Wharton’s four questions for user-centered HCI

Tale of two tutorials

4 questions for a cognitive walkthrough:

• How do users know their goal is attainable?
• How do users know what to do?
• How will users know they have done the right thing?
• How will users know they have attained their goal?

Now this may come as something of a surprise if you are primarily involved in HCI, but these questions are profound to software and web site developers since most will never have considered user interaction in this way

Mathematical intuitions and pedagogy

http://betterexplained.com/articles/developing-your-intuition-for-math/

Learning a new math concept requires building an intuition to it through examples, not grasping the simplest mathematical definition upfront.

Semiotic Engineering of HCI

I've recently stumbled upon the book "The Semiotic Engineering of Human-Computer Interaction" and I'm going through it now.

It offers a thorough foundation of Human Computer Interaction as a discipline, following an alternate approach which tries to complement usual HCI practice.

Semiotics is "the study of signs and signification", so it views HCI as an ongoing communication process between the software designer and its user - using the particular software artifacts as the form of messages, and describing the whole process with the established vocabulary and insight of the semiotic science. So far it has added some perspective to my other readings on this subject. In particular it gives a sound justification to those techniques often considered less scientific because of their lack of hard data (heuristic evaluation, user personas, scenarios & storytelling...)

This article from Celeste Lyn Paul, HCI Foundations: Theoretical Frameworks talks about other theoretical frameworks.

HCI Foundations: Theoretical Frameworks

Las 4 posturas del diseño de interacción

Fuente: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~afb21/CognitiveDimensions/CDtutorial.pdf

Pilares del diseño de interacción

Las 4 categorías de actividades de usuario (incrementation, transcription, modification, exploratory design)

• Incremento: introducción de nueva información no existente en el sistema.

Añadir un nuevo registro a una tabla; añadir una fórmula a una hoja de cálculo.

• Transcripción: transformación de un tipo de información otro tipo de información diferente, manteniendo esencialmente los mismos contenidos.

Copiar de detalles de un libro a una tarjeta de índice; traducir una fórmula matemática a una en términos de la hoja de cálculo.

• Modificación: alteración/edición de los contenidos de la información.

Cambiar los términos del índice en un catálogo de la biblioteca; cambiar la disposición de una hoja de cálculo; modificar la hoja de cálculo para calcular un problema distinto.

• Diseño exploratorio: manipulación de la información con un objetivo, pero sin conocer la forma final deseada.

Diseño tipográfico; dibujar bosquejos o esquemas; programación “sobre la marcha” (`hacks’)

Fuente: Cognitive dimensions

CORE: un engine lógico para usabilidad

CORE es " Constraint-based Optimal Reasoning Engine ":
un motor de razonamiento para modelar modelos mentales

http://www.cict.nasa.gov/assets/pdf/044_CICT_IS_CORE_A_web.pdf

[7] Vera, A., Howes, A., McCurdy, M., & Lewis, R.L.
(2004). A constraint satisfaction approach to predicting
skilled interactive performance. Proc. of the SIGCHI
Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.


Google search

Libro sobre creatividad

Problem solving
The Universal Traveler: A Soft ... - Google Book Search

This unique book will open your eyes to effective and stimulating formulas for solving problems. Discover how techniques developed in specialized disciplines can be applied to almost any business, social, or personal situation.



Comentario en la lista HCI:

I'd like to add to the discussion about solo ideation by framing of it as a dialog with ourselves. We want to get dialog of ideas flowing and keep them flowing. Here are some points of practice that I have found very useful:

1. Set up a defined time for the session. We want to challenge ourselves to think by different rules for a while because we're going to set aside our dominant analytical and critical thinking abilities and open up the wild side of imagination. So we give our critical side the assurance that we're going to play by these rules for only 20 or 30 minutes, then the critical function can come back in.

