Pictionaire Table
(This looks like it is in the testing stage)
Link to video and information on Andy Wilson's website
Link to paper:
Pictionaire: Supporting Collaborative Design Work by Integrating Physical and Digital Artifacts (pdf)
Showing posts with label multi-touch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label multi-touch. Show all posts
Jan 29, 2010
Jan 16, 2010
Big Data: What are the possibilities for collaborative interactive information visualization? (Video interviews of Roger Magoulas, director of research at O'Reilly)
When I return to graduate school (hopefully I'll have the means to attend full-time), I want to flesh out my ideas for a "interactive multi-dimensional multi-media multi-user timeline" for use on interactive multi-touch/gesture tables and displays. Although I've limited my work to a prototype of a template, I know that this concept won't work unless the application can incorporate an efficient means of handling large volumes of data, as well as data in various formats.
I want this template to be useful to people in a variety of contexts, such as students studying world history and humanities, education administrators looking at educational data over time, producers and viewers of interactive documentary programs (think interactive TV), the health industry, urban planners, the military, serious games, etc.
One of my stumbling blocks is how all of the data would be stored and analysed. What I learned a few years ago in my computer classes simply won't work.
So now what?! I think that Roger Magoulas, the director of research at O'Reilly, has some good things to say about the critical problem of handling what he calls "Big Data". Here are a few videos that I think are worth watching.
The Future of Work
Part One
Next Device (SmartPhones, netbooks, creation & consumption factors - supporting usability in multiple contexts)
You Tube Series: O'Reilly Media
Big Data: Technologies & Techniques for Large-Scale Data (Emphasis on experimental approach) Part I
Part II (Discusses new forms of databases and the user of parallel processors to handle Big Data)
Part III Key Technology Dimensions
Part IV, Focus on hardware- Solid state disks, new data structure called "triadic continuum" which handles real-time data and ongoing probability estimates of data.
I would be happy to hear from anyone who is working on a project similar to the one I'm working on as a "hobby".
RELATED
Triadic Continuum
"Phaneron, KStore, Knowledge store, or simply K, is a dynamic data model that is based on the cognitive theory of C. S. Peirce. Phaneron efficiently organizes data into a unique, compact, interconnected, and fully-related data model. Phaneron is constructed using the Triadic Continuum."
For those of you who like visual representations of geeky-techy concepts, here a few visuals and related descriptions of KStore fundamentals from the Triadic Continuum website:
"The KStore data model is constructed using the basic triad. For example, the event sequence 'cat' would be recorded as shown in 'a sequence' below. A new level of nodes is created above a lower level of nodes as a result of the triadic process. In this case the lower level of nodes contains a node for each character of the alpha-numeric character set and the new nodes reference the lower level nodes to record the sequence 'cat'. Each sequence is initialize with a reference to a BOT (beginning of thought) and terminated with an EOT (end of thought) reference."
"The data set above was used to create the K structure below with the lowest level that contains the alpha-numeric character set, the second level is created to record sequences that represent the field variables. Then a third level is created using the field variables of the second level to record the record sequences. Records recorded in this K structure reuse the field variable nodes so that these field variable sequences never have to be recorded more than once. This is just one of the attributes of a K structure that makes it very efficient." -Triadic-conintuum.com
Mazzagatti, J.C. (2006) The Potential for Recognizing Errors in a Dataset Using Computer Memory Resident data Structure Based on the Phaneron of C.S. Peirce (doc)
Personal Note:
Due to the economic downturn and its impact on my family (two kids in college), I returned to work full time in mid 2008. I have a very busy day job as a school psychologist, working at two high schools as well as a program for students with multiple, severe disabilities, including autism. This has limited my ability to work on my project.
I want this template to be useful to people in a variety of contexts, such as students studying world history and humanities, education administrators looking at educational data over time, producers and viewers of interactive documentary programs (think interactive TV), the health industry, urban planners, the military, serious games, etc.
One of my stumbling blocks is how all of the data would be stored and analysed. What I learned a few years ago in my computer classes simply won't work.
So now what?! I think that Roger Magoulas, the director of research at O'Reilly, has some good things to say about the critical problem of handling what he calls "Big Data". Here are a few videos that I think are worth watching.
The Future of Work
Part One
Next Device (SmartPhones, netbooks, creation & consumption factors - supporting usability in multiple contexts)
You Tube Series: O'Reilly Media
Big Data: Technologies & Techniques for Large-Scale Data (Emphasis on experimental approach) Part I
Part II (Discusses new forms of databases and the user of parallel processors to handle Big Data)
Part III Key Technology Dimensions
Part IV, Focus on hardware- Solid state disks, new data structure called "triadic continuum" which handles real-time data and ongoing probability estimates of data.
I would be happy to hear from anyone who is working on a project similar to the one I'm working on as a "hobby".
RELATED
Triadic Continuum
"Phaneron, KStore, Knowledge store, or simply K, is a dynamic data model that is based on the cognitive theory of C. S. Peirce. Phaneron efficiently organizes data into a unique, compact, interconnected, and fully-related data model. Phaneron is constructed using the Triadic Continuum."
For those of you who like visual representations of geeky-techy concepts, here a few visuals and related descriptions of KStore fundamentals from the Triadic Continuum website:
"The KStore data model is constructed using the basic triad. For example, the event sequence 'cat' would be recorded as shown in 'a sequence' below. A new level of nodes is created above a lower level of nodes as a result of the triadic process. In this case the lower level of nodes contains a node for each character of the alpha-numeric character set and the new nodes reference the lower level nodes to record the sequence 'cat'. Each sequence is initialize with a reference to a BOT (beginning of thought) and terminated with an EOT (end of thought) reference."
"The data set above was used to create the K structure below with the lowest level that contains the alpha-numeric character set, the second level is created to record sequences that represent the field variables. Then a third level is created using the field variables of the second level to record the record sequences. Records recorded in this K structure reuse the field variable nodes so that these field variable sequences never have to be recorded more than once. This is just one of the attributes of a K structure that makes it very efficient." -Triadic-conintuum.com
Mazzagatti, J.C. (2006) The Potential for Recognizing Errors in a Dataset Using Computer Memory Resident data Structure Based on the Phaneron of C.S. Peirce (doc)
Personal Note:
Due to the economic downturn and its impact on my family (two kids in college), I returned to work full time in mid 2008. I have a very busy day job as a school psychologist, working at two high schools as well as a program for students with multiple, severe disabilities, including autism. This has limited my ability to work on my project.
Jan 14, 2010
Shared computing with Windows MultiPoint in classrooms: Why not use Mouse Mischief (beta version)?
I came across this post this on Long Zheng's I Started Something blog:
Windows MultiPoint Server -- a multiseat computing solution worthy for the home?
Long Zheng points out that Window's MultiPoint server is an outgrowth of the Multi-Mouse project, in which students multiple numbers of students can work together to interact with content a PC screen or a projected PC screen.
The picture below shows how a Windows MultiPoint server can work in a classroom.
-Microsoft
I'm not so sure I like the set up in the picture of the Multi-Point 2010 system in the above picture. The students all have huge monitors in front of them, so the opportunities for shared or collaborative interaction are limited. I like the multi-mice concept better, since the children can really be together
Mouse Mischief
I tried this with a few students during the 2008-09 school year, and they liked it. Since I serve more schools this current year, I haven't had the opportunity to explore this further. I plan to download a newer version and try it out soon.
Good news!
The free beta version of Microsoft Mouse Mischief from the Microsoft website was recently released: Microsoft Mouse Mischief: Make your PowerPoint presentations interactive
Below is information about Mouse Mischief from the Microsoft website:
"Mouse Mischief is a tool that Microsoft makes available free of charge, and that allows teachers to work with Microsoft Office PowerPoint to make interactive presentations. With Mouse Mischief, teachers can add multiple choice questions to their presentations, and large groups of students can answer the questions using mice connected to the teacher’s PC."
"Mouse Mischief not only gives students the ability to engage, have fun, and learn in new, interactive ways, but it also provides teachers with a more affordable alternative to purchasing expensive student response systems, commonly known as clickers, by letting students use affordable wired or wireless USB mice that their school already own."
If you are interested in developing applications for Mouse Mischief, you can download Windows MultiPoint Software Development Kit 1.5 This kit allows developers to enable up to 25 mouse devices to work at the same time on one computer. It was released on 1/12/2010 and can be downloaded from the Microsoft website.
