Showing posts with label participatory design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label participatory design. Show all posts

Dec 3, 2012

Musings about still-popular Interactive Multimedia Technology blog posts from the past...

I have been blogging for over six years now, and from time-to-time I like to take a look my Google Analytics stats.   A large chunk of the visitors to this blog come from the US, 


I've noticed that the following blog posts still get hits, even though they were written a while ago. I'm not sure why, but I think it would be helpful to revisit each one, clean up any broken links, and provide new information related to each topic.  It might take me a while.

Reader input is welcome!

Games to Lift Stress Away: Flower, flOw (and Cloud), from thatgamecompany (2009)
A number of people who do a search of the word "Flower" or "Flower Pictures"  find this blog post, every day.

Interactive multimedia for social skills, understanding feelings, relaxation and coping strategies, etc. (2006)
This post gets a lot of hits from people who work in K-12 settings, looking for "free online interactive social skills games" or something similar.  

Interactive Touch-Screen Technology, Participatory Design, and "Getting It". (2008)
This is one of my rare "brain dump" posts. I noticed that in an attempt to update the post, I linked it to another post, written in 2010. 

The Children's Interactive Library: User Experience Design and the Library! (2009)
The Children's Interactive Library was a collaboration between Interactive Spaces, the Department of Computer Science, University of Aarhus, the Department for Design, Aarhus School of Architecture, and others. 

Yellowbird 6 lens 360 degree video camera creates web-based interactive videos. (2009)
I got the link from Harry Brignull, who blogs at 90 Percent of Everything

The 3D Evolution: Part I, Introduction (2010) Hmmmm 3D TV, where are we now? 
To find out, check out the 3D Guy blog.


Teliris InterAct TouchTable and TouchWall: Immersive Collaboration and Telepresence, DVE's Holographic Tele-Immersion Room
Since I wrote this post  in 2008, it has received over 7,000 page views from Malaysia.  Is it possible that I have a secret fan club there?  

Window Shopping in the Web Outside (2011)

William Forsythe's "Synchronous Objects - One Flat Thing, Reproduced" Multidisciplinary online interactive project: Translating choreography into new forms. (2009)
(I like this stuff.)






Sep 11, 2010

For Techies and the Tech Curious: A Few Links - IEEE Multimedia Innovations, Surface Computing, Usability, and Computer Education Research

IEEE Multimedia magazine online  
July-September 2010 Issue:  Multimedia Innovations
"This special issue addresses the notion that multimedia is a compelling field that provides a driving force behind most of today's technology innovations."
Games Only Scratch the Surface:  A Challenge for Developers Lou Silverstein, Identity Mine
In this article, Lou Silverstein discusses the latest news about Microsoft Surface and encourages developers to think about joining a dialogue on this topic.
This article is a gentle reminder, written for developers of traditional productivity software,  about the importance of usability and understanding non-technical users.
Why does the UK and Sweden take Computing Education Research more seriously than US? Mark Guzdial, Blog@cacm (Communications of the ACM)
In this article, Mark Guzdial discusses some of the trends in computer education research outside of the US and shares his discovery of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Computer Science


Thanks to Nat Torkington, of O'Reilly Radar,  for some of the links!


SOMEWHAT RELATED
Two years ago I wrote a post about touch-screen & surface computing - were still not there yet, although interactive tables are showing up in more places:
Interactive Touch-Screen Technology, Participatory Design, and "Getting It"

Dec 11, 2009

Participatory Design Conference 2010 "Participation :: The Challenge" + some thoughts

I really want to go to Australia next year and attend this conference! Below are links to the conference, along with an excerpt from the conference description:

11th Biennial Participatory Design Conference:  Participation :: The Challenge (pdf)
PDC2010 Conference Website
PDC2008 Conference Website

"Participation is the complex, contested, changing, creative and celebratory core of participatory design. We invite you to explore what participation can and needs to mean in the design contexts where we are working now and those we are likely to encounter soon. While current ‘best practice’ in many areas of interactive technology design now at least pays lip service to people’s participation, how is this participation being negotiated and defined, and by whom? And if Participatory Design methods developed some 20 years ago are claimed to have become standard design practice, how do we go about developing the methods that will define standard design practice 20 years from now?"


REFLECTION
Judging from what I've experienced as a consumer/user,  there are many things that are floating around in the form of electronics, software, and related gadgets that are examples of the absence of participatory design.

My daily pet peeve is the remote control for my entertainment set-up, which includes DVR and a small but growing number of interactive TV channels.  Another pet peeve is the usability of productivity software, including the software I must use for work.

At any rate, below are links to some of my thoughts related to usability topics that might be of interest to people who are thinking about or practicing participatory design or user-centered design.

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
Interactive Touch-Screen Technology, Participatory Design, and "Getting It"
An Example of Convergence: Interactive TV: uxTV 2008

2009 Blog Posts
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)
ElderGadget Blog: Useful Tech and Tools