Chapter 8: Lost in the Mall
Summary:
Elizabeth Loftus challenged whether or not repression exists. She said memories can be implanted into people's minds, so some people were wrongly accused by people recalling traumas of long ago. Also there is evidence that people can be made to suggest that people can be made to believe they committed the trauma as well.
Discussion:
I liked this chapter a lot, again. I've always been skeptical of repression, but I don't think it's fair to say things like that when I've never been a victim to something like that. I really enjoy this book.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Book Reading #27 - Emotional Design
Chapter 2: The Multiple Faces of Emotion and Design
Summary:
Visceral design is tied to attractiveness, behavioral design is related to efficiency and pleasure of use, and reflective design is personal satisfaction, memories, and self-image. No matter what, no single design will satisfy all users, thus market segmentation becomes very important. Lastly, designs must balance what people "need" and what people "want," and this is not an easy task.
Discussion:
So far I enjoy this book more than the previous book by Norman. This one seems more practical and less obvious. I have never thought of designs specifically in the three dimensions he proposes, so I find reading about it interesting.
Summary:
Visceral design is tied to attractiveness, behavioral design is related to efficiency and pleasure of use, and reflective design is personal satisfaction, memories, and self-image. No matter what, no single design will satisfy all users, thus market segmentation becomes very important. Lastly, designs must balance what people "need" and what people "want," and this is not an easy task.
Discussion:
So far I enjoy this book more than the previous book by Norman. This one seems more practical and less obvious. I have never thought of designs specifically in the three dimensions he proposes, so I find reading about it interesting.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Paper Reading #13
Comments:
Reference:
Title: Multitoe: High-Precision Interaction with Back-Projected Floors Based on High-Resolution Multi-Touch Input
Author: Thomas Augsten, Konstantin Kaefer, René Meusel, Caroline Fetzer, Dorian Kanitz, Thomas Stoff, Torsten Becker, Christian Holz, and Patrick Baudisch
Venue: UIST 2010
Summary:
This paper explores a new extension of the touch surface technologies. Their goal was to create something similar to tabletop computers, but not as limited by size and reach. Thus, they devised a system that one could use with the feet and spans the entire floor. Users are mapped to specific positions, therefore distinguishing between users and allowing multiple user functionality. To overcome the issue of people inadvertently setting off the touch screen, the user must jump, but there is also a more precise mode that the user can activate. Also, since the foot is about 200 times larger than the fingertip, the system condenses the foot into a single, customizable "hotspot." The design is based on "frustrated total internal reflection" (FTIR) with a high camera resolution, and this is what allows direct manipulation. Additionally, the position of the body and head will play a role in the interaction with the device, and wil be calculated based on weight distribution statistics. They are currently creating the larger prototype.
Discussion:
I like that they are thinking big here. I do think that people will be unlikely to use their feet, however. People like to use their hands. People are generally much more coordinated using their hands as opposed to their feet. I think some sort of cane or long device would be a good support to the foot based interactions. Also something to mimic the mouse would be a good idea as well, in my opinion. I don't think this is something that we will see in very many households though, similar to the tabletop computers. Some businesses might be able to make use of it, but it should be interesting to see how they market this and who they target with this system. I found this read pretty interesting overall.
Title: Multitoe: High-Precision Interaction with Back-Projected Floors Based on High-Resolution Multi-Touch Input
Author: Thomas Augsten, Konstantin Kaefer, René Meusel, Caroline Fetzer, Dorian Kanitz, Thomas Stoff, Torsten Becker, Christian Holz, and Patrick Baudisch
Venue: UIST 2010
Summary:
This paper explores a new extension of the touch surface technologies. Their goal was to create something similar to tabletop computers, but not as limited by size and reach. Thus, they devised a system that one could use with the feet and spans the entire floor. Users are mapped to specific positions, therefore distinguishing between users and allowing multiple user functionality. To overcome the issue of people inadvertently setting off the touch screen, the user must jump, but there is also a more precise mode that the user can activate. Also, since the foot is about 200 times larger than the fingertip, the system condenses the foot into a single, customizable "hotspot." The design is based on "frustrated total internal reflection" (FTIR) with a high camera resolution, and this is what allows direct manipulation. Additionally, the position of the body and head will play a role in the interaction with the device, and wil be calculated based on weight distribution statistics. They are currently creating the larger prototype.