2. Keep the critical thinking function out of the room during the session. This is another way of thinking about Osborn's "defer judgement" principle, and it's fundamental to this kind of ideation. Without this principle, we end up driving with our foot on the brake. What it means in practice is that we want to entertain not only the wild, weird and improbable, but also the dumb, mundane, copycat, and obvious ideas. Let everything and anything come out. We want flow, and sometimes the best way to start the flow is with the most obvious solutions. Get them out and see what's behind them.

3. Get the ideas into the room. It's hard to have a constructive dialog with ourselves if it all takes place inside our head. Thoughts are ephemeral, and to really respond and build on an idea we need to make it persistent. Write things on postits or whiteboard, or slips of paper on the table, or anything that captures the ephemeral thoughts. Get them out of our head and into the room. This makes way for new thoughts and creates artifacts that we can sort, cluster, combine, etc., to see patterns and relationships, as well as reconsider and reflect on.

4. Be visual. It really helps to make some kind of visual sketch or notation for an idea as we create it. The process is more natural when we're brainstorming about physical objects, but don't be blocked by the notion that "there's no way to represent this idea...." Find a way to put some kind of glyph, scribble or symbol with even the most abstract concepts. The idea here is not to make a graphical explanation of the idea on the spot, because that may really break the flow. We just want to tie something visual to it. When we scan the wall or board or table full of ideas, these little graphical snips give the imagination something else to work with. A sketch or scribble that's tied to a verbal idea also makes individual ideas easier to identify and remember, when faced with a wall of 50-100 postits.

5. Be visual again later. I have found it useful to take a second visualizing pass on the ideas even after the brainstorm session is over. Take some set of the most promising ideas and make a sketch that represents each one. The process of thinking over the idea and trying to come up with a way to diagram or represent it often gives new insight into that idea and spawns other new ideas. Try this as a simple exercise or practice for time or two and see how it affects your overall attitude and results.

Ingeniería social - cómo estar sobre aviso

Social engineering warnings. Comentario slashdot comment

Meta Moderation

Some warning signs that you may be subjected to social engineering:
- The person starts using your first name without you having ever met.
- The person refers to an authority figure in a jocular/friendly way, in order to make you draw the conclusion that the authority figure knows and trusts this person.
- They will try to appeal to your vanity. E.g. they may imply that they called YOU because you're so friendly and helpful. Ask yourself whether, if it really was this urgent, they would be calling you instead of those whose job it is to deal with this sort of situation. If you believe for one second that it's because of your demeanor, you're not only stupid but vain too.
- They mention a common foe. "You know how accounting is..." Yeah, everyone knows that accounting are bastards to anyone not in accounting, in every company in every country. That doesn't lend credence to you being on the same side.
- They mention an interest of yours. "I had planned to take my son fishing this weekend, but I guess I'll be working, trying to fix this". Why would they tell that to a stranger? (Especially if you have a sticker saying "BITE MY BASS" on your car.)
- If face to face, the person smiles a lot. Nothing disarms suspicion as easily as a smile.

Alert boxes are evil

Presentación de diapositivas ppt online sobre el mal uso del alertbox.

Designing Around Dialogs

Designing around Dialogs Ensuring User Interface Flow
Error Dialogs
An application displays an error dialog when:
 An unexpected situation has occurred
 The user has attempted an invalid action



Assumption: Users are pathological beings who,
given the chance, will enter perversely incorrect
information in order to crash an application

LinuxHater: la falacia de las opciones

Demasiadas opciones para elegir, estropean el cocido

Linux Hater's Blog: The fallacy of choice
In other words, ten equal choices with ten roughly equal-sized groups each preferring a different choice. For some limited version of the world, this may be true (for example, existing people who are FOSS users already, fighting amongst themselves). But if you look at the general population at large, I claim a different picture emerges:

HOW TO: Concentrarse en el trabajo

Cómo mantenerse concentrado en el trabajo, evitar interrupciones y hacer que cada minuto cuente.

