Usability in the Era of HealthCare.Gov

It is hard not to be frustrated at all of the glitches that have surfaced during the recent deployment of the US government's HealthCare.gov website.   Since the website was planned to play an integral role in making "Obamacare" a reality for a large segment of U.S. citizens, I assumed that strict attention to details would have been followed, from the initial conceptualization of the site until it was "ready" for the world.  

I was wrong. 

Maybe there was a miscommunication between the folks at CGI Federal, the company contracted to work on the HealthCare.gov website, and the HealthCare.gov project team, I don't know...

My guess is that there weren't enough people knowledgable about usability and user-centered design on the planning teams from the start.  Whatever the case, it seems like someone forgot to check the US government's very own Usability.Gov "Improving the User Experience" website!   

Usability.Gov

The wealth of information on the Usability.Gov  website been available for years - online, in books, and taught in a number of IT-related courses.  Usability is not limited to ease-of-navigation principles for websites and software user interfaces - a common mis-perception. It is an important component of user-centered software engineering and design, and more.  

In the following video, featured in the User-Centered Design (UCD) section of the Usability.Gov website,  it is noted that "at least 50% of a programmers' time during a project is spent doing rework that is avoidable."   Citing a 2005 study by IEEE, the narrator explains that the three top reasons for tech projects to fail are poorly defined requirements, poor communications, and stakeholder politics.   

So true for the Healthcare.gov website!


Was the Healthcare.Gov website doomed to fail, given all of the confusion and controversy surrounding the Affordable HealthCare Act from the start? 

Perhaps.   

So how can things be prevented?

If this is a topic that interests you - even if you aren't a developer, take the time to soak in some of the information from the Usability.Gov website to learn more about user-centered design, usability, and ways to prevent costly mistakes.  

If you are a computer science, software engineering, or preparing for a career that intersects with technology development or implementation in some way, plan to take a course or two that covers topics such as Human-Computer Interaction (HCI),  Human Factors, and User-Centered Design (UCD). 

Consider joining professional organizations, interest groups, or meet-ups if you are already working in the tech world, but lacking in up-to-date knowledge and skills in this area. 

Places to start:

ACM SIGCHI  - Association for Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction
Usability Professional's Association
IXDA - Interaction Design Association
HFES: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
IEDO's Human-Centered Design Toolkit

RELATED
Why Obama's Healthcare.gov launch was doomed to fail
Adrianne Jeffried, The Verge, 10/8/13
How we're working to improve HealthCare.gov  (Health Insurance Blog)
HealthCare.gov contractors testify they warned of glitch risk before launch
Hari Sreenivasen, PBS Newshour Transcript
Health Care Site Rushing to Make Fixes by Sunday
Sharon LaFraniere, Eric Lipton and Ian Austen, NYT, 11/29/13
Software, Design Defects Cripple Health-Care Website
Christopher Weaver, Shira Ovide and Louise Radnofsky, WSJ, 10/6/13
Meet CGI Federal, the company behind the botched launch of HealthCare.gov
Lydia DePillis, 10/16/13
CGI Federal
Why Software Fails: We waste billions of dollars each year on entirely preventable mistakes
Robert N. Charette, IEEE Spectrum, 9/2/2005
The ROI of User Experience with Dr. Susan Weinschenk (Video 1/27/11)
Usability.Gov
Aquilent Proudly Supports Usability.gov "Re-Boot" to Further User Experience Best Practices"  Business Wire, 7/18/13Aquilent
Digital Government (Whitehouse.gov)

Allison Druin and the HCIL Team Win Emmy for Nick App: Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media-User Experience and Visual Design

I'd like to give a shout-out to Allison Druin and the team at the University of Maryland Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) for winning the Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media - User Experience and Visual Design award!  This is a new category of award for the Emmys.


The Nick App is free and available for the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Windows 8, and Xbox Life.