Here a plug from Microsoft about the benefits of the MultiPoint Mouse SDK:
"Applications built on the MultiPoint Mouse SDK can provide teachers with tools to gain real-time assessment information to help them provide a personalized learning experience for each of their students...Applications built on the MultiPoint Mouse SDK can increase student learning comprehension through interactive methods.MultiPoint Mouse applications can further a student’s engagement, collaboration, interaction and overall cognitive and social skills within a classroom or lab environment."
Here is the information about the MultiPoint SDK:
"The Windows MultiPoint Mouse SDK version 1.5 is a development framework that allows developers to build applications that enable up to 25 individual mouse devices to work simultaneously on one computer. As a developer, you can use the MultiPoint Mouse SDK to create educational applications that take advantage of collaborative learning methodologies. In schools with minimum infrastructure, MultiPoint Mouse greatly enhances the shared computing experience. Initial pilot programs conducted in India by Microsoft Research show that for certain subjects, MultiPoint Mouse can enhance learning when compared to a 1:1 computing scenario."
"MultiPoint Mouse should not be confused with applications that allow multiple people to control multiple mouse devices to perform standard operations. In those cases, the system traditionally cannot identify which mouse has made which changes, and there is normally no option for controlling the permissions of the various devices. MultiPoint Mouse is a development framework that enables developers to build applications to take advantage of multiple mouse devices, including the ability to handle mouse clicks from different users independently and to assign different permissions to each mouse. For example, the mouse belonging to a teacher in a learning application might need additional permissions to control the activity."
The MultiPoint SDK is compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista Service Pack 2, Windows XP Service Pack 3, the .NET Framework version 3.5 SP1 or higher, Microsoft Expression Blend (you can use the trial version), Visual Studio 2008 or 2010 (you can use the free Express version), 2-4 mice devices for testing, and USB ports on the computer
Other thoughts:
Schools with money for advanced technology tools have purchased SMARTTables, and few have Microsoft Surface tables. They are expensive, and don't offer a range of form factors to choose from.
I sort of like the concept behind the multi-user poker table that was in the casino on my cruse ship:
Near the poker table is a display that shows the action from the poker game. In classroom settings, this display could be an interactive whiteboard, a projected display, or even a flat-panel screen.
There is a need for tables of different shapes in the schools. Speech pathologists, school psychologists, counselors, and others who provide guided group activities in the schools could use a multi-user table that follows this tried and true configuration:
I'd love to hear from anyone who is using MultiPoint or Mouse Mischief, and also from anyone who is experimenting with various multi-touch table form factors.
Related:
Multple Mice for Computers in Education in Developing Countries (pdf)
Windows MultiPoint Server -- a multiseat computing solution worthy for the home?
Long Zheng points out that Window's MultiPoint server is an outgrowth of the Multi-Mouse project, in which students multiple numbers of students can work together to interact with content a PC screen or a projected PC screen.
The picture below shows how a Windows MultiPoint server can work in a classroom.
-Microsoft
I'm not so sure I like the set up in the picture of the Multi-Point 2010 system in the above picture. The students all have huge monitors in front of them, so the opportunities for shared or collaborative interaction are limited. I like the multi-mice concept better, since the children can really be together
Mouse Mischief
Neema Moraveji, of the Stanford University HCI group, has videos and information about the multiple mice-related work on his project Page:
Teachers provide content using an add-on for PowerPoint that allows for simultaneous input from multiple mice. The teacher can set up limits regarding how the mice are used by the students.
I tried this with a few students during the 2008-09 school year, and they liked it. Since I serve more schools this current year, I haven't had the opportunity to explore this further. I plan to download a newer version and try it out soon.
Good news!
The free beta version of Microsoft Mouse Mischief from the Microsoft website was recently released: Microsoft Mouse Mischief: Make your PowerPoint presentations interactive
Below is information about Mouse Mischief from the Microsoft website:
"Mouse Mischief is a tool that Microsoft makes available free of charge, and that allows teachers to work with Microsoft Office PowerPoint to make interactive presentations. With Mouse Mischief, teachers can add multiple choice questions to their presentations, and large groups of students can answer the questions using mice connected to the teacher’s PC."
"Mouse Mischief not only gives students the ability to engage, have fun, and learn in new, interactive ways, but it also provides teachers with a more affordable alternative to purchasing expensive student response systems, commonly known as clickers, by letting students use affordable wired or wireless USB mice that their school already own."
"It’s simple. After Mouse Mischief is installed, the Mouse Mischief toolbar will appear as part of the PowerPoint ribbon when a new or old PowerPoint presentation is opened. This intuitive Mouse Mischief toolbar lets teachers add interactive elements such as multiple-choice question slides with a single click. When the teacher opens a Mouse Mischief enabled presentation, students in the classroom can answer each question by clicking it with their uniquely designed mouse cursor. Once the students have selected their answers, the teacher can display the correct answer...The best part? Mouse Mischief gives teachers the option to have their students answer questions individually or as part of a team, in order to encourage both competition and collaboration in the classroom...Special teacher controls allow the teacher to disable student’s mouse cursors, navigate between slides, set timers, and more. With Mouse Mischief the teacher is always in control, whether there are two or 25 cursors on the screen."
If you are interested in developing applications for Mouse Mischief, you can download Windows MultiPoint Software Development Kit 1.5 This kit allows developers to enable up to 25 mouse devices to work at the same time on one computer. It was released on 1/12/2010 and can be downloaded from the Microsoft website.
Here a plug from Microsoft about the benefits of the MultiPoint Mouse SDK:
"Applications built on the MultiPoint Mouse SDK can provide teachers with tools to gain real-time assessment information to help them provide a personalized learning experience for each of their students...Applications built on the MultiPoint Mouse SDK can increase student learning comprehension through interactive methods.MultiPoint Mouse applications can further a student’s engagement, collaboration, interaction and overall cognitive and social skills within a classroom or lab environment."
Here is the information about the MultiPoint SDK:
"The Windows MultiPoint Mouse SDK version 1.5 is a development framework that allows developers to build applications that enable up to 25 individual mouse devices to work simultaneously on one computer. As a developer, you can use the MultiPoint Mouse SDK to create educational applications that take advantage of collaborative learning methodologies. In schools with minimum infrastructure, MultiPoint Mouse greatly enhances the shared computing experience. Initial pilot programs conducted in India by Microsoft Research show that for certain subjects, MultiPoint Mouse can enhance learning when compared to a 1:1 computing scenario."
"MultiPoint Mouse should not be confused with applications that allow multiple people to control multiple mouse devices to perform standard operations. In those cases, the system traditionally cannot identify which mouse has made which changes, and there is normally no option for controlling the permissions of the various devices. MultiPoint Mouse is a development framework that enables developers to build applications to take advantage of multiple mouse devices, including the ability to handle mouse clicks from different users independently and to assign different permissions to each mouse. For example, the mouse belonging to a teacher in a learning application might need additional permissions to control the activity."
The MultiPoint SDK is compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista Service Pack 2, Windows XP Service Pack 3, the .NET Framework version 3.5 SP1 or higher, Microsoft Expression Blend (you can use the trial version), Visual Studio 2008 or 2010 (you can use the free Express version), 2-4 mice devices for testing, and USB ports on the computer
Other thoughts:
Schools with money for advanced technology tools have purchased SMARTTables, and few have Microsoft Surface tables. They are expensive, and don't offer a range of form factors to choose from.
I sort of like the concept behind the multi-user poker table that was in the casino on my cruse ship:
Near the poker table is a display that shows the action from the poker game. In classroom settings, this display could be an interactive whiteboard, a projected display, or even a flat-panel screen.
There is a need for tables of different shapes in the schools. Speech pathologists, school psychologists, counselors, and others who provide guided group activities in the schools could use a multi-user table that follows this tried and true configuration:
I'd love to hear from anyone who is using MultiPoint or Mouse Mischief, and also from anyone who is experimenting with various multi-touch table form factors.
Related:
Multple Mice for Computers in Education in Developing Countries (pdf)
Jan 1, 2010
Apple iSlate, iTablet , MacBook Touch: Will it support gesture interaction & haptic feedback?
Soldier Knows Best produces great tech-oriented videos. Here's his spin on all of the rumors about the possibility of the Apple iSlate.