Discussion:
I like that they are thinking big here. I do think that people will be unlikely to use their feet, however. People like to use their hands. People are generally much more coordinated using their hands as opposed to their feet. I think some sort of cane or long device would be a good support to the foot based interactions. Also something to mimic the mouse would be a good idea as well, in my opinion. I don't think this is something that we will see in very many households though, similar to the tabletop computers. Some businesses might be able to make use of it, but it should be interesting to see how they market this and who they target with this system. I found this read pretty interesting overall.
Book Reading #30 - Emotional Design
Chapter 3: Three Levels of Design: Visceral, Behavioral, and Reflective
Summary:
Visceral design is the built-in attractiveness, in which physical features dominate. Performance and use dominate in behavioral design, while attractiveness and rationale do not factor. Finally, reflective design is all about the meaning of the product, and how it connects with the user.
Discussion:
This chapter was very boring. I felt like it was just a repetition of all the things from the previous two chapters. Norman repeated himself highly in the previous book; I hope he does not do that in this book.
Summary:
Visceral design is the built-in attractiveness, in which physical features dominate. Performance and use dominate in behavioral design, while attractiveness and rationale do not factor. Finally, reflective design is all about the meaning of the product, and how it connects with the user.
Discussion:
This chapter was very boring. I felt like it was just a repetition of all the things from the previous two chapters. Norman repeated himself highly in the previous book; I hope he does not do that in this book.
Book Reading #31 - Coming of Age in Samoa
Chapter 10: The Experience and Individuality of the Average Girl
Summary:
There is very little privacy in the Samoan culture. Children see death, sex, and birth. Homosexual relations are usually casual and substitute for heterosexual ones, except in the case of Sasi, who made lots of advancements on boys.
Discussion:
I think it's scary that children are so exposed, but I guess there are some good things that can come from it, like maturity. Homosexual relations are awkward and I don't see why they happen anywhere. It's unnatural.
Summary:
There is very little privacy in the Samoan culture. Children see death, sex, and birth. Homosexual relations are usually casual and substitute for heterosexual ones, except in the case of Sasi, who made lots of advancements on boys.
Discussion:
I think it's scary that children are so exposed, but I guess there are some good things that can come from it, like maturity. Homosexual relations are awkward and I don't see why they happen anywhere. It's unnatural.
Book Reading #32 - Opening Skinner's Box
Chapter 9: Memory Inc.
Summary:
Kandel discovered CREB, which is what binds short term memory into long term memory. He and others are working on CREB enhancing drugs, which could greatly increase our memory capacity. Kandel also discovered CREB's antithesis, which could help people forget traumas.
Discussion:
This is a pretty horrifying chapter. I cannot believe someone actually removed a portion of another's brain. Also, a pill for super memory or to forget is pretty scary stuff. It could be great, but it could produce horrifying results as well.
Summary:
Kandel discovered CREB, which is what binds short term memory into long term memory. He and others are working on CREB enhancing drugs, which could greatly increase our memory capacity. Kandel also discovered CREB's antithesis, which could help people forget traumas.
Discussion:
This is a pretty horrifying chapter. I cannot believe someone actually removed a portion of another's brain. Also, a pill for super memory or to forget is pretty scary stuff. It could be great, but it could produce horrifying results as well.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Ethnography Results, Week 4
Wesley and I's trip to Revolutions was much better than the previous week. We arrived a little after 9 and left between 1030 and 1045. There were only some band members setting up when we arrived. By the time we left, there were about 10 people altogether, and more arriving. One guy who arrived not long after us overheard us talking about technical stuff and then he came and sat with us to join the conversation. He was very interested in music and how one could use programming to enhance music. He talked to Wesley and I (mostly Wesley) for over an hour. I was happy with the selection of beer that they had. I had two New Castles.
Other than the guy who was very friendly, the band didn't talk that much to anyone, including amongst themselves. Towards the end of the night, another guy came along and performed a song with one of the band member's banjos. I thought he was pretty good. Two couples arrived before we left. I'm pretty certain one of the employees was dressed as and referred to itself as a she, but was actually a he. Also there was another possible person that fell in this category because "she" was wearing a scarf covering up her neck area and was masculine. Lastly there was definitely a gay man there and he looked at me a few times. I didn't know whether to be flattered or creeped out.
Finally, I was a little mistaken in my first impression of the interior. I remembered there being a lot more pictures than there actually were. There were still a lot, and several that weren't hanging, but they didn't cover the entire interior as I had previously stated. The bar definitely seems geared to the artsy and musical crowd. It is not a crowd I'm accustomed to, but I still had a very good time.
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