Here is the scoop from the Emmys website:

"The Nick App is a branded experience that allows kids to watch and play Nick in unprecedented ways. This free App features a moveable tile layout that can be swiped in any direction, promoting discovery and exploration and offering kids instant and on-demand access to more than 1,000 pieces of Nickelodeon-themed content. It includes short-form videos of original skits, sketch and comedic bits, behind-the-scenes clips and photos from Nick stars and animated characters, full episodes, polls, new games, and surprising random hilarity. The Nick App supports the full Nickelodeon on-air line up as well as specials such as the annual Kids' Choice Awards. The App boasts new content daily and includes fun and funny interactive elements such as the "Do Not Touch" button that triggers an array of disruptive comedy and surprises. Nickelodeon's goal was to go beyond a typical app that offers free video viewing and instead offer more interactive content, games, and video not seen on television — whenever and wherever the user wants it." 

RELATED

Kid Design at the HCIL: Human Computer Interaction Lab, University of Maryland 
At the HCIL, children participate as co-designers, and are members of the Kidsteam. The Nick App was created with their input!

Allison Druin is an iSchool Professor & Chief Futurist for the Division of Research at the University of Maryland. She previously was the director of the HCIL has devoted much of her career to children and technology. 

Release:  Immersive and Interactive Digital Media Programs to Receive Emmys

Emmys Category Descriptions:  Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media 
(Multiplatform Storytelling; Original Interactive Program; Social TV Experience; User Experience and Visual Design)

Designing for Touch & Gesture: Tips for Apps and the Web (Updated)

In the past, our fingers did the walking, sifting through files, papers, pamphlets, and phonebooks, and then by point-click-clicking with a mouse to interact with images and text, in essence, electronic imitations of the paper-based world. Traditional forms, brochures, ad inserts, and posters informed much of the design. 

How much have things change?   It is 2013, but you'd think it was 1997 from the PowerPoint look and feel of many apps and web sites!   Touch is everywhere, but from what I can tell, not enough designers and developers have stepped up to the plate to think more deeply about ways their applications can support human endeavors though touch and gesture interactions.  

For an overview of this topic, take a look at my 2011 post, written after a number of ugly encounters with user-unfriendly applications:  Why bother switching from GUI to NUI?  

For an in-depth look into the history of multi-touch, the wisdom of Bill Buxton is well-worth absorbing.  He's worked with all sorts of interfaces, and has been curating the history of multi-touch and gesture systems since 2007:


Multi-Touch Systems that I have Known and Loved
Bill Buxton, Microsoft Research, Updated 8/30/12



Even if you are not a designer or developer, I encourage you to explore some of the links below:

Touch Gestures for Application Design
Luke Wroblewski, 10/9/12

Common Misconceptions About Touch
Steven Hoober, 3/18/13

Designing With Tablets in Mind:  Six Tips to Remember
Connor Turnbull, Webdesign tuts+, 9/27/11

Finger-Friendly Design: IDeal Mobile Touchscreen Target Sizes
Anthony T, Smashing Magazine, 2/21/12

Best Practices: Designing Touch Tablet Experiences for Preschoolers (pdf)
Sesame Street Workshop


Are Touch Screens Accessible?
AcessIT, National center on Accessible Information Technology in Education

iOS Human Interface Guidelines
Apple

Android User Interface Guidelines
Using Touch Gestures
Handling Multi-Touch Gestures
Android

Designing for Tablets?  We're Here to Help!
Roman Nurik, Android Developers Blog 11/26/12

Touch interaction design (Windows Store apps)
Microsoft - MSDN

Multi-Touch Systems that I have Known and Loved
Bill Buxton, Microsoft Research, Updated 8/30/12

Crafting Gorgeous User Interfaces: Rich Robinson, of Skookum Digital Works, talks about dynamic interface/experience/interaction design.

Rich Robinson, of Skookum Digital Works, gave a presentation at a recent Charlotte User Experience Meet-up. 

The title of the presentation, "Crafting Gorgeous User Interfaces" is slightly misleading. 

It's not just about making things pretty. It's about ideas, problem-solving, and understanding the people who will be interacting with dynamic interfaces, across devices, screens, and contexts. 

At the end of the presentation, Rich suggests that you take the time to watch the "Connecting" video, a video I featured on one of my recent posts.   



Thanks, Rich, for sharing your thoughts and ideas!

Connecting: Exploration of the Future of Interaction Design and User Experience - Good for promoting CSEd!

I've been looking for a relatively short video about human-computer interaction and related fields to include in a presentation I'm planning for high school students. The presentation is my small part to promote Computer Science in Education Week (CSEd). 