I just inherited a 10 month-old Mac Book, installed Snow Leopard and upgraded to iLife 2009. I'm so used to touching the screen on my HP TouchSmart PC that I found myself touching my Mac Book screen from time to time, especially when I was editing video clips in iMovie. I think the latest version of iMovie was designed with touch/gesture interaction in mind!
From what I can tell, Snow Leopard and iLife 2009 will be able to support a range of touch interactions, if not gesture input as well.
Here are some rumors that have been conjured up and distributed on the web:
The Exhaustive Guide to Applet Tablet Rumors (Matt Buchanan, Gizmodo, 12/26/09)
Apple Expects to Sell 10 Million Tablets in First Year (Pete Cashmore, Mashable, 1/1/10)
iGuide Emerges as Another Potential Apple Tablet Name (Adam Ostrow, Mashable, 12/29/09)
The Tablet (John Gruber, Daring Fireball, 12/31/09)
"And so in answer to my central question, regarding why buy The Tablet if you already have an iPhone and a MacBook, my best guess is that ultimately, The Tablet is something you’ll buy instead of a MacBook."
Apple Owns iSlate.com Domain: The Mystery Deepens (Dan Nosowitz, Gismodo, 12/25/09)
What is the Ultimate Role of the Apple Tablet? (Arnold Kim, MacRumors, 12/31/09)
iPad, iTablet, iSlate, or MacTab (Cruz Miranda, 8/31/09)
Why am I excited about this?
I want to see if the iSlate would be good for collaborative educational games, assisted technology, augmentative communication, and alternative assessment for students who have multiple/severe disabilities.
That is a huge goal, so I'm going to start simple. I am not giving up on Windows 7 multi-touch programming. I just have an urge to find out for myself what works, what doesn't, and what platform works best for specific "personas" and "scenarios".
I plan to make a little app for the iPhone/iPod Touch, based on a game I made several years ago, "Shoes Your Battles" for a game class. I think I'd like to make this game for the Apple iTablet!
The first version of Shoes Your Battles created with Game Maker, and the second version was in Flash, back in the days of ActionScript 2.0. I started on third version, one that could be used as an advergame for people to play while shopping for shoes during shoe sales, but it never got past the planning stage.
The idea for the third version came to me when I my elderly aunt came to visit from out-of-town and just had to go shoe shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. It was extremely difficult to figure out what was on sale, how much it cost, after taking off the previous mark-downs and what was on sale that had a price that was not yet marked down.
Adding to the confusion was the fact that there were few salespeople and herds of women. It was madness. There were pairs of shoes in the wrong boxes, boxes of shoes and no way to quickly find out the true prices! We were in the shoe department for hours, and it wasn't as fun as you'd think. If you've been in a crowded women's shoe department to buy that special pair of shoes during a fantastic shoe sale, you'll know what I mean.
At any rate, I wanted my little "Shoes Your Battles" game to help with this dreadful scenario, by somehow incorporating a shoe shopping advisor and a means to figure out the REAL sales prices of those awesome, to-die-for shoes. Unfortunately, the technology wasn't where it needed to be at the time- I am always dreaming up things that are too d--- futuristic!
4 years later, we have iPhones and SmartPhones and 3G internet and RFID and ubiquitous WiFi and the Wii and more women who like to play games and...and... The time is ripe.
Apple better come up with the iSlate!
SOMEWHAT RELATED
Thinking about post-WIMP HCI
It is always important to re-visit wisdom from the past when thinking about new interfaces and means of technology-supported human interaction. Here are a few resources from the field of Human-Computer Interaction found on the HCI Vistas website:
The Prism of User Experience -A nice graphic metaphor to help the conceptualization process. (Denish Katre, 2007)
Journal of HCI Vistas: Multi-disciplinary Perspective of Usability and HCI
Personas as part of a user-centered innovation process Lene Nielsen, 1/08 HCI Vistas Vol-IV
10 Steps to Personas (Lene Nielsen, 7/07, HCI Vistas Vol-III)
I just inherited a 10 month-old Mac Book, installed Snow Leopard and upgraded to iLife 2009. I'm so used to touching the screen on my HP TouchSmart PC that I found myself touching my Mac Book screen from time to time, especially when I was editing video clips in iMovie. I think the latest version of iMovie was designed with touch/gesture interaction in mind!
From what I can tell, Snow Leopard and iLife 2009 will be able to support a range of touch interactions, if not gesture input as well.
Here are some rumors that have been conjured up and distributed on the web:
The Exhaustive Guide to Applet Tablet Rumors (Matt Buchanan, Gizmodo, 12/26/09)
Apple Expects to Sell 10 Million Tablets in First Year (Pete Cashmore, Mashable, 1/1/10)
iGuide Emerges as Another Potential Apple Tablet Name (Adam Ostrow, Mashable, 12/29/09)
The Tablet (John Gruber, Daring Fireball, 12/31/09)
"And so in answer to my central question, regarding why buy The Tablet if you already have an iPhone and a MacBook, my best guess is that ultimately, The Tablet is something you’ll buy instead of a MacBook."
Apple Owns iSlate.com Domain: The Mystery Deepens (Dan Nosowitz, Gismodo, 12/25/09)
What is the Ultimate Role of the Apple Tablet? (Arnold Kim, MacRumors, 12/31/09)
iPad, iTablet, iSlate, or MacTab (Cruz Miranda, 8/31/09)
Why am I excited about this?
I want to see if the iSlate would be good for collaborative educational games, assisted technology, augmentative communication, and alternative assessment for students who have multiple/severe disabilities.
That is a huge goal, so I'm going to start simple. I am not giving up on Windows 7 multi-touch programming. I just have an urge to find out for myself what works, what doesn't, and what platform works best for specific "personas" and "scenarios".
I plan to make a little app for the iPhone/iPod Touch, based on a game I made several years ago, "Shoes Your Battles" for a game class. I think I'd like to make this game for the Apple iTablet!
The first version of Shoes Your Battles created with Game Maker, and the second version was in Flash, back in the days of ActionScript 2.0. I started on third version, one that could be used as an advergame for people to play while shopping for shoes during shoe sales, but it never got past the planning stage.
The idea for the third version came to me when I my elderly aunt came to visit from out-of-town and just had to go shoe shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. It was extremely difficult to figure out what was on sale, how much it cost, after taking off the previous mark-downs and what was on sale that had a price that was not yet marked down.
Adding to the confusion was the fact that there were few salespeople and herds of women. It was madness. There were pairs of shoes in the wrong boxes, boxes of shoes and no way to quickly find out the true prices! We were in the shoe department for hours, and it wasn't as fun as you'd think. If you've been in a crowded women's shoe department to buy that special pair of shoes during a fantastic shoe sale, you'll know what I mean.
At any rate, I wanted my little "Shoes Your Battles" game to help with this dreadful scenario, by somehow incorporating a shoe shopping advisor and a means to figure out the REAL sales prices of those awesome, to-die-for shoes. Unfortunately, the technology wasn't where it needed to be at the time- I am always dreaming up things that are too d--- futuristic!
4 years later, we have iPhones and SmartPhones and 3G internet and RFID and ubiquitous WiFi and the Wii and more women who like to play games and...and... The time is ripe.
Apple better come up with the iSlate!
SOMEWHAT RELATED
Thinking about post-WIMP HCI
It is always important to re-visit wisdom from the past when thinking about new interfaces and means of technology-supported human interaction. Here are a few resources from the field of Human-Computer Interaction found on the HCI Vistas website:
The Prism of User Experience -A nice graphic metaphor to help the conceptualization process. (Denish Katre, 2007)
Journal of HCI Vistas: Multi-disciplinary Perspective of Usability and HCI
Personas as part of a user-centered innovation process Lene Nielsen, 1/08 HCI Vistas Vol-IV
10 Steps to Personas (Lene Nielsen, 7/07, HCI Vistas Vol-III)
Labels:
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Dec 31, 2009
The Post-WIMP Explorers' Club: Update of the Updates, Morning of 12/31/09
What is the Post WIMP Explorers Club?
I came up with the name of this semi-fictional club as a way to organize my thoughts (and blog posts) regarding the development of a new metaphor for post-WIMP applications and technologies, related specifically to natural user interfaces, natural user interaction design, and off-the-desktop user experience.
Update, morning of 12/31/09:
Josh Blake, author of the blog "Deconstructing the NUI", posted Metaphors and OCGM this morning. It fleshes out post-WIMP concepts, addressing metaphors & interfaces. The premise is that NUI metaphors will be less complex than GUI (WIMP) metaphors. My feeling is that on the surface, this will hold true, especially for consumers/users and people creating light-weight applications and software widgets.
