Re: [IxDA Discuss] Aside from research, what do you do to relate better to users?
If anything, I always make an effort to learn from interactions I deal with on a daily basis. Just last week, some lady asked me if I were good with batteries. I gave her a slightly baffled look, so she directed me to her key fob for her Volvo. Apparently, the fob dropped to the ground and the battery came flying out and she put it back in the wrong way, but couldn't get it to open again. It wasn't the battery of course, so much as the design of the fob itself. Of course, I got it fixed with a fork at the restaurant we were both in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=45395 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Aside from research, what do you do to relate better to users?
In the realm of computing and software, I've found that becoming familiar with the three main flavors of operating system (Windows, Linux, and OS X) is very useful for relating to users. Having used each of them as my primary OS at different times makes it much easier to empathize with users' issues and complaints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=45395 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Aside from research, what do you do to relate better to users?
- look for bulletin boards related to the domain you are interested in. read what people are asking about/complaining about. - go into a store where they sell the thing you are designing. Ask people questions. - if you're redesigning something: try teaching someone unfamiliar (but not totally out of the realm of possibility) about it. - try and make up personas. What *might* they care about/do/love/hate? Don't kid yourself that you are basing stuff on the assumptions you bring to the table, but in many cases (especially for general consumer stuff) you'll have plenty of insights. The personas are just a way to frame up the info for yourself and others. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Aside from research, what do you do to relate better to users?
Re-reading old research, particularly the comments and introduction to the person I made is something I find useful to keep me on top. When I started my recent job, we started some weekly meetings to discuss future improvements. At the first meeting, I took everyone out onto the streets to ask passers by about our field and what they thought. I guess this is research of a kind, but it removed all the comfort layers that we had from testing in a lab and put us in the front line and in touch with customers who didn't necessarily want to take part in research. I also like to read about art but it doesn't relate directly to my job. I guess it's one of those 'what it is to be a human being' kind of things. Different interpretations on the same piece of art show how varied we can be. @Adrian - it's a good one isn't it? I spent an afternoon in the call centre and we're all planning on visiting local branches soon (staff as well as customers). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=45395 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Aside from research, what do you do to relate better to users?
I%u2019m not sure if you count this as %u201Cresearch%u201D but when I want to understand heartfelt customer sentiments related to e-commerce topics I browse around twitter. A couple of example topics below. Topic: iphone and frustration %u2022 Wow, iPhone directions took us 10 minutes past our destination, now turned around, even hungrier from frustration. %u2022 It's really frustrating when trying to access hotmail from the iphone. %u2022 call in segment on KPCC iHate My Slow iPhone...frustration with ATT is running very high %u2022 I hear ya. if it was me with my mom, I'd be iphone-less bc I probably would have thrown it at a wall in frustration. %u2022 building iphone apps is a crazy mix of joy/pain/excitement/frustration/confusion %u2022 ATT iPhone 3G and 3G S officially getting MMS on September 25: After months of speculation (and frustration.. %u2022 (And, I do feel your pain. I've been very close to ditching the whole iPhone gig due to frustration dealing with Apple.) Topic: shoes online %u2022 I questioned my older cousin about why I didn't get school shoes clothes. He said bc I'm not in school online classes don't count lol %u2022 only thing I'd buy online is shoes man! %u2022 Dear online shoes.com, Thank you for giving me one shoe to choose from. Wow, do I feel like a freak. %u2022 Just add heels and leggings for evening chic! Lipsy shoes arriving online tomorrow %u2022 fashion blog reading to online shopping to a new bag and boots coming in a week. i swear bags and shoes are my weakness %u2022 I bought a LOT of things from xxx :) Oh and somee CUTE shoes %u2022 hey doll I got some mini skirts, tops, a dress, a pair of shoes, n now I'm ordering over the knee boots online! Need help! %u2022 Looking at amazing shoes that I want to buy online, but have no money. %u2022 i saw those online and almost ordered them!! they're very cute. blue shoes are my new thing. are they comfy? Not exactly dimensions that can be measured or validated, but the tweets definitely convey nuances of experience. Paul Bryan Usography Corporation Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/uxexperts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=45395 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Aside from research, what do you do to relate better to users?