One of the goals of CSEd Week is to spread the word that computer science education is much more than learning how to program one. Technical and computational thinking skills are important to develop, but young people also need to know what sort of things they can do with these skills as they become adults in our technological society. As stated on the CSEd website, "Computing professionals work on creative teams to develop cutting-edge products and solutions that save lives, solve health problems, improve the environment, and keep us connected."  

Coincidentally, I was pleasantly surprised by a tweet I received today that linked to Connecting, a well-produced 18-minute video about interaction and user experience design. This video would be great to share with high school students.


Connecting (Full Film) from Bassett & Partners on Vimeo.

The video features a number of well-spoken, creative professionals who are passionate about their work, people, and the future.  Although the video is a bit techno-centric, it depicts people who live and breathe technology in a favorable light.  It also inspires some degree of thought and reflection on the part of the viewer.

Although much of what is discussed in Connecting is futuristic, the seeds were planted years ago.  If you are new to the HCI/UX/ID/UCD world, it might help to read
Mark Weiser's 1991 article, The Computer for the 21st Century, published in Scientific American in 1991, before viewing the video.  

After viewing the video, I encourage you to take the time to read some of the comments on the Vimeo website.  Also read  Marc Rettig's comments, posted on the IxDA website:  "A film about interaction design: what it says about us".  

Near the end of the video, there is a discussion about where we might be headed, as interconnected, technically enhanced, augmented humans.  Hopefully we will not create, and then be assimilated into a Borg-like collective, or live out our days in a Matrix-like disembodied state.

In the wrong hands, what might happen?

Is resistance futile?!

FYI: Connecting was produced by Microsoft, Windows Phone Design Studio: Mike Kruzeniski (now at Twitter), Kat Holmes, and Albert Shum, and featured interviews with the following people:

Matt Jones, BERG London
Raphael Grignani, Method
Liz Danzico, School of Visual Arts, New York
Blaise Aguera y Arcas, Architect of Bing Mobile and Bing Maps
Helen Walters,  Writer, Editor, Researcher at Doblin/Monitor
Younghee Jung, Research Leader, Nokia
Massimo Banzi, Co-Founder, Arduino
Jennifer Bove, Co-Founder, Managing Director, Kicker Studio
Robert Murdock, Principal, Method (Artefact)
Jonas Lowgren, Professor of IxD, Malmo University, Sweden
Eric Rodenbeck, CEO, Founder, Creative Director, Stamen Design
Robert Fabricant, VP of Creative, Frog Design
Andrei Herasimchuck, Twitter 

The video was first screened in Seattle, Washington, last April, with a panel discussion that included Rob Girling and Gavin Kelly, of Artefact, Bill Buxton, of Microsoft, and Scott Nazarian, of Frog Design.

Description of the "Connecting" video, from Bassett & Partners' Vimeo site:

"The 18 minute "Connecting" documentary is an exploration of the future of Interaction Design and User Experience from some of the industry's thought leaders. As the role of software is catapulting forward, Interaction Design is seen to be not only increasing in importance dramatically, but also expected to play a leading role in shaping the coming "Internet of things." Ultimately, when the digital and physical worlds become one, humans along with technology are potentially on the path to becoming a "super organism" capable of influencing and enabling a broad spectrum of new behaviors in the world." -Bassett & Partners

Selected Quotes:

Liz Danzico:
"It's understanding that ecosystem, where the human in the center, and understanding that network of things, and how they all work together, rather than of your device or thing being in the center."

Younghee Jung:
"... you can not necessarily foresee the consequences when people adopt what you designed..to see something completely different from what you created. .it is like throwing a stone in the water, and you don't know what it will cause."

Blaise Aguera y Arcas:
"....these are all augmentations of abilities as humans. And when the augmentation really works, then that extension of yourself feels natural, and beautiful and does what you want, and doesn't get in the way....The use of voice, and the use of natural gestures... you are removing the extraneous, you are removing the artificial."

Massimo Banzi:
"...Something that can do it's own thing, disappearing in the background, is correct"  (nod to Weiser)

Jennifer Bove:
"...it is really important to look at what the consequences are of putting these products into the world when we think about things like the phone...the way it has changed our behavior, it can be enabling, and also disrupting...for these things to change our lives for the better, or enable for them to let us do things we couldn't do before.. they have to feel natural, and feels like a conversation." 