Underneath the surface, where designers and developers brains spend more time than users & consumers, things might be more complex. Why? The technology to support the required wizardry is more complex. With convergence, the creation of new technologies, applications, communication systems, and even electronic entertainment, is now dependent upon the work and thinking of people from a wider range of disciplines. Each discipline brings to the table a set of terms rooted in theory, and even research practices.
Update, late afternoon, 12/30/09:
START HERE FOR THE "ORIGINAL" POST FROM 12/29 & 12/20/09:
Background
About a year ago I responded to a conversation between Johnathan Brill, Josh Blake, and Richard Monson-Haefel discussing "post-WIMP" conceptualization regarding natural user interfaces and interaction, otherwise known as NUI. The focus of the discussion was on Johnathan's post, "New Multi-touch Interface Conventions". At the time, we were reading Dan Saffer's book, Designing Gestural Interfaces, and contemplating new ways that technology can support human interaction and activities in a more natural, enjoyable, and intuitive manner.
A few days later, I shared some of the concepts from the discussion on a post on this blog, "Why "new" ways of interaction?". The post includes video of Johnathan Brill discussing PATA, a post-WIMP analogue to assist with multi-touch/gesture based application development, which he describes as follows:
Places
"Lighting, focus, and depth, simplified searching and effecting hyperlinked content."
Animation "Using animation to subtly demonstrate what applications do and how to use them is a better solution than using icons. Animations makes apps easier to learn."
Things "Back in the days of floppy disks, objects helped us organize our content. This limitation was forced by arcane technology, but it did have one huge advantage. We used our spatial memory to help us navigate content. Things will help us organize content and manipulate controllers across a growing variety of devices."
Auras "Auras will help us track what we are tracking and when an interaction has been successful."
(For reference, I've copied some of my responses to the first discussion, which can be found near the end of this post)
A year later....
What has changed? Everything post-WIMP has been covered like a blanket by the NUI-word. "NUI" now functions as a generic term for anything that is not exactly WIMP. There is a sense of urgency now to figure out how best to conceptualize post-WIMP interfaces and interactions. Newer, affordable technologies enable us to interact with friends and family while we are on-the go. Netbooks, e-Readers, SmartPhones, large touch screen displays, interactive HDTV, and new devices with multi-modal I/O's abound. Our grandparents are on Facebook and twitter from their iPhones. Our world no longer requires us to be slaves to the WIMP mentality.
So what is the problem?
The technology has moved along so fast that application designers and developers have not had a chance to catch up. (The iPhone is an exception.) The downturn in the economy has made it difficult for many to take the leap from traditional software or web development and gain new skill sets. On top of it all, most of us over the age of 15 have been brainwashed from years of working within the constraints of WIMP. It doesn't matter if we are users, consumers, students, designers, or developers.
Even the folks least likely to have difficulty expanding into the post-WIMP world have had some difficulty. If you've had training in HCI (Human-Computer Interaction), you were inadvertently brainwashed with the best. The bulk of the theory and research you contemplated was launched at a time when WIMP was king, even as the Web expanded. Many of the of the principles held dear to traditional HCI folks have been shattered, and no-one has come up with a "theory of everything" that will cover all of the human actions and interactions that are supported or guided by new technologies.
The problem, in part, is that letting go of WIMP is hard to do, as illustrated by the following post from the Ars Technica website: Light Touch: A Design Firm Grapples with Microsoft Surface (Matthew Braga, 6/29/09) "Ditching the mouse and keyboard means a whole lot more than just doing without two common peripherals. As those who have worked with Microsoft Surface have found out, you have to jettison decades of GUI baggage and start with a whole new mindset...In actuality, few multi-touch gestures are really anything like what we experience in the physical world. There is no situation in which we pull on the corners of an image to increase its size, or swipe in a direction to reveal more content. So, in the context of real-world interaction, these types of gestures are far from natural...gestures should not only feel natural, but logical; the purpose that gestures like these serve, after all, is to replace GUI elements to the end of making interaction a more organic process." (Be sure to read the comments.)
Now that the Surface is taking root in more places, and touch-screen all-in-one PC's and tablets are starting to multiply, more people are giving "NUI" some thought. Ron George, an interaction and product designer with experience working with Microsoft's Surface team has contributed to the post-WIMP discussion and spent some time sharing ideas with Josh Blake, a .NET, SharePoint, and Microsoft Surface Consultant for InfoStrat and author of Deconstructing the NUI blog. The outcome of this discussion was Ron George's December 28th blog post, "OCGM (pronounced Occam['s Razor] is the replacement for WIMP", and Josh Blake's post, "WIMP is to GUI as OCGM (Occam) is to NUI". (Be sure to read the comments for both of these posts!)
OCGM (as conceptualized by Ron George)
Objects "are the core of the experience. They can have a direct correlation with something physical, or they can just be objects in the interface."
Containers "will be the “grouping” of the objects. This can manifest itself in whatever the system sees fit to better organize or instruct the user on interactions. They do not have to be, nor should they be, windows. They can be any sort of method of presentation or relationship gathering as seen fit."
Gestures "I went into detail about the differences in Gestures and Manipulations in a previous post [check it out for a refresher]. Gestures are actions performed by the user that initiate a function after its completion and recognition by the system. This is an indirect action on the system because it needs to be completed before the system will react to it."
Manipulations "are the direct influences on an object or a container by the user. These are immediate and responsive. They are generally intuitive and mimic the physical world in some manner. The results are expected and should be non-destructive. These are easily performed and accidental activations should be expected and frequent."
To illustrate a point regarding the validity of the OCGM analogy proposed by Ron George, Josh Blake shares the following video of a presentation from REMIX 2009, in which August de los Reyes, the Principle Director of User Experience for Surface Computing at Microsoft, briefly discusses the TOCA (Touch, Objects, Containers, and Actions) concept, suggested to replace the WIMP concept:
The video wouldn't embed, so go to the following link:
Predicting the Past: A Vision for Microsoft Surface
"Natural User Interface (NUI) is here. New systems of interaction require new approaches to design. Microsoft Surface stands at the forefront of this product space. This presentation looks at one of the richest sources for inventing the future: the past. By analyzing preceding inflection points in user interface, we can derive some patterns that point to the brave NUI world."
The concepts outlined in the presentation are similar to Microsoft's Vision for 2019
Richard Monson-Haefel added his thoughts about the discussion about OCGM in his recent blog post, "What is NUI's WIMP?" Richard disagrees with the OCGM concept, as he feels it doesn't encompass some important interactions, such as speech/direct voice input. He'd probably agree that NUI is NOT WIMP 2.0.
Post-NUI, Activity Theory, and Off-the-Desktop Interaction Design:
As I was reading the recent posts and discussions regarding NUI/OCGM, I also contemplated some of what I've been reading over my holiday break, "Acting With Technology: Activity Theory and Interaction Design", written by Victor Kaptelinin and Bonnie A. Nardi. Victor Kaptelinin is the co-editor of "Beyond the Desktop Metaphor: Designing Integrated Digital Work Environments" (MIT Press, 2007), and has an interest in computer-supported cooperative work. Bonnie Nardi brings to the IT world her background in anthropology, and is the co-author of "Information Ecologies: Using Technology with the Heart" (MIT Press, 1999). The authors know what they are talking about.
It is important to note that activity theory-based interaction design is viewed as a "post-cognitivistic", and informed by some of what I studied in psychology, education, and social science years ago. Within the field of activity theory are some important differences, which I'll save for a future post.
Below are some concepts taken from the book. I am still mulling them over through the prism of NUI, post-WIMP, PATA, TOCA, OCGM, etc. That's why there will be at "Part II", with specific examples.
"Means and ends, the extent to which the technology facilitates and constrains attaining user's goals and the impact of the technology on provoking or resolving conflicts between different goals
Social and physical aspects of the environment - integration of target technology with requirements, tools, resources, and social rules of the environment
Learning, cognition, and articulation, internal vs external components of activity and support of their mutual transformations with target technology
Development -Developmental transformation of the above components as a whole"
"Taken together, these sections cover various aspects of the way the target technology supports, or is intended to support, human actions". (page 270)
I especially like the activity checklist included in the appendix of the book, as well as the concept of tool mediation. "The Activity Checklist is intended to be used at early phases of system design or for evaluating existing systems. Accordingly, there are two slightly different versions of the Checklist, the "evaluation version" and the "design version". Both versions are implemented as organized sets of items covering the contextual factors that can potentially influence the use of computer technology in real-life settings. It is assumed that the Checklist can help to identify the most important issues, for instance, potential trouble spots that designers can address". (page 269)
"The Checklist covers a large space. It is intended to be used first by examining the whole space for areas of interest, then focusing on the identified areas of interest in as much depth as possible...there is a heavy emphasis on the principle of tool mediation" (page 270).