16 Ways to Keep A Razor- Sharp Focus at Work | Zen Habits

Focus is something that must be fought for. It’s not something that automatically switches on when you want to. You have to make sure your surroundings are perfect for working if you want to be focused. Here’s a few ways I’ve found this to work:

1. Use offline tools. Paper products, pens, and other
   physical tools are a Godsend for those of us who have a hard time
   focusing throughout the work day. They’re so simple that we can
   use them quickly, without having to worry about becoming distracted.
2. Take more breaks. More breaks = More productivity.
   It may sound wrong, but it’s true. Breaks allow us to re-group
   our thoughts and focus for the task at hand. They also keep us fresh so
   that we don’t end up burning out after only a few hours work.
3. Smaller tasks to check off. When you’re
   planning your day, make sure that your “action steps” (aka
   items in the checklist) are small actions. Instead of “Paint
   living room”, try breaking it down into many tasks, like
   “buy paint, buy rollers, pick colors” etc.
4. Keep a steady pace. Don’t try to do to much.
   Keeping the pace manageable allows you to keep your focus.
   Unfortunately, people can confuse this with “Work till you drop
   without breaks”. See number 2.
5. Keep a daily “purpose” card.
   It’s pretty easy to get lost staring at the computer all day
   long. We’ll find rabbit holes to wonder down (ie. Youtube,
   Myspace, etc.) if we’re not careful. Having your daily purpose
   card gives you clarity and a reminder as to what you’re doing
   today.
6. Develop the mindset that the computer is only a tool.
   It’s easy to try and use the computer for too much. At its core,
   the computer is merely a tool (albeit a freakin’ awesome one)
   that allows to do work more efficiently. If we’re using it as
   something more than that, (like as a solution for your life),
   you’ll ultimately fail. It’s like trying to eat a steak
   dinner with only a spoon.
7. Plan your day to the T. If you’re finding
   sporadic periods of laziness throughout the day, it could be because
   you don’t take enough breaks (see #2), and you don’t have
   the day mapped out as efficiently as you could. Make sure your list of
   todos has lots of small, actionable steps that can be done quickly.
   This will gives a really satisfying feeling when you’re crossing
   things off your list like crazy.
8. Notice your lazy routines. Everyone has recurring
   lazy spots throughout the day. Plan to have your breaks for those
   times. You’re going to be lazy then anyway, right?
9. Plan the night before. Planning the night before
   is a great way to really get focused on the next day.
   “Sleeping” on your tasks and goals for the following day
   can really help your mind expect what’s going to happen the next
   day. Essentially, you’re preparing your mind for the following
   day. Advanced focus.
10. Turn off extra inputs. These are IM and email for
    me, but we all have our Achilles heel. Completely turn off any
    distracting piece of technology that you own. Every one of these inputs
    tries to steal bits of your focus. And they won’t rest until they
    do.
11. Set time limits for tasks. There’s no motivation like a deadline. Giving yourself real deadlines
    is a great way to stay motivated and focused on the task. Given the
    fact that we human are natural procrastinators, it’s no surprise
    that we’ll take as long as we’re allowed to finish
    something. Setting real but attainable limits is a great way to keep
    the project humming, so to speak.
12. Keep a journal of what you did throughout the day.
    I like to use a moleskine notebook for my lists just so I can go back
    and review it every now and again, to see what I’ve done. Knowing
    how far you’ve come can keep you sharp and motivated to finish.
13. Use programs to track where you spend your time.
    This is a real eye-opener. Knowing just how much time you spend every
    day/week/month on a certain site or with a certain program can quickly
    show you where your priorities lie. I recommend Rescue Time, but there are many others.
14. Visualize the day in the morning, before it starts.
    A little pre-work meditation on the day’s events is a great way
    to start the day off focused and productive. Don’t worry about a
    full 30 minute session, a quick review before you start the day is fine.
15. Start the day right. Starting the day with a good
    breakfast, some quiet time and/or exercise is a great way to set your
    day up for success. Sounds like a cliche, but it really works.
16. Clean yourself up. It’s why my track coach
    in high school made us dress up for big races: you perform the way you
    feel. And if you feel polished, groomed and ready, you’ll be more
    likely to be productive. For me this is just taking a shower, brushing
    my teeth and putting on casual clothing. I used to work all day without
    taking a shower in my PJ’s, but I never got much stuff done.
    Let’s be honest here… if you’re dressed really
    casually, odds are you’ll be working really casually. Just taking
    the time to clean up a bit before you buckle down for the day is never
    a bad idea.