Robert Murdock:
"How you actually design and enact a living system in UX is something that is quite challenging...you have to think about patterns of desired outcomes and behaviors you want to achieve, instead of moving a user through one flow in an experience."

Jonas Lowgren: 
"...back in the day.. it was one user, one task, one computer,  its all gone now, its is much more like you are setting the stage, really,  for other people to perform, but you can never tell them what to do."

Eric Rodenbeck:
"....the map is like a living thing, that is being made up of everything we got. The idea that it is different in the morning than what it was in the evening, is a really good idea to stay connected to the idea that the world is changing."

Helen Walters:
"What we need is for designers to be embedded in the topics that are really, really important right now, so there can be a better synergy between design, and business design, and social change design, and entrepreneurship."

Andrei Herasimchuck
"That is where the future lies with us. There will be software in everything..You can take all of those (digital) pieces, and you can design all kind of things around it. People are now actually entering their lives and what is going around them, into a digital format, and so we will start do things with that in the future, and I think it will be exciting."

Robert Fabricant:
"The network is sampling the world, and knowing what is cropping up where, being able to match and find patterns...and anticipate outbreaks of diseases. ..  We are trying  now to collect from the periphery a much richer set of what is going on the world so we can learn as a society and optimize and evolve the right systems and services".

SOMEWHAT RELATED
IxDA
Experientia: Putting People First 
What's the Difference- IXD, IA, UXD, HCI, UCD, UX (Jon Karpoff)

Bill Moggridge left our world in September, but his human-centered design spirit lives on!

Bill Moggridge, co-founder of the design company IDEO and director of the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, passed away on September 8th 2012 of cancer at the age of 69.    If you are familiar with human-centered design, user experience, or design thinking, it is likely that you've have been influenced by Moggridge's work, ideas, and heart!  

I encourage you to take the time to view the following video:


To learn more about Bill Moggridge and his contributions to the people of our world, take a look at the "Remembering Bill" web pages on the Cooper-Hewitt website, and also the Celebrating Bill Moggridge website.

RELATED
Bill Boggridge's presentation to K-12 educators about design:



Bill Moggridge is the author of the following books:

Designing Media (book/DVD/website), featuring interviews with a range of people from various disciplines related to media.

Designing Interactions (book/DVD/website). In this book, Moggridge introduces a number of of people who have influenced interaction design.  It also covers the evolution of the interactive design approaches at IDEO.

Does Scanning This QR Code Make Me Look Silly? Interaction Mishaps with QR Codes Out and About

I am brave. 

I am one of the few pioneers who have tried to scan QR codes, no matter what. I have squatted in front of a display to carefully align my phone with a code. I have disregarded many passers-by who had no choice than to walk around me.  I have blocked the path to the restrooms at a crowded airport, just to capture that special shot.


I was so intent on capturing one QR code that I stood on my tip-toes in front of a large refrigerated drink section of an airport convenience store full of thirsty people. I didn't care if I blocking the aisle to the drinks!  I just had to watch the ads cycle on a dynamic display for the right moment to scan and snap the QR code. 

My last QR encounter was at a Harris Teeter supermarket in Charlotte, NC. The purpose of the QR code was to link customers to the store's mobile app.  It turned out to be a laborious process. It had little to do with the QR code or my iPhone's scanning software.  It had nothing to do with my ability to steady my iPhone and quickly capture a QR code.  It had everything to do with a poorly-planned spot for this transaction to take place.  Even though QR codes have been around for a while, it seems that little thought has been given to the user/customer experience at the "point of scan".


This QR code made me look especially silly.  I got a few strange looks from other shoppers entering and exiting the store. 

Imagine what I looked like as I approached the automatic sliding door!  After a sashaying around for a few minutes, I captured the code. I guess I was suffering from QR Code Fatigue by that point, because after I downloaded the mobile app, I left the store and forgot all about it.

App store and mobile app screen shots:

There was another option for scanning the Harris Teeter QR code. At the checkout counter, there was one located on the screen on top of the cash register.  It was not possible to reach over everything in order to scan the code.  Even if I could access the QR code while checking out, it wouldn't be wise. I'd be holding up the line, and no-one wants to be "that guy".