Other Thoughts
What is missing from this picture is a Universal Design component, something that I think holds up across time and technologies. Following the principles of Universal design doesn't mean dumbing down or relying on simplicity. It is a multi-faceted approach, and relies on conctructing flexibility in use, one of the key concepts of Universal Design. I'd like to see this concept embedded in the post-WIMP conceptualization somehow.
Because of my background in education/psychology/ special education, I try to follow the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) when I work on technology project. I've spent some time thinking about how the principles of UDL could be realized through new interaction/interface systems. Although this approach focuses on the educational technology domain, it is important to consider, given that a good percentage of our population - potential users, clients, consumers - has a temporary or permanent disability of one kind or another.
Components of Universal Design for Learning:
Multiple Means of Representation
Provide options for perception
Provide options for language and symbols
Provide options for comprehension
Multiple Means of Action and Expression
Provide options for physical action
Provide options for expressive skills and fluency
Provide options for executive functions
Multiple Means of Engagement
Provide options for recruiting interest
Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
Provide options for self-regulation
-Adapted from the UDL Guidelines/Educator Checklist, which breaks down the components into more specific details.
Note: The concept of Universal Design for Learning shares historical roots with some of the work behind Activity Theory and Interaction Design. Obviously, there is still much to contemplate regarding OCGM and other permutations of post-WIMP concepts!
Here are my comments to the discussion on Johnathan Brill's blog from January 2009:
Thoughts: I'm seeing a trend to "optimize" WIMP-type applications so they can be manipulated by gesture and touch. People who program kiosks, ATM's and POS touch screens are examples of what I'm talking about. Touch and hold, two-fingered touch, and double-tap are just a slight transformation of the WIMP world-view, and in my opinion, are still WIMP (wimpy!). The mouse interaction "pretenders" are fine for using legacy productivity applications, OK in the short run.
For example, I have an HP TouchSmart, but I don't use the touch screen as often as I'd hoped. Try using using Visual Studio to code something on a touch screen. There is so much more that can be done! I know from the touch-screen prototype/demos I've worked on in various classes that applications that support collaboration and decision-making are important, and not just for work.
What do people DO, really? First of all, we are social beings, most of us. Think of what we share and discuss with others, and think about what sort of interactions on a display might best correspond with this interaction. Here are some of the things I've been DOING recently that involved some sort of technology and communication/collaboration with others:
---Travel planning - I recently went on a cruise and with various family members, selected activities I wanted to do on the ship as well plan my shore excursions (a complicated process)
---Picture sharing- I came back from the cruise with lots of pictures that I uploaded on Flickr. Related to this process: Picture annotating, tagging, choosing/comparing & editing it would be SO cool if I could use two sliders to enhance my pictures just so!
---Talking on the phone and responding to e-mail with friends and family members about the pictures, and what they wanted to see on Flickr- "you know, the ones of the dogs in Jamaica"... of which I had about 68!
---Financial planning with my husband. (I took info-viz last semester, so I know the possibilities are there.)
---Using the touch-screen to check-in at my eye-doctor's office: This was a user-unfriendly experience. Such a nice little screen. I was provided with a WIMPY PowerPoint-like interface which was confusing to use- and time consuming!
---Shopping at the new Super Wal-Mart: I asked the greeter if there was a map, and he said, "Food is over there, and the rest of the stuff is that way." Flat panel displays were all over the store, but of course,they weren't interactive. I had no idea where anything was, and the few items I was looking at had no bar-code tags. There wasn't a clerk in sight. Wal-Mart TV rolled on-and-on via the display above my head. If I could only harness the display and have the talking head answer my questions! I gave up on my shopping trip when I was in the facial lotion/potion section. Too many choices, and too much fine print to read.
---Shopping at the mall with my young-adult daughters... I'll have to hold my thoughts on that one for now!
Some suggestions:
I think the artist/designers, (even dancers,) who are interested in multi-touch and gesture interaction have some interesting things to consider. (I linked to some of my previous posts.)
Again:
I am still mulling things over through the prism of NUI, post-WIMP, PATA, TOCA, OCGM, etc. So that is why there will be at "Part II". With specific examples!
RELATED
Multimedia, Multi-touch, Gesture, and Interaction Resources
My thoughts:
2007 Letter to the Editor, Pervasive Computing
Useful Usability Studies (pdf)
2007 Blog Post
Usability/Interaction Hall of Shame (In a Hospital)
2008 Blog Posts
Emerging Interactive Technologies, Emerging Interactions, and Emerging Integrated Form Factors
Interactive Touch-Screen Technology, Participatory Design, and "Getting It"
An Example of Convergence: Interactive TV: uxTV 2008
2009 Blog Posts
Why "new" ways of interaction?
Microsoft: Are You Listening? Cool Cat Teacher (Vicki Davis) Tries out Microsoft's Multi-touch Surface Table
Haptic/Tactile Interface: Dynamically Changeable Physical Buttons
The Convergence of TV, the Internet, and Interactivity: Update
UX of ITV: The User Experience and Interactive TV (or Let's Stamp Out Bad Remote Controls)
Digital Convergence and Interactive Television; Boxee and Digital Convergence
ElderGadget Blog: Useful Tech and Tools
Other People's Thoughts
Ron George's blog, OCGM (pronounced Occam['s Razor] is the replacement for WIMP 12/28/09
Ron George: Welcome to the OCGM Generation! Part 2
Stephen, Microsoft Kitchen: OCGM, A New Windows User Experience
Richard Monson-Haefel's blog, Multi-touch and NUI: What is NUI's WIMP?
Richard Monson-Haefel: OCGM: George's Razor
Josh Blake's blog, Deconstructing the NUI: WIMP is to GUI as OCGM (Occam) is to NUI
Bill Buxton: Gesture Based Interaction (pdf) (Updated 5/2009)
Bill Buxton: "Surface and Tangible Computing, and the "Small" Matter of People and Design" (pdf) - ISSCC 2008
Dan Saffer, Designing for Gestural Interfaces: Touchscreens and Interactive Devices
Dan Saffer, Designing for Interaction
Mark Weiser, Computer for the 21st Century Scientific American, 09, 1991
Touch User Interface: Readings in Touch Screen, Multi-Touch, and Touch User Interface
Jacob O Wobbrock, Meredith Ringel Morris, Andrew D. Wilson User-Defined Gestures for Surface Computing CHI 2009, April 4–9, 2009, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
I came up with the name of this semi-fictional club as a way to organize my thoughts (and blog posts) regarding the development of a new metaphor for post-WIMP applications and technologies, related specifically to natural user interfaces, natural user interaction design, and off-the-desktop user experience.
Update, morning of 12/31/09:
Josh Blake, author of the blog "Deconstructing the NUI", posted Metaphors and OCGM this morning. It fleshes out post-WIMP concepts, addressing metaphors & interfaces. The premise is that NUI metaphors will be less complex than GUI (WIMP) metaphors. My feeling is that on the surface, this will hold true, especially for consumers/users and people creating light-weight applications and software widgets.
Underneath the surface, where designers and developers brains spend more time than users & consumers, things might be more complex. Why? The technology to support the required wizardry is more complex. With convergence, the creation of new technologies, applications, communication systems, and even electronic entertainment, is now dependent upon the work and thinking of people from a wider range of disciplines. Each discipline brings to the table a set of terms rooted in theory, and even research practices.
Update, late afternoon, 12/30/09:
Richard Monson-Haefels response to Ron George's "Part 2". The concept of OCGM might be growing on him now... OCGM: George's Razor : "If Ron George can explain how OCGM encompasses Affordances and Feedback than I'll be convinced that OCGM works for NUI. Otherwise, I think OCGM is a great start that would benefit from an added "A" and "F"." -Richard
- OCGM relates to Occam's Razor. It is helpful to read a bit about it if you are are interested in the post WIMP conversations. (The link is to an an article from "How Stuff Works", via Richard Monson-Haefel.)