Robot emocional (provoca emociones!)

Robot que baila y sigue la mirada. Robot social que parece un pollito amarillo ( o muñeco de nieve, según se mire ).

Cute robot gaze tracking - pose robot.


Keepon & the BeatBots

Keepon and Roillo
are two robots designed for non-verbal interaction with children.
Keepon is shaped approximately like a snowman, with two cameras for
eyes and a microphone for a nose. After one bar of music, he starts
getting down in his robotic-type fashion. (two videos that need flash
are the attraction here)



También: robot que hace gestos humanos.



http://www.dailytech.com/MIT+Develops+Advanced+Humanlike+Robot/article11364.htm

Jerome Bruner, investigador educativo

Teoría del psicólogo educativo que trabaja en el OLPC. Página de Wikipedia. Describe 3 modalidades de aprendizaje y pensamiento: visual, basado en acciones y simbólico.

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

In his research on the development of children (1966), Bruner proposed three modes of representation: enactive representation (action-based), iconic representation (image-based), and symbolic representation (language-based).
Rather than neatly delineated stages, the modes of representation are
integrated and only loosely sequential as they "translate" into each
other. Symbolic representation remains the ultimate mode, for it "is
clearly the most mysterious of the three." Bruner's theory suggests it
is efficacious when faced with new material to follow a progression
from enactive to iconic to symbolic representation; this holds true
even for adult learners.

HUMPTY DUMPTY Software

Sobre la "barrera mental" en la distinción entre software y hardware

The Sociotechnical Boundaries of Hardware and Software: A Humpty Dumpty History -- Jesiek 26 (6): 497 -- Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society

This article traces the historical development of the boundaries around computer software and hardware. On one hand, the author documents ongoing discussions about the technical equivalence of hardware and software. On the other hand, he accounts for the stubborn persistence of these terms as markers for two distinct spheres of technology, knowledge, and practice. By using theoretical concepts such as "boundary work" and "coproduction," the author argues that ongoing efforts to negotiate the boundaries between hardware and software are significantly "sociotechnical" in that they involve both social and technical considerations. The analysis culminates with a discussion of the more recent rise of the "hardware/software codesign" movement. Particular emphasis is placed on the conditions that led to the emergence of codesign and the ongoing challenges faced by its proponents. The article concludes by describing how codesign points toward a more reflexive and socially responsible culture of computer design and use.

Tipos de ayuda en software

A Summary of User Interface Design Principles

In an essay in [LAUR91] it states that are five basic types of

help, corresponding to the five basic questions that users ask:

• 1. Goal-oriented: "What kinds of things can I
  
  do with this program?"
• 2. Descriptive: "What is this? What does this
  
  do?"
• 3. Procedural: "How do I do this?"
• 4. Interpretive: "Why did this happen?"
• 5. Navigational: "Where am I?"

Los 7 pecados de la memoria

7 "defectos" por los que la memoria humana no es igual a las grabadoras de vídeo

Mind Hacks: The 7even sins of memory

PsyBlog has just finished its series on the 'seven sins of memory' that fade and distort what we try to remember, based on memory researcher Dan Schacter's book on the same name.

The 'seven sins' are:
1. Transience

2. Absent-Mindedness

3. Blocking

4. Misattribution

5. Suggestibility

6. Bias

7. Persistence

Estilos cognitivos

Paper - artículo sobre tendencias estadísticas en los modelos mentales de los usuarios de motores de búsqueda.