A couple of weeks ago, I decided to relax a bit and do some gardening. I noticed that every single plant had a tag, and every single tag had a QR code.  Instead of taking a break to sip some iced tea, like other neighborhood ladies,  I got my iPhone, wiped a plant tag clean (you don't want to scan a QR code obscured with garden soil), found a flat surface, and scanned. I spent too much time learning more than I ever cared to know about vincas and begonias.




The following section is from one of my previous posts on this topic, reviewing my second encounter with a QR code at the Orlando airport. This particular QR code was on a display in a very crowded convenience store.

I spotted another QR tag!

There were a few problems with this set-up.  First, the display was located on a wall close to a ceiling, making it very inconvenient to scan with my phone.  The page with the QR tag didn't stay up long enough for me to attempt to scan it, although waited around until it cycled back in view-  three times.  I gave up and took a picture instead, standing on my tip-toes with my arms extended over my head, the same position required to scan the QR tag, if it would stay put!


Another problem was that the display was perched above a high-traffic area, right above the  refrigerated drinks.  The only place to scan the QR tag was in a narrow aisle, behind the throngs of thirsty travelers making a bee-line to the cold drink section of the store.  I was in the way of a number of people in this bee-line.

What were they thinking when they decided that the best place this large display featuring a QR tag should be several feet above eye-level in this particular location?  

The displays in front of the store at the airport were located on either side of the doorway, at "body" level. This is a logical place to put a display.  Potential customers can view the displays without getting in the way of other travelers.  

Here's a picture of one display, found at a garden center,  that provided an adequate user-experience.  Instead of a QR code, the display had a Microsoft Smart Tag. The display was located in a spot where I didn't feel silly. The tag was easy to scan, and it linked me to a website that had the same basic content as the touch screen below.  I could  "scan and go" if I was in a hurry, scan and look at the screen of my iPhone if I wanted to walk around the store, or stand in front of the display and watch the infomercials.


The following picture is a screen shot of a site someone put up as a joke, no pictures, of course, because there are so few that do!  

Update 3/13
I was going through the drive-through pharmacy at CVS and spotted this QR code on the window. I asked the pharmacy technician what she knew about the QR code, and she said, "What QR code".  From our discussion, not much was known about this QR code, and no one to her knowledge had ever tried to scan it.  I tried, and failed to succeed.  

RELATED
Interactive Display with QR Tag: Close Encounter at the Orlando Airport
When The Web Meets The Real World: Moving Beyond QR Codes
Eric Savitz, Forbes, 8/4/11
"The 9 million users of the most popular QR code scanner for the iPhone scan just 4,000 QR codes per day."
How to Make It Easy for People to Scan Your QR Codes
Joe Waters, Dummies.com
Big box garden centers embrace QR tags
Garden Center, 5/9/11
GARDENING: QR codes can be a Gardener's Best Friend
Urban Domestic Diva, 6/11
Harris-Teeter Mobile Website

User Experience and Windows 8, link to Steven Sinofsky's post.

Steven Sinofsky is an author of an informative MSDN blog. His recent post about user experience and the new Windows 8 operating system provides an interesting, detailed "back-history" of the development of the Windows UI over the ages. Steven's post is worth setting aside a chunk of time to read and reflect!

Creating the Window 8 User Experience

 

BTW, the numerous comments from readers of Steven's post are worth skimming.

Razorfish Gesture and Touch Platform for the "Retail Experience"

Razorfish Connected Retail Experience Platform (codename "5D") from Razorfish - Emerging Experiences on Vimeo.


