Microblogs #3 - HCI Remixed

References:
Title: HCI Remixed
Author: Various Authors
Venue: Edited by Thomas Erickson and David W. McDonald; 2008

Chapter #1:
Summary:
In this chapter, William Buxton describes a music-making machine he used to use in 1971 and how strong the design was even today. The device's two-hand input scheme was simple enough for him to use despite the fact that he had never used it before, and he still believes it is one of the finest examples of HCI he has ever encountered.

Discussion:
I found this chapter interesting because of the machine's simplicity. The left hand note selector seems extremely simple to use and is a design I hadn't heard of before this article. Also, I liked this article because I found the wooden block "mouse" funny.


Chapter #4:
Summary:
In this chapter, Joseph A. Konstan talks about a 1961 input device called the Sketchpad and how the forward thinking of its maker, I. Sutherland, has kept the device relevant even today. Konstan describes the complexities of the hardware and the fine details of its software, and urges us to think ahead like Sutherland did.

Discussion:
I found this chapter interesting because I had never heard of this device before now. The fact that a man 50 years ago was able to envision a device that today is used by many graphics professionals is amazing, and it makes me hope to think as far ahead as Sutherland did.


Chapter #5:
Summary:
In this chapter, Wendy Ju describes Doug Englebart's demo of his NLS (oNLine System) and what it taught her about HCI and big ideas. She describes two different times during her education when viewing the demo showed her what was possible in the field of computing and also how sometimes big ideas go beyond just what you make at the time.

Discussion:
I found this chapter interesting because it shows not only how a great idea can be passed over as stupid or impossible only to be proven great later, but also that sometimes what we are remembered for might not be what we expect. The fact that Ju remembers the demo that Englebart gave over his invention is interesting and kind of cool.


Chapter #6:
Summary:
In this chapter, Henry Lieberman discusses a thesis by David Smith named "Pygmalion: A Creative Programming Environment" and how it applies to his life and to HCI. Lieberman discusses how this thesis gave him an inspiration in his efforts at making a child-friendly programming language. Then he discusses a list of lessons for people in HCI that they can take away from this paper.

Discussion:
I found this article interesting mainly because it mentions where the icon concept came from. The lessons to take away are equally valuable, but I tend to find the history more fun than the concepts in many of these essays.


Chapter #7:
Summary:
In this chapter, Sara Bly talks about the Xerox Red Book and how it set many important user interface concepts that are still used today. She begins by discussing the three main aspects of the book that had the biggest impact on her: UI specification, consistency, and desktop metaphor. She then goes into detail on each and discusses why these concepts are still important today.

Discussion:
This chapter is cool because it shows a story about how strong planning can lead to a better product. The designers of the Xerox Red Book thought thoroughly about the interface as they designed it, which led to a much more solid final product.


Chapter #9:
Summary:
In this chapter, Norbert Streitz discusses Mark Weiser's paper "The Computer for the 21st Century" and how it has had a large influence in the direction computing is going today. He begins the chapter by discussing the influences the paper had in his decision to create a digital wall workspace, as well as the influenced it had in HCI as a whole.

Discussion:
I found this chapter interesting because we discussed the "disappearing computer" concept multiple times in my freshman CS classes. Furthermore, by looking around today, I can see many instances where this design concept has actually come true.


Chapter #10:
Summary:
In this chapter, Anind K. Dey talks about the Active Badge System, an experiment that combined ubiquitous computing and location services in a way far before its time. Dey mentions how they started it as just a basic receptionist assistant, but as the users began to like it, a series of other applications was produced. Additionally, Dey discusses how their efforts to make the design feasible allowed them to test how it was used; this design feasibility is something that often isn't seen today.

Discussion:
I thought that this chapter was great because it showed a piece of technology that I would like to have now that was available years ago. While I don't like the idea of being tracked, having my computer desktop available automatically based on my location would be amazing.


Chapter #18:
Summary:
In this chapter, Saul Greenberg describes the research of John Tang, and how it affected not only the direction of his work on a virtual drawing space, but many other teams throughout the world. Tang's research redefined how important drawings were as opposed to other factors in the workplace; this research was applied by many later designers and led to much more fluid interfaces.

Discussion:
This chapter was interesting because it reinforced what I believe I am already learning is a big part of HCI: research on the target subjects. Tang spent a lot of time observing and quantifying his data, and its thoroughness led to a correct interpretation of that data and a much better user experience.


Chapter #20:
Summary:
In this chapter, Geraldine Fitzpatrick describes Schmidt and Bannon's paper on CSCW (Computer Supported Collaborative Work) and how the tenets they laid out for that new field can be applied to newer fields. Schmidt and Bannon took great care to define what is important for their field, and Fitzpatrick wants people in her field, ubiquitous computing, to take that same care in defining what is important in theirs.

Discussion:
I find this chapter interesting because again, like many of the previous chapters, the ideas laid out by computer scientists in the past are becoming relevant here today. Fitzpatrick's revisiting of her early days in what is now a strong field and how it reapplies today are something to keep in mind when we enter our respective industries.