START HERE FOR THE "ORIGINAL" POST FROM 12/29 & 12/20/09:
Background
About a year ago I responded to a conversation between Johnathan Brill, Josh Blake, and Richard Monson-Haefel discussing "post-WIMP" conceptualization regarding natural user interfaces and interaction, otherwise known as NUI. The focus of the discussion was on Johnathan's post, "New Multi-touch Interface Conventions". At the time, we were reading Dan Saffer's book, Designing Gestural Interfaces, and contemplating new ways that technology can support human interaction and activities in a more natural, enjoyable, and intuitive manner.
A few days later, I shared some of the concepts from the discussion on a post on this blog, "Why "new" ways of interaction?". The post includes video of Johnathan Brill discussing PATA, a post-WIMP analogue to assist with multi-touch/gesture based application development, which he describes as follows:
Places
"Lighting, focus, and depth, simplified searching and effecting hyperlinked content."
Animation "Using animation to subtly demonstrate what applications do and how to use them is a better solution than using icons. Animations makes apps easier to learn."
Things "Back in the days of floppy disks, objects helped us organize our content. This limitation was forced by arcane technology, but it did have one huge advantage. We used our spatial memory to help us navigate content. Things will help us organize content and manipulate controllers across a growing variety of devices."
Auras "Auras will help us track what we are tracking and when an interaction has been successful."
(For reference, I've copied some of my responses to the first discussion, which can be found near the end of this post)
A year later....
What has changed? Everything post-WIMP has been covered like a blanket by the NUI-word. "NUI" now functions as a generic term for anything that is not exactly WIMP. There is a sense of urgency now to figure out how best to conceptualize post-WIMP interfaces and interactions. Newer, affordable technologies enable us to interact with friends and family while we are on-the go. Netbooks, e-Readers, SmartPhones, large touch screen displays, interactive HDTV, and new devices with multi-modal I/O's abound. Our grandparents are on Facebook and twitter from their iPhones. Our world no longer requires us to be slaves to the WIMP mentality.
So what is the problem?
The technology has moved along so fast that application designers and developers have not had a chance to catch up. (The iPhone is an exception.) The downturn in the economy has made it difficult for many to take the leap from traditional software or web development and gain new skill sets. On top of it all, most of us over the age of 15 have been brainwashed from years of working within the constraints of WIMP. It doesn't matter if we are users, consumers, students, designers, or developers.
Even the folks least likely to have difficulty expanding into the post-WIMP world have had some difficulty. If you've had training in HCI (Human-Computer Interaction), you were inadvertently brainwashed with the best. The bulk of the theory and research you contemplated was launched at a time when WIMP was king, even as the Web expanded. Many of the of the principles held dear to traditional HCI folks have been shattered, and no-one has come up with a "theory of everything" that will cover all of the human actions and interactions that are supported or guided by new technologies.
The problem, in part, is that letting go of WIMP is hard to do, as illustrated by the following post from the Ars Technica website: Light Touch: A Design Firm Grapples with Microsoft Surface (Matthew Braga, 6/29/09) "Ditching the mouse and keyboard means a whole lot more than just doing without two common peripherals. As those who have worked with Microsoft Surface have found out, you have to jettison decades of GUI baggage and start with a whole new mindset...In actuality, few multi-touch gestures are really anything like what we experience in the physical world. There is no situation in which we pull on the corners of an image to increase its size, or swipe in a direction to reveal more content. So, in the context of real-world interaction, these types of gestures are far from natural...gestures should not only feel natural, but logical; the purpose that gestures like these serve, after all, is to replace GUI elements to the end of making interaction a more organic process." (Be sure to read the comments.)
Now that the Surface is taking root in more places, and touch-screen all-in-one PC's and tablets are starting to multiply, more people are giving "NUI" some thought. Ron George, an interaction and product designer with experience working with Microsoft's Surface team has contributed to the post-WIMP discussion and spent some time sharing ideas with Josh Blake, a .NET, SharePoint, and Microsoft Surface Consultant for InfoStrat and author of Deconstructing the NUI blog. The outcome of this discussion was Ron George's December 28th blog post, "OCGM (pronounced Occam['s Razor] is the replacement for WIMP", and Josh Blake's post, "WIMP is to GUI as OCGM (Occam) is to NUI". (Be sure to read the comments for both of these posts!)
OCGM (as conceptualized by Ron George)
Objects "are the core of the experience. They can have a direct correlation with something physical, or they can just be objects in the interface."
Containers "will be the “grouping” of the objects. This can manifest itself in whatever the system sees fit to better organize or instruct the user on interactions. They do not have to be, nor should they be, windows. They can be any sort of method of presentation or relationship gathering as seen fit."
Gestures "I went into detail about the differences in Gestures and Manipulations in a previous post [check it out for a refresher]. Gestures are actions performed by the user that initiate a function after its completion and recognition by the system. This is an indirect action on the system because it needs to be completed before the system will react to it."
Manipulations "are the direct influences on an object or a container by the user. These are immediate and responsive. They are generally intuitive and mimic the physical world in some manner. The results are expected and should be non-destructive. These are easily performed and accidental activations should be expected and frequent."
To illustrate a point regarding the validity of the OCGM analogy proposed by Ron George, Josh Blake shares the following video of a presentation from REMIX 2009, in which August de los Reyes, the Principle Director of User Experience for Surface Computing at Microsoft, briefly discusses the TOCA (Touch, Objects, Containers, and Actions) concept, suggested to replace the WIMP concept:
The video wouldn't embed, so go to the following link:
Predicting the Past: A Vision for Microsoft Surface
"Natural User Interface (NUI) is here. New systems of interaction require new approaches to design. Microsoft Surface stands at the forefront of this product space. This presentation looks at one of the richest sources for inventing the future: the past. By analyzing preceding inflection points in user interface, we can derive some patterns that point to the brave NUI world."
The concepts outlined in the presentation are similar to Microsoft's Vision for 2019
Richard Monson-Haefel added his thoughts about the discussion about OCGM in his recent blog post, "What is NUI's WIMP?" Richard disagrees with the OCGM concept, as he feels it doesn't encompass some important interactions, such as speech/direct voice input. He'd probably agree that NUI is NOT WIMP 2.0.
Post-NUI, Activity Theory, and Off-the-Desktop Interaction Design:
As I was reading the recent posts and discussions regarding NUI/OCGM, I also contemplated some of what I've been reading over my holiday break, "Acting With Technology: Activity Theory and Interaction Design", written by Victor Kaptelinin and Bonnie A. Nardi. Victor Kaptelinin is the co-editor of "Beyond the Desktop Metaphor: Designing Integrated Digital Work Environments" (MIT Press, 2007), and has an interest in computer-supported cooperative work. Bonnie Nardi brings to the IT world her background in anthropology, and is the co-author of "Information Ecologies: Using Technology with the Heart" (MIT Press, 1999). The authors know what they are talking about.
It is important to note that activity theory-based interaction design is viewed as a "post-cognitivistic", and informed by some of what I studied in psychology, education, and social science years ago. Within the field of activity theory are some important differences, which I'll save for a future post.
Below are some concepts taken from the book. I am still mulling them over through the prism of NUI, post-WIMP, PATA, TOCA, OCGM, etc. That's why there will be at "Part II", with specific examples.
"Means and ends, the extent to which the technology facilitates and constrains attaining user's goals and the impact of the technology on provoking or resolving conflicts between different goals
Social and physical aspects of the environment - integration of target technology with requirements, tools, resources, and social rules of the environment
Learning, cognition, and articulation, internal vs external components of activity and support of their mutual transformations with target technology
Development -Developmental transformation of the above components as a whole"
"Taken together, these sections cover various aspects of the way the target technology supports, or is intended to support, human actions". (page 270)
I especially like the activity checklist included in the appendix of the book, as well as the concept of tool mediation. "The Activity Checklist is intended to be used at early phases of system design or for evaluating existing systems. Accordingly, there are two slightly different versions of the Checklist, the "evaluation version" and the "design version". Both versions are implemented as organized sets of items covering the contextual factors that can potentially influence the use of computer technology in real-life settings. It is assumed that the Checklist can help to identify the most important issues, for instance, potential trouble spots that designers can address". (page 269)
"The Checklist covers a large space. It is intended to be used first by examining the whole space for areas of interest, then focusing on the identified areas of interest in as much depth as possible...there is a heavy emphasis on the principle of tool mediation" (page 270).