The above video is an overview of the "5D" connected retail experience platform by Razorfish Emerging Experience. This concept looks like it was designed for me - someone who loves tech,  has a high need for hassle-free shopping.  Someday I hope I will have the ultimate technology-supported shopping experience : )




RELATED
Razorfish Press Release
Razorfish


SOMEWHAT RELATED 
Previous posts:
Interactive Visual Merchandising
Another close encounter with in-store digital display marketing at Best Buy...
Interactions (ACM) Cover Article - "Proxemic Interactions: The New Ubicomp?" Plus - Close encounters with displays at the airport and JC Penney
Pervasive Retail Part 1: Web UX  Meets Retail CX - Screens Large and Small at the Mall, Revisited
Interactive Displays in Public Spaces
Interactive Display with QR Tag: Close Encounter at the Orlando Airport

Other:
Retail Customer Experience website
Pervasive Retail

GestureTek: Retail Marketing Solutions: Interactive Screen and Window Display Systems for Advertising in Stores, Malls and Shopping Centers
JC Penney Remodel  Interactive Video
Window Shopping Goes High-Tech With Motion-Sensing Interactive Displays
Bridgette Meinhold, Ecouterre, 9/22/11

Quick link: "14 burdens placed on the user" by Jeff Sauro, Measuring Usability Blog

It is 2011 and usability issues continue to plague us.


I am sure most of encounter many of the usability annoyances outlined in the following article several times a week, if not several times a day!


14 burdens placed on the user
Jeff Sauro, Measuring Usability, 7/5/11


via Smashing Magazine

Interactions (ACM) Cover Article- "Proxemic Interactions: The New Ubicomp?" - Plus - Close encounters with displays at the airport and JC Penney

Today I came home from and found one of my favorite publications, Interactions, on my kitchen counter.  Imagine my excitement when I saw that the cover article for the Jan-Feb issue was  "Proxemic Interactions:  The New Ubicomp?". (pdf)  The authors of this article are Saul Greenberg, Nicolai Marquardt, Till Ballendat, Rob Diaz-Marino, and Miaosen Wang, from the University of Calgary. (A list of some of the articles from the current issue of Interactions can be found at the end of this post.)


On the topic of proxemic interactions.... I welcome the research that is germinating in this area, and agree with the authors of Interaction's cover article that there is much work to be done in this space!   


I've been searching for great examples of interactive displays in public spaces.  Since there is much room for improvement in this field, much of what I share on this blog is a bit  disheartening.   Most of my user-unfriendly encounters with large displays happen when I'm in an airport, mall, health care facility, or a cruise ship.  Things are improving, but at a slow pace. The best work I've seen so far has been in museums.  


A few weeks ago I wrote a post about my nearly comical interaction with a large display that featured a QR tag that simply would NOT cooperate with my smartphone's tag reader.   What were they thinking when they decided that the best place for a QR tag on a large display should be at knee level?
Interactive Display with QR Tag:  Close Encounter at the Orlando Airport

There is more to this story!  On my way home,  I had a few hours to kill at the Orlando airport. I stopped by a convenience store the Orlando airport, and discovered the non-static display below. I didn't notice the display the first time I was in the store that day.


I spotted another QR tag!

There were a few problems with this set-up.  First, the display was located on a wall close to a ceiling, making it very inconvenient to scan with my phone.  The page with the QR tag didn't stay up long enough for me to attempt to scan it, although waited around until it cycled back in view-  three times.  I gave up and took a picture instead, standing on my tip-toes with my arms extended over my head, the same position required to scan the QR tag, if it would stay put!


Another problem was that the display was perched above a high-traffic area, right above the  refrigerated drinks.  The only place to scan the QR tag was in a narrow aisle, behind the throngs of thirsty travelers making a bee-line to the cold drink section of the store.  I was in the way of a number of people in this bee-line.


What were they thinking when they decided that the best place this large display featuring a QR tag should be several feet above eye-level in this particular location?  

The displays in front of the store were located on either side of the doorway, at "body" level. This is a logical place to put a display.  Potential customers can view the displays without getting in the way of other travelers.


I didn't notice QR tags on these displays.  QR tags linking to web-based reviews of books I'd like to purchase would be useful in this scenario.


Non-static displays outside of the store:





PART II: Interactive Touch Screen Display Encounter at JC Penney

Interactive displays are cropping up everywhere.  The display featured below is part of the Find More at JC Penney  campaign. The following is a quote from a JC Penney press release: 

"JC Penney has announced the launch of a new mobile initiative that connects mobile commerce with social and instore media applications that include location-based check-in offers and enhancements to its mobile apps. JCPenney's mobile initiatives are part of the company's investment in its overall digital platform, which also includes jcp.com, social media, and its in-store FindMore™ smart fixture."


