binary - an affordance exists or it does not exist.
  

PERCEIVED AFFORDANCE

In design, designer care much more about what the user perceives than what is actually true, whether the user perceives that some action is possible.

· In product design, physical objects can be both real and perceived affordances, and the two need not be the same.

· In graphical, screen-based interfaces, all that the designer has available is control over perceived affordances.

The computer system, affords pointing, touching, looking, and clicking on every pixel of the display screen. Most of this affordance is of no value. Thus, if the display does not have a touch-sensitive screen, the screen still affords touching, but it has no result on the computer system.

However, the affordance still has impact: it is useful in multiple-person communication, and it helps aid the sale of screen-cleaning tissues and fluids. All screens afford touching: only some detect the touch and are capable of responding. But the affordance of touch-ability is the same in all cases. Touch sensitive screens often make their affordance visibly perceivable by displaying a cursor under the pointing spot. The cursor is not an affordance; it is visual feedback.

Consequently:

1. All design is persuasive.

2. Profitable to the client.

3. Persuasive technology is about persuading, although they aim to make more money.

4. The world needs persuasive technology.

http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/affordances_and_design.

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/J._J._Gibson#Affordances

http://www.interaction-design.org/encyclopedia/affordances.html

Week 4 - by Yau Fen Nie

AFFORDANCEs

"The customer is KING, King is always right, King never bargains."

Sometimes we have to decide : Affordance; Perceived Affordance; Forcing Function; Defaults; Implanting Behaviours; Persuasive Technology.

Affordance created by the psychologist J.J.Gibson, refers to the qualities of the physical world that suggest the possibility of interaction relative to the ability of an actor(person or animal) to interact. An affordance is a quality of an object, or an environment, which allows an individual to perform an action. Human affordances are perceivable potential actions that a person can do with an object. In terms of HCI, icons, folders, and buttons afford mouse-clicking, scrollbars afford sliding a button to view information off-screen, and drop-down menus show the user a list of options from which to choose. Similarly, pleasant sounds are used to indicate when a task has completed, signaling that the user may continue with the next step in a process. Examples of this are notifications of calendar events, new emails, and the completion of a file transfer.

The Point of affordances iss when affordances are taken advantage of, the user knows what to do just by looking; no picture, label, or instruction needed.

Affordances in GUI's :

-important concept

-buttons drawn as 3D shapes appear to "stick out" and afford pushing

-sliders and scroll bars afford dragging.

Refrences :

Lecture's notes

http://www.usabilityfirst.com/usability-methods/hci-design-approaches/

http://web.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~masanao/affordance/gibson.gif

Week 4 - by Lee Chen Yau

In week 4, lecturer teach us about affordance. From Wikipedia, an affordance is a quality of an object, or an environment, which allows an individual to perform an action. According to Norman (1988) an affordance is the design aspect of an object which suggest how the object should be used; a visual clue to its function and use.

Affordance Examples from Norman:
- Plates (on doors) are for pushing.
- Knobs are for turning.
- Slots are for inserting things into.
- Balls are for throwing or bouncing.
“When affordances are taken advantage of, the user knows what to do just by looking; no picture, label, or instruction needed.”


Nowadays there are a lot of design with intent means designing specific affordances and constraints to guide users. For example using forcing function- design a system so that the right behaviour must occur before the user can take the next step.

There are three types of forcing function: lock in, lock out and interlock.
Lock in: User cannot exit an operation until a certain condition is met.
Lock out: Makes starting some operations difficult.
Interlock: Combines elements of lock-ins and lock-outs.

Reference:
Lecturer's notes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordance
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/academic/class/15494-s08/lectures/affordances.pdf

Week 4 - by Alice Low Soo Ying

Lecture for this week is about affordance. Affordance is a term created by the perceptual psychologist J. J. Gibson to refer to the qualities of the physical world that suggest the possibility of interaction relative to the ability of an actor (person or animal) to interact. 

McGrenere and Ho presented three fundamental properties of an affordance as defined by Gibson:

• An affordance exists relative to the action capabilities of a particular actor.

• The existence of an affordance is independent of the actor’s ability to perceive it (emphasis added).

• An affordance does not change as the needs and goals of the actor change.

For example, the affordance of a branch as ‘a nice place to sit’ are dependent on:

• the qualities of the branch: how much weight it supports, how high of the ground it is.

• the capabilities of the actor: how much they weigh, ability to climb.

Based on the original definition and fundamental properties, affordance, in relation to interface design, relates more to (physical) input devices: mouse, keyboard, and stylus. When discussing the qualities of a graphical user interface, the preferred term is perceived affordance.

Perceived Affordance

• context: [where] the environment or process in which the element is displayed;

• culture: [society] the influence of societal ‘norms’ on the individual’s understanding and use of a object;

• instinct: [unconscious] an unconscious association, often linked to physical characteristics, for example, the size of an object in relation to the human form;

• mental model: [expectations] the user’s understanding and expectations of interaction with the object.

Forcing Functions

• Lock in: User cannot exit an operation until a certain condition is met.

• Lock out: Makes starting some operations difficult.

• Interlock: Combines elements of lock-ins and lock-outs.

In conclusion, affordances reflect the possible relationships among actors and objects: they are properties of the world. Designers can invent new real and perceived affordances, but they cannot so readily change established social conventions.