Try using only the keyboard instead of the mouse. Search for published and unpublished shortcuts. Use 'Alt' key combination (for windows) to reach a specific command/menu/function. For drawing application, try and use only the options where you are to place a specific circle or square/rectangle via numeric entry. Create the size/dimension needed using just the numeric values. Use only keyboard while using filters etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=45395 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Aside from research, what do you do to relate better to users?
On 4 Sep 2009, at 23:18, Jerome Ryckborst wrote: I'm a PC regular who was forced to use an iMac over the past week to complete tasks that were very important to me. I succeeded, but there was plenty of frustration, confusion, and inefficiency. It struck me that this experience will help me interpret user research better. What do YOU do, in addition to user research, to better relate to and interpret your data? Here are three things I've done: http://fivesketches.com/2009/09/train-yourself-in-frustration/ I've mentioned this before - but one I love is going and sitting at a customer support desk for a day. Guaranteed to be an education. Adrian -- http://quietstars.com - twitter.com/adrianh - delicious.com/adrianh Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Aside from research, what do you do to relate better to users?
I just wrote a post about this a few days ago, empathy and emotionally intelligent signage. http://rongeorge.com/design/empathy-and-emotionally-intelligent-signage/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=45395 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Aside from research, what do you do to relate better to users?
What do YOU do, in addition to user research, to better relate to and interpret your data? -=- Jerome Sort of related... I enjoy watching my children interact with things. Often (but not always) I realize that their first indication on how to use something is EXACTLY how it should've been done. e.g. We got into an elevator and I asked my 4 yr. old to select the 3rd floor. So she pressed the # 3. Problem was, it was a label next to a button. She kept pressing the 3, not the button next to it. It made me think of interactions on the web or on the desktop when some labels are hot, others are not and how that can frustrate users. Could have been an aesthetic choice, could've been due to manufacturing costs - who knows, but they put a label next to a blank button, and that confused my 4 yr. old. Would it have confused anyone a bit older? Probably not in the elevator's sense - but on the computer, I think having hot labels, or the label BE the button can be an incredibly useful/usable interaction method. Other times it's interesting, but not quite as useful (e.g. that person who mentioned after their 2 yr. old played w/ the iPhone they went up to the TV and tried to interact with it the same way). Do we need multi-touch TVs? Probably not - but we might want multi-touch remote interfaces so we can sit on our couch, or a multi-touch computer screen, or a multi-touch coffee table to augment both. In short - watching my kids learn and grow and use things for the first time gives me great insights into the human learning process - and this I believe helps me with my job. I bet a fun test for those with or without kids would be to take your device - be it an iPhone, Kindle, remote control, cell phone etc. and give it to a room of 5 yr. olds and see what they do with it without any coaching. (and be willing to lose a few of them from smashing, throwing, rough-housing too) B Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Aside from research, what do you do to relate better to users?
I'm a PC regular who was forced to use an iMac over the past week to complete tasks that were very important to me. I succeeded, but there was plenty of frustration, confusion, and inefficiency. It struck me that this experience will help me interpret user research better. What do YOU do, in addition to user research, to better relate to and interpret your data? Here are three things I've done: http://fivesketches.com/2009/09/train-yourself-in-frustration/ -=- Jerome Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Aside from research, what do you do to relate better to users?
Try learning dvorak (an alternative to the QWERTY keyboard layout.) If you want frustration, there ain't nothing better than messing with the connection from your brain to your keyboard. (Worth it in the end though.) On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 11:18 AM, Jerome Ryckborstj3r...@gmail.com wrote: I'm a PC regular who was forced to use an iMac over the past week to complete tasks that were very important to me. I succeeded, but there was plenty of frustration, confusion, and inefficiency. It struck me that this experience will help me interpret user research better. What do YOU do, in addition to user research, to better relate to and interpret your data? Here are three things I've done: http://fivesketches.com/2009/09/train-yourself-in-frustration/ -=- Jerome Reply to this thread at ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=45395 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help -- _ @jonathanpberger http://www.marketpublique.com http://www.jonathanpberger.com 718.930.2165 This email is: [*] bloggable [ ] ask first [ ] private Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