"The smart fixture integrates JCPenney's online and offline stores by providing customers with a 52-inch interactive touch screen experience that allows them to view and purchase items from jcp.com while in a JCPenney store. Customers can also scan a bar code to get product details, access recommendations, or email data about an item of interest to themselves or friends."

Can you find the large interactive touch screen display?    After shopping around in the mall, I decided to go to JC Penney and check out the sales.  Below is what I passed as I entered the store.  I went up and down the main aisle a few times before I noticed a large interactive display along a side aisle.  



The stack of red holiday boxes obstructed my view:



I didn't notice the display the first few times I walked in the other direction. From the back, the display looked like a poster. 
  
When I finally discovered the display, I was impressed with the slick graphics and stylish models. 



I wasn't so impressed by the placement of the display. To interact with the screen, I had to stand in a narrow aisle, in the path of a steady stream of slow-walking shoppers, often moving in small groups, including parents with babies in strollers. 


I wasn't impressed by the confusing array of input methods on the display.  I noticed that the light blue square in the lower left-hand corner of the display is designed to provide access for people with disabilities.   I couldn't figure it out.

Accessibility:  There is a need for research in this area!

The accessibility feature was confusing to use. The virtual trackball activated a curser on the screen, but the curser did not accurately map the virtual trackball movements. This section of the screen was located on the lower left hand corner, which would be convenient for someone in a wheelchair to use. The placement of the "accessibility window" was too low for someone who might to interact with the screen in an accessible manner but don't happen to need a wheelchair.


I shot video of my interaction with the screen, but found that I was in the way of shoppers, so I stopped.  Not to worry.  Below is a video taken by Mike Cearly, shared on his 11th Screen blog post, "Out and About: JC Penney's "Find More" Touch Screen".   (Mike's impressions of this display were similar to mine and worth reading if this is an area that interest you.)

Mike uses his 11th Screen Scorecard to evaluate the technology he encounters in public spaces.  I am updating a similar rubric to use when evaluating displays in public spaces.   It is important to look at multiple dimensions, such as the physical placement of the display, weather and lighting conditions,  how the display interoperates with mobile devices or a system of displays,  how the content is presented/accessed across channels and devices, and how users share the experience with others.

Components of the 11th Screen Scorecard  -Mike Cearly
Purpose: "What is the purpose of the solution? Is it to drive awareness? Acquisition?  Loyalty?  What is the brand trying to accomplish in this medium?"
Drama: "Does the solution make a big impact on the user? Does it make them stop and interact?"
Usability: "Can the user navigate through the experience with ease? Are the paths to information intuitive?  There's also an element of functions, too, but I think that is much more subjective.  Do the functions enhance the user experience?"
Interactivity:  "How does the user interact with it?  Is it gesture based? Is it touch-based? Can the user interact with it through any other enabling technology?"
Information: "How much and what kind of content is available for the user to interact with?  Generally speaking, the more information and the different formats of information, the better."
Personalization: "What level of personalization does the experience provide?"


COMMENT

I've been obsessed with large displays and the amazing potential they hold for supporting all sorts of  interactions -  collaboration, planning, creating, information sharing, playing, viewing, communicating, learning, shopping,  way-finding, artistic expression.  

I'm also drawn to smaller screens and how we use our mobile devices- smartphones, iphones, e-readers, digital cameras, etc.,  to interact with the displays we encounter in public spaces.   We are just beginning to figure out how technology can effectively - and seamlessly-support interaction between people who are co-located as well as located in different places.

INTERACTIONS Volume XVIII.1 

Here is a list of some articles from the current issue of Interactions:

Did you ever know that you're my hero?: the power of storytelling (Sal Cilella)

The need for video in scientific communication (Jonas Lowgren)

Journeying toward extravagant, expressive, place-based computing (Matt Jones)

The (re) usability of everyday computational things: why industrial design will be the new industrial design (Roel Vertegaal)

Visual analytics and human-computer-computer interaction (Richard Arias-Hernandez, John Dill, Brian Fisher, Tera Marie Green)

Rat, rational, or seething cauldron of desire: designing the shopper (Elizabeth F. Churchill)

The Cloud (Yue Pan, Eli Blevis)

Beyond interfaces and flows: abstractions for mapping organic architectures (Davide Bolchini, Adam Neddo)