Other Thoughts
What is missing from this picture is a Universal Design component, something that I think holds up across time and technologies. Following the principles of Universal design doesn't mean dumbing down or relying on simplicity. It is a multi-faceted approach, and relies on conctructing flexibility in use, one of the key concepts of Universal Design. I'd like to see this concept embedded in the post-WIMP conceptualization somehow.
Because of my background in education/psychology/ special education, I try to follow the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) when I work on technology project. I've spent some time thinking about how the principles of UDL could be realized through new interaction/interface systems. Although this approach focuses on the educational technology domain, it is important to consider, given that a good percentage of our population - potential users, clients, consumers - has a temporary or permanent disability of one kind or another.
Components of Universal Design for Learning:
Multiple Means of Representation
Provide options for perception
Provide options for language and symbols
Provide options for comprehension
Multiple Means of Action and Expression
Provide options for physical action
Provide options for expressive skills and fluency
Provide options for executive functions
Multiple Means of Engagement
Provide options for recruiting interest
Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
Provide options for self-regulation
-Adapted from the UDL Guidelines/Educator Checklist, which breaks down the components into more specific details.
Note: The concept of Universal Design for Learning shares historical roots with some of the work behind Activity Theory and Interaction Design. Obviously, there is still much to contemplate regarding OCGM and other permutations of post-WIMP concepts!
Here are my comments to the discussion on Johnathan Brill's blog from January 2009:
Thoughts: I'm seeing a trend to "optimize" WIMP-type applications so they can be manipulated by gesture and touch. People who program kiosks, ATM's and POS touch screens are examples of what I'm talking about. Touch and hold, two-fingered touch, and double-tap are just a slight transformation of the WIMP world-view, and in my opinion, are still WIMP (wimpy!). The mouse interaction "pretenders" are fine for using legacy productivity applications, OK in the short run.
For example, I have an HP TouchSmart, but I don't use the touch screen as often as I'd hoped. Try using using Visual Studio to code something on a touch screen. There is so much more that can be done! I know from the touch-screen prototype/demos I've worked on in various classes that applications that support collaboration and decision-making are important, and not just for work.
What do people DO, really? First of all, we are social beings, most of us. Think of what we share and discuss with others, and think about what sort of interactions on a display might best correspond with this interaction. Here are some of the things I've been DOING recently that involved some sort of technology and communication/collaboration with others:
---Travel planning - I recently went on a cruise and with various family members, selected activities I wanted to do on the ship as well plan my shore excursions (a complicated process)
---Picture sharing- I came back from the cruise with lots of pictures that I uploaded on Flickr. Related to this process: Picture annotating, tagging, choosing/comparing & editing it would be SO cool if I could use two sliders to enhance my pictures just so!
---Talking on the phone and responding to e-mail with friends and family members about the pictures, and what they wanted to see on Flickr- "you know, the ones of the dogs in Jamaica"... of which I had about 68!
---Financial planning with my husband. (I took info-viz last semester, so I know the possibilities are there.)
---Using the touch-screen to check-in at my eye-doctor's office: This was a user-unfriendly experience. Such a nice little screen. I was provided with a WIMPY PowerPoint-like interface which was confusing to use- and time consuming!
---Shopping at the new Super Wal-Mart: I asked the greeter if there was a map, and he said, "Food is over there, and the rest of the stuff is that way." Flat panel displays were all over the store, but of course,they weren't interactive. I had no idea where anything was, and the few items I was looking at had no bar-code tags. There wasn't a clerk in sight. Wal-Mart TV rolled on-and-on via the display above my head. If I could only harness the display and have the talking head answer my questions! I gave up on my shopping trip when I was in the facial lotion/potion section. Too many choices, and too much fine print to read.
---Shopping at the mall with my young-adult daughters... I'll have to hold my thoughts on that one for now!
Some suggestions:
I think the artist/designers, (even dancers,) who are interested in multi-touch and gesture interaction have some interesting things to consider. (I linked to some of my previous posts.)
Again:
I am still mulling things over through the prism of NUI, post-WIMP, PATA, TOCA, OCGM, etc. So that is why there will be at "Part II". With specific examples!
RELATED
Multimedia, Multi-touch, Gesture, and Interaction Resources
My thoughts:
2007 Letter to the Editor, Pervasive Computing
Useful Usability Studies (pdf)
2007 Blog Post
Usability/Interaction Hall of Shame (In a Hospital)
2008 Blog Posts
Emerging Interactive Technologies, Emerging Interactions, and Emerging Integrated Form Factors
Interactive Touch-Screen Technology, Participatory Design, and "Getting It"
An Example of Convergence: Interactive TV: uxTV 2008
2009 Blog Posts
Why "new" ways of interaction?
Microsoft: Are You Listening? Cool Cat Teacher (Vicki Davis) Tries out Microsoft's Multi-touch Surface Table
Haptic/Tactile Interface: Dynamically Changeable Physical Buttons
The Convergence of TV, the Internet, and Interactivity: Update
UX of ITV: The User Experience and Interactive TV (or Let's Stamp Out Bad Remote Controls)
Digital Convergence and Interactive Television; Boxee and Digital Convergence
ElderGadget Blog: Useful Tech and Tools
Other People's Thoughts
Ron George's blog, OCGM (pronounced Occam['s Razor] is the replacement for WIMP 12/28/09
Ron George: Welcome to the OCGM Generation! Part 2
Stephen, Microsoft Kitchen: OCGM, A New Windows User Experience
Richard Monson-Haefel's blog, Multi-touch and NUI: What is NUI's WIMP?
Richard Monson-Haefel: OCGM: George's Razor
Josh Blake's blog, Deconstructing the NUI: WIMP is to GUI as OCGM (Occam) is to NUI
Bill Buxton: Gesture Based Interaction (pdf) (Updated 5/2009)
Bill Buxton: "Surface and Tangible Computing, and the "Small" Matter of People and Design" (pdf) - ISSCC 2008
Dan Saffer, Designing for Gestural Interfaces: Touchscreens and Interactive Devices
Dan Saffer, Designing for Interaction
Mark Weiser, Computer for the 21st Century Scientific American, 09, 1991
Touch User Interface: Readings in Touch Screen, Multi-Touch, and Touch User Interface
Jacob O Wobbrock, Meredith Ringel Morris, Andrew D. Wilson User-Defined Gestures for Surface Computing CHI 2009, April 4–9, 2009, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Labels:
Brill,
dan saffer,
gesture,
interaction design,
Josh Blake,
metaphors,
Monson-Haefel,
multi-touch,
NUI,
Occam's Razor,
OCGM,
post Wimp,
surface
3 comments:
3 comments:
Dec 29, 2009
Update! The Post-WIMP Conversation: Some Thoughts About Conceptualizing NUI, Part I
The content of this post has been moved. For the most recent update of this post, please see:
The Post-WIMP Explorers Club: Update of the Updates, Morning of 12/31/09
Dec 27, 2009
Touch, Multi-Touch & Gesture Responsive Web & Related Applications (helpful if you have a touch screen or IWB!)
I regularly share information about applications that work well on touch, multi-touch, and/or gesture-based screens. Over the past few months, there have been updates and new developments that I'm still exploring. (Some of this information might be "old" news, but for many, it will be "new".)
Here's what I have to share today!
Be sure to explore the activities from the Kids section of the National Gallery of Art website, located at the end of this post.
MULTI-TOUCH FIREFOX
Multi-touch on Firefox from Felipe on Vimeo.
Code Snippets from Felipe's Demo (Includes tracking divs, drawing canvas, image resizing, image crop, & pong) Mozilla Wiki
Bringing Multi-touch to Firefox and the Web
Christopher Blizzard, Mozilla Hacks
COOL IRIS
I have a hunch that someone out there is working on a multi-touch version of Cool Iris. Until I can find out the details, take a look at the videos below:
Cool Iris Overview on Google Chrome
Here is a short video of what Cool Iris looks like on an iPhone:
Cool Iris Links
Cool Iris and iPhone
Cool Iris and Developers
Cool Iris Blog
Cool Iris Media/Press
About Cool Iris: "Cooliris, Inc. was founded in January 2006 with a simple mantra: "Think beyond the browser". We focus on creating products that make discovering and enjoying the Web more exciting, efficient, and personal.Our core products include Cooliris (formerly PicLens), which transforms your browser into an interactive, full-screen "cinematic" experience for web media, and CoolPreviews, which lets you preview links instantly. Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, our team consists of seasoned developers, entrepreneurs, and Stanford computer engineers. Each of us is passionate about serving our users without compromise and seeing that our products deliver the best experience."