Chapter #23:
Summary:
In this chapter, Brian Smith describes a paper by Hollan and Stornetta called "Beyond Being There," and how the idea of enhancing rather than replacing items in peoples' lives is the best way to design. Brian describes two items: a video conferencing program and a doll, and he shows through the story of his mother that even though the doll was simple, because it enhanced his mother's interactions with his daughter, it was the better product.

Discussion:
I find this chapter interesting because I never really thought that there was a difference between replacing items in peoples' lives and enhancing them. However, through the story, I can see how much better the less technical design that enhanced a person's life was than the more technical one that tried to replace a part of someone's life.

Chapter #24:
Summary:
In this chapter, Chris Schmandt discusses a study performed by John Gould on computer dictation software. He describes the methods and thoroughness of the study, and describes how it assisted the field. Finally, he talks about how the study's legacy isn't in today's dictation products, but in how his study was unable to pinpoint the best use for the software.

Discussion:
I found this chapter a big shift from the previous few in terms of the language and style. The chapter was much more focused on the scientific aspects of the paper. I found it interesting to hear the reasons why dictation software went from the next big thing to an unpopular technology.


Chapter #25:
Summary:
In this chapter, Steve Harrison describes a pair of artists, Kit Galloway and Sherrie Rabinowitz, and how a piece of art they created called the Hole in Space changed the way he thought on his research on video conferencing. The effect their art had -- engendering interest by strangeness -- was something that he couldn't forget about through his work on the project.

Discussion:
I found this chapter to be really cool because it shows how even something as abstract as art can have a serious impact on science. The inspiration that Kit and Sherrie's work had on Harrison changed the direction of his research in a direction he would probably never have thought otherwise.


Chapter #26:
Summary:
In this chapter, Scott Jenson describes an old design axiom by Edward Tufte, "1+1=3," and describes a real-life situation that best represents it. He observes the design of the open and close buttons of an elevator, and demonstrates that we can improve the design by making their functions more obvious. He then shows us not only that making the elevator have only an open button might improve it, but also makes us wonder why we were so vehement to have two buttons at all.

Discussion:
I find this chapter interesting because it piqued my thought process about why it is so difficult to remove a feature, even when it would make things easier to do so. I think it might have something to do with selling the product, in that we think having more stuff will bring more people and removing stuff will cause us to lose them.


Chapter #27:
Summary:
In this chapter, Jodi Forlizzi describes Muriel Cooper's paper, "Typographic Space," and how it inspired a field that is used in the media today. Her paper described the insights and problems that came from dealing with text from a moving viewpoint. These ideas became the basis for Kinetic Typography, a field that has since been used in movies and television.

Discussion:
This chapter was interesting because it demonstrated how a past work in the field of HCI has influences in a field that doesn't really involve computers at all.


Chapter #28:
Summary:
In this chapter, Steve Whittaker talks about a paper by Kidd called "The Marks Are on the Knowledge Worker." This paper describes how at the time the focus was on storing large amounts of information and how that focus isn't correct. Instead, programs should focus on helping the user make sense of the information. The author then indicates that even though Kidd was wrong about large information storage not being helpful, the need to make sense out of information is still important.

Discussion:
I found this chapter interesting because I never thought about how cluttered my e-mail inbox was nor how little I look into folders. I am now actually quite interested in how information might be stored in a different way to make it more accessible with ideas like tagging.


Chapter #34:
Summary:
In this chapter, Michael Muller describes Arthur Krupat's book, Ethnocriticism: Ethnography, History, Literature, and how it changed his idea of where he sat when it came to designing interfaces for users. Instead of observing himself as an extension of the development team, Muller changed his viewpoint to lying between the developers and the users, translating the users' wants and needs into something the developers can understand.

Discussion:
I like this chapter because it gives me a better idea of what HCI is about. Instead of focusing solely on the design from a hardware standpoint, HCI brings the focus on the prospective user base.


Chapter #46:
Summary:
In this chapter, Kate Ehrlich discusses the concept of mental models for computing given by Card, Moran, and Newell. Ehrlich talks about how even before the book containing these ideas was published, these concepts were the talk of the industry that would become HCI. Even though the GOMS (Goals, Operators, Methods, Selectional Rules) method would stop being the focus of HCI down the road, it still set the tenets of HCI.

Discussion:
I found this chapter interesting because it begins to bridge the gap of mental models that we have been reading in our other books and melds it with HCI. Even though this idea isn't the focus anymore, I actually like it better than the "look and feel" method that Ehrlich mentions in the chapter.


Chapter #47:
Summary:
In this chapter, Gary Olson describes Fitts's Law and how it made a large impact in the field of HCI. Olson mentions that the law was one of the first quantitative methods given to HCI, which up until that point had been largely qualitative. He then mentions a bunch of applications and papers that used this law to great effect.

Discussion:
I found this paper interesting because one of the papers that I read previously was about Fitts' Law and how it was not quantitative enough. This chapter showed me that despite that issue, having a formula such as this has been extremely helpful to the field despite the problems with the equation.