References:
http://www.motive.co.nz/glossary/perceived-affordance.php
http://architectures.danlockton.co.uk/category/forcing-functions/

Week 4 - by Leng Cheok Kuan

This week we learn about affordance. What is affordance? According to Wikipedia, An affordance is a quality of an object, or an environment, which allows an individual to perform an action. For example, a knob affords twisting, and perhaps pushing, while a cord affords pulling. Affordance is create by the psychologist J.J Gibson which refers to the qualities of the physical world that suggest the possibility of interaction relative to the ability of an actor ( person/animal) to interact.

Affordance in novel objects

How do you turn on shower?
How you know how to open?

The shower has its own structure, the layout and others.

Good Affordances:
Doors (knob- changing affordances)
- Shape of the door knob.

How do affordances apply to robotics?

- Robots must be able to deal with unfamiliar objects.
- Recognizing affordances can lead them to effective strategies
for interacting with objects.

Humans needs ways of instructing robots.
– Language for describing object interactions would be helpful.
– This is the language in which affordances are described

week 3 - by Leng Cheok Kuan

This week lecture talk about the problem of HCI and context of human and computer.
Human of information processing is about memory, perception, motor skills and problem solving. Other than that, language, communication and interaction are the aspects of language which are syntax, pragmatics, body language and others. The ergonomics, health, furniture, lighting, design for disabled are the relationship to environment. Hardware, software are the input and output devices. The basic software is architecture and technique for interacting with human and interaction style.

Expressive Interfaces
The expressive interface is color, icons, sound, graphical element + animation to make interface appealing. For example, building a relationship between the user and machine , to making it more natural and human-like.

Error Messages

“The application world has unexpectedly quit due to a type 2 error.”
Why not instead:
“The application has expectedly quit due to poor coding in the operating system”
The second error message is feeling like friendlier.

Supporting Anthropomorphism

Reeves and Naas (1996) found that computers that _atter + praise
users in education software program have positive impacts.

“Your question makes an important and useful distinction. Great job!”

Students were more willing to continue with exercises with this kind of feedback.

Week 3 - by Lee Chen Yau

In week 3, our lecturer still continue the HCI for us. Generally, poorly designed human-machine interfaces can lead to many unexpected problems. The problem is HUMAN + COMPUTER and context of human / context of computers.

Context of humans have the information processing (memory, perception, motor skills, problem solving), language, communication and interaction (syntax, pragmatics, body language) & ergonomics (relationship to environment: health, furniture, lighting, design for disabled).
Context of computers have the input and output devices (hardware, software).

Achieving Fit?
1. Expressive interfaces : Color, icons, sound, graphical elements + animations to make Interface
    appealing.
2. User frustration.
3. Persuasive technologies.
4. Anthropomorphism.
5. Conceptual models : between a ect + user experience.

Error Messages:

“The application Word has unexpectedly quit due to a type 2

error.”

Why not instead:

“the application has expectedly quit due to poor coding in the

operating system”

Shneiderman’s 5 guidelines for error messages :
- Avoid using terms like FATAL, INVALID, BAD.
- Audio warnings.
- Avoid UPPERCASE and long code numbers.
- Messages should be precise rather than vague.
- Provide context + sensitive help.

Reference:
Lecturer's notes

Week 3 - by Alice Low Soo Ying

For the previous week, HCI is introduced to us and for this week, we continue discuss about HCI but focus more on the problem of HCI. The most common problem occurs between the interaction of human and computer is the output of the machine is not always what the user wants. Computer use input and output devices to process information that are upload into it while human process information through language, communication, and interaction. Why is it important to achieve FIT?

Expressive Interfaces

• Colour, icons, sounds, graphical elements and animations are used to make the ‘look and feel’ of an interface appealing

– Conveys an emotional state

• In turn this can affect the usability of an interface

– People are prepared to put up with certain aspects of an interface (e.g. slow download rate) if the end result is very appealing and aesthetic.

User frustration

Causes:

•When an application doesn’t work properly or crashes

•When a system doesn’t do what the user wants it to do

•When a user’s expectations are not met

•When a system does not provide sufficient information to enable the user to know what to do 

•When error messages pop up that are vague, obtuse or condemning

•When the appearance of an interface is garish, noisy, gimmicky or patronizing

Anthropomorphism

• Attributing human-like qualities to inanimate objects

- Cars and computers.

• Well known phenomenon in advertising 

– Dancing butter, drinks, breakfast cereals

• Much exploited in human-computer interaction

– Make user experience more enjoyable, more motivating, make people feel at ease, reduce anxiety

Criticism of Anthropomorphism

•Deceptive, make people feel anxious, inferior or stupid.

•People tend not to like screen characters that point out mistakes.

•Many prefer the more impersonal.

•Studies have shown that personalized feedback is considered to be less honest + makes users feel less responsible for their actions.

What will human react when they see this? What will they feel? Definitely, human will be unhappy and will start stressed out with it. It might take times and sometimes still could not solve it. With the technology we have nowadays, people keep trying their best to create computers which are user friendly. In my opinion, humans are the most unpredictable part of any system and therefore the most difficult to model for HCI design. No matter how good the design is in the future, it will still end with human own preferences. 

References:

http://www.interaction-design.org/encyclopedia/human_computer_interaction_hci.html

http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/des_s99/human/

Week 3 - by Yau Fen Nie

In this lecture class, we still discussed about HCI but it is something difference between them. We learned about the problem of HCI(Human Computer Interaction) and the interaction of human to machine, techniques for achieving fit and how is the interfaces affect the users and usage.

Problems of HCI included two main parts which are human and computer.

Concept of human : feeling, emotion, etc ; While computer : mechanical, information,etc.

Achieving Fit:
- expressive interface
- user frustration
- persuasive technology
- anthropomorphism
- conceptual models affecting users and models