BUMPTOP
Bumptop Gets Multi-touch Support on Windows 7
Bumptop Website
You can download Bumptop from the Bumptop website. Here's the description:
"BumpTop is a fun, intuitive 3D desktop that keeps you organized and makes you more productive. Like a real desk, but better. Now with awesome mouse and multi-touch gestures!"
Anand Agarawala's Ted Talk
"Anand Agarawala presents BumpTop, a user interface that takes the usual desktop metaphor to a glorious, 3-D extreme, transforming file navigation into a freewheeling playground of crumpled documents and clipping-covered "walls.""
Discussion about Bumptop on the TED website
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART KIDS
I've been compiling a list of websites that offer good touch-interaction. One site that is good for children- and children at heart- is the National Gallery of Art's Kids pages. There are a few entries that I had fun playing with students on the new SMARTboards at one of my schools:
FACES AND PLACES - LANDSCAPE
"FACES & PLACES encourages children of all ages to create portraits and landscape paintings in the style of American naive artists. By combining visual elements borrowed from more than 100 works in the National Gallery's permanent collection, this two-part interactive activity offers an overview of American folk art of the 18th and 19th centuries.(Shockwave, 6 MB)."
This one is so fun! You can select different characters and make them dance, run, jump, or even fall. You can design the landscape and add buildings, trees, and animals, and even change the sky pattern. Press "go", and your character will travel around the panorama you've created.
DUTCH DOLL HOUSE
Dutch Dollhouse (Shockwave, 4.6 MB)
"Mix and match colorful characters, create decorative objects, and explore the kitchen, living quarters, artist's studio, and courtyard of this interactive 17th-century Dutch House."
NGA KIDS JUNGLE
"Create a tropical jungle filled with tigers, monkeys, and other exotic creatures. Inspired by the art of Henri Rousseau, NGAkids Jungle is an interactive art activity for kids of all ages. (Shockwave, 930k)"
What I liked about the Jungle application is that each item can be easily customized. On the SMARTBoard, as well as on my HP TouchSmart PC, it is very easy for a student who has limited fine-motor control to create beautiful pictures.
FLOW
"Flow is a motion painting machine for children of all ages. Enjoy watching the changing patterns and colors as you mix pictures on two overlapping layers. Choose designs from four sets of menu icons, or add to the flow by clicking the pencil tool to create your own designs."
This application is a favorite of some of the students I work with who enjoy watching things spin. (You don't have to have an autism spectrum disorder to enjoy playing with Flow!)
National Gallery of Art Student and Teacher Online Resources
Here's what I have to share today!
Be sure to explore the activities from the Kids section of the National Gallery of Art website, located at the end of this post.
MULTI-TOUCH FIREFOX
Sneak Peek on Multi-touch Events Felipe Gomes, Felipe's Blog
Multi-touch on Firefox from Felipe on Vimeo.
Code Snippets from Felipe's Demo (Includes tracking divs, drawing canvas, image resizing, image crop, & pong) Mozilla Wiki
Bringing Multi-touch to Firefox and the Web
Christopher Blizzard, Mozilla Hacks
COOL IRIS
I have a hunch that someone out there is working on a multi-touch version of Cool Iris. Until I can find out the details, take a look at the videos below:
Cool Iris Overview on Google Chrome
Here is a short video of what Cool Iris looks like on an iPhone:
Cool Iris Links
Cool Iris and iPhone
Cool Iris and Developers
Cool Iris Blog
Cool Iris Media/Press
About Cool Iris: "Cooliris, Inc. was founded in January 2006 with a simple mantra: "Think beyond the browser". We focus on creating products that make discovering and enjoying the Web more exciting, efficient, and personal.Our core products include Cooliris (formerly PicLens), which transforms your browser into an interactive, full-screen "cinematic" experience for web media, and CoolPreviews, which lets you preview links instantly. Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, our team consists of seasoned developers, entrepreneurs, and Stanford computer engineers. Each of us is passionate about serving our users without compromise and seeing that our products deliver the best experience."
BUMPTOP
Bumptop Gets Multi-touch Support on Windows 7
Bumptop Website
You can download Bumptop from the Bumptop website. Here's the description:
"BumpTop is a fun, intuitive 3D desktop that keeps you organized and makes you more productive. Like a real desk, but better. Now with awesome mouse and multi-touch gestures!"
Anand Agarawala's Ted Talk
"Anand Agarawala presents BumpTop, a user interface that takes the usual desktop metaphor to a glorious, 3-D extreme, transforming file navigation into a freewheeling playground of crumpled documents and clipping-covered "walls.""
Discussion about Bumptop on the TED website
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART KIDS
I've been compiling a list of websites that offer good touch-interaction. One site that is good for children- and children at heart- is the National Gallery of Art's Kids pages. There are a few entries that I had fun playing with students on the new SMARTboards at one of my schools:
FACES AND PLACES - LANDSCAPE
"FACES & PLACES encourages children of all ages to create portraits and landscape paintings in the style of American naive artists. By combining visual elements borrowed from more than 100 works in the National Gallery's permanent collection, this two-part interactive activity offers an overview of American folk art of the 18th and 19th centuries.(Shockwave, 6 MB)."
This one is so fun! You can select different characters and make them dance, run, jump, or even fall. You can design the landscape and add buildings, trees, and animals, and even change the sky pattern. Press "go", and your character will travel around the panorama you've created.
DUTCH DOLL HOUSE
Dutch Dollhouse (Shockwave, 4.6 MB)
"Mix and match colorful characters, create decorative objects, and explore the kitchen, living quarters, artist's studio, and courtyard of this interactive 17th-century Dutch House."
NGA KIDS JUNGLE
"Create a tropical jungle filled with tigers, monkeys, and other exotic creatures. Inspired by the art of Henri Rousseau, NGAkids Jungle is an interactive art activity for kids of all ages. (Shockwave, 930k)"
What I liked about the Jungle application is that each item can be easily customized. On the SMARTBoard, as well as on my HP TouchSmart PC, it is very easy for a student who has limited fine-motor control to create beautiful pictures.
FLOW
"Flow is a motion painting machine for children of all ages. Enjoy watching the changing patterns and colors as you mix pictures on two overlapping layers. Choose designs from four sets of menu icons, or add to the flow by clicking the pencil tool to create your own designs."
This application is a favorite of some of the students I work with who enjoy watching things spin. (You don't have to have an autism spectrum disorder to enjoy playing with Flow!)
National Gallery of Art Student and Teacher Online Resources
Dec 26, 2009
DYI multi-touch...
If you follow this blog, you know I like to share what people are doing with multi-touch and related natural user interfaces/interaction. In this post, I'd like to share an article about two students who decided to build and market a multi-touch table- the article below explains the story in-depth, and video shows the nuts and bolts.
Enterprising roomates build multi-touch LCD, market their business to West Coast*
Walter Valencia, Collegiate Times 12/1/09
Vision x32 from Aaron Bitler on Vimeo.
I'll post more about 22Miles in an upcoming post.
Until then, take a look at 22Miles' promo video, featuring a huge 3D interactive multi-touch heart:
Enterprising roomates build multi-touch LCD, market their business to West Coast*
Walter Valencia, Collegiate Times 12/1/09
According to the above article, Aaron Bitler and Brady Simpson they were inspired by CNN's Magic Wall during the 2008 election. Bitler and Simpson learned more about natural user interface/interaction during a presentation in a business class that featured a video about the Microsoft Surface table and natural user interface technologies. They formed a company, 3M8, to build and market mutli-touch display/tables.
Vision x32 from Aaron Bitler on Vimeo.
From what I can tell, it looks like Bitler and Simpson relied on the DYI information and support from the NUI-group website to carry out their ideas. Bitler and Simpson met with representatives of 22Miles, a company located in San Jose that provides interactive solutions, including multi-touch, for web, mobile, and touch screen implementations.
I'll post more about 22Miles in an upcoming post.
Until then, take a look at 22Miles' promo video, featuring a huge 3D interactive multi-touch heart:
Labels:
22 miles,
3M8,
Aaron Bitler,
Brady Simpson,
DYI,
interactive marketing,
LCD,
multi-touch,
NUI,
video
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