Information seeking and mediated searching. Part 4. Cognitive styles in information seeking analysis

This is the fourth in a series resulting from a joint, UK/USA research project. The analysis reported here sought to test a number of hypotheses linking global/analytic cognitive styles and aspects of researchers' problem-solving and related information seeking behavior. One hundred and eleven post-doctoral researchers were assessed for Witkin's field-dependence/-independence using Riding's Cognitive Styles Analysis and for Pask's holist/serialist biases using items from Ford's Study Processes Questionnaire. These measures were correlated with the researchers' perceptions of aspects of their problem-solving and information-seeking behavior, and with those of the search intermediary who performed literature searches on their behalf. A number of statistically significant correlations were found. Field-independent researchers were more analytic and active than their field-dependent counterparts. Holists engaged more in exploratory and serendipitous behavior, and were more idiosyncratic in their communication than serialists.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Cuando el modelo de la aplicación provoca errores terribles

The Scott Adams Meltdown: Anatomy of a Disast

The blog programmers didn't invent this error. Microsoft, for years and years, has been sabotaging new users with their “Save Changes?” dialog that greets the user when they attempt to close a document window. I had a friend of generally high intelligence, but new to computers, who spent eight hours creating a long and complex document, one he assumed was being continuously saved as had been done when he used a typewriter or pen and paper.

Right before he was ready to quit, he decided to make a few changes to what he had written. Then he clicked on the close box only to be asked, “...Save changes?” He considered what he had typed in the last few minutes and decided that it was better before his changes. He clicked, “No.” Instantly, his last 8 hours of work was irrevocably deleted.

Psicología cognitiva: the Big Picture

Resume el campo de estudio, y nombra las principales disciplinas que lo abordan (con tradiciones muy diferentes).


Cognitive ergonomics - Interaction-Design.org: A site about HCI, Usability, UI Design, User Experience, Information Architecture and more..

Methods-Theories Used

Methods and theories used in CE include:

• Hierarchical Task Analysis (Kirwan and Ainsworth 1992)
• Goals-Means Analysis
• Events Analyses
• Root-Cause Analyses
• Network Analyses, etc.
• Group Task Analysis
• Cognitive Task Analysis (Hollnagel 2003)
• cognitive interviewing
• analysis of verbal protocols
• multi-dimensional scaling
• ethnographical analyses
• computer simulations of human performance (cognitive simulations)
• human error analysis
• Performance Migration Analysis
• Distributed Cognition (Hutchins 1995)
• Activity Theory (Nardi 1996)
• Course of Action Task Analysis (Theureau 2003)
• Joint Cognitive Systems (Hollnagel and Woods 2005)

Where to Learn More

Cognitive Ergonomics embraces a diverse field of disciplines and as
a result no authoritative books exist, or even common terminology,
although efforts have been made to develop one – e.g. (Dowell and
Long 1998).

4 consejos para combatir la depresión

Top 4 Ways to Overcome Depression

Brainswitching One of the best techniques neuroscience research and brain mapping have developed is Brainswitching. Brainswitching is a power cognitive behavioral therapy that can be just as effective as anti-depressants.

Berrypicking: cómo busca información la gente, en realidad

Artículo seminal sobre la teoría de la búsqueda. Information foraging, refinamiento iterativo de la búsqueda, search engines...

The Design of Browsing and Berrypicking Techniques

ABSTRACT

First, a new model of searching in online and other information systems, called
"berrypicking," is discussed. This model, it is argued, is much closer
to the real behavior of information searchers than the traditional model of
information retrieval is, and, consequently, will guide our thinking better
in the design of effective interfaces. Second, the research literature of manual
information seeking behavior is drawn on for suggestions of capabilities that
users might like to have in online systems. Third, based on the new model and
the research on information seeking, suggestions are made for how new search
capabilities could be incorporated into the design of search interfaces. Particular
attention is given to the nature and types of browsing that can be facilitated.

Figure 2 represents a berrypicking, evolving search.

In Figure 3 we see the size of the picture shrunk in order to show the context within which the search takes place.