Mark Vanderbeeken

“Although computers have become cheaper, more capable and more commonplace, they have made much less progress when it comes to ease of use. Their potential remains tantalisingly out of reach for people who find their control systems, or “user interfaces”, too complex. And even people who have no difficulty navigating menus, dialogue boxes and so on, might use computers more productively if their interfaces were better.”

The article, which quotes Adam Greenfield, author of “Everyware“, a book about the future of computing, Steven Kyffin, a senior researcher at Philips, Ken Wood, deputy director of Microsoft’s research laboratory in Cambridge, England, Patrick Brezillon of University Paris VI, Albrecht Schmidt, an HCI expert at the Bonn laboratory of the Fraunhofer Institute, Henry Holtzman, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Anind Dey, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University’s HCI Institute, looks at various gesture-based interface systems, from the Sensitive Wall, developed by the Italian company iO (a spin-off of the natural interaction research group) to the Jeff Han’s “multi-touch” interface; and from the Microsoft Surface to the Apple iPhone.

However, there is more to make computers simpler to use:

“Smarter software is needed, too. For example, much effort is going into the development of “context aware” systems that hide unnecessary clutter and present options that are most likely to be relevant, depending on what the user is doing.

The trick, says Patrick Brezillon of University Paris VI, is to get computers to “size up the temperament of users” and then give them what they want. This can be done by analysing the frequency of keystrokes, the number of typos, the length of work breaks, internet-search terms and background noise, among other things.”

The article’s conclusion is perhaps the most important however:

“Many futurists and computer experts believe that the logical conclusion of all of these new input devices, sensors and smarter software to anticipate users’ needs, will be for computing to blend into the background. In this “ubiquitous computing” model, computers will no longer be things people use explicitly, any more than they “use” electricity when turning on a light or a radio. Mr Greenfield says a digital “dream world” that provides “one seamless experience of being immersed in information” hinges on one big if: computers and their interfaces must become so good that, like electricity, they rarely require concentrated attention. The trouble with computers in their current form is that they are still all too conspicuous.”

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The theme is thoroughly examined during the Copenhagen Prelude Conference, the INDEX:|Aiga Aspen Design Summit and INDEX: SUMMER CAMP, as well as in the INDEX: publications.

An entire magazine is dedicated to this INDEX: 2007. You can download it here (pdf, 2.2 mb, 30 pages).

The general history and thinking behind User-centered Design & Innovation is introduced and juxtaposed against three different approaches that enable the reader to gain insight into the needs of users: The anthropology approach, the lead users approach and mass customisation, all three followed by instructive cases. In addition, user insight’s influence on the design of business models, services and strategies are explored.

In two interviews, Director at FORA and Chairman of INDEX: Jørgen Rosted sees User-centered Design & Innovation from a Danish perspective, and INDEX: Program Director Lise Vejse Klint explains how the 2007 sub theme fits into INDEX:’s main focus, Design to Improve Life.

The INDEX: knowledge base gives further insight on user-centered design themes. The INDEX: knowledge team has been down them all and has so far pinpointed 5 methods and 2 issues beyond traditional product design in the international landscape of design:

Introduction to user-centered design & innovation
User-centered design & innovation does not begin with the user; it begins with a vision: to offer better solutions to the market and thus have a better chance at success.

Lead users
A Lead User faces needs that will be general for a wider population in time - but faces them months or even years before the rest of the population encounters them. Typically Lead Users therefore expect to benefit significantly by obtaining a solution to those needs. Lead Users can also be users of a given technology in adjacent industries, facing the same or similar problems, and therefore can be able to deliver technological solutions earlier. Lead Users are valuable in early determining future trends.

Strategic Design
Strategic design sets a direction or profoundly reconfigures a client’s business to align them more closely with their markets. An acquisition or sell-off, creation of a new business, redesign of core business processes around customer segments, entry into new countries - these are all strategic decisions.

Anthropology
Anthropology has gained a new relevance as human factors are recognized as increasingly important in design. Anthropologists, ethnographers and their like have entered a role of great importance to innovation and design as the role of the designer is divided into more specialized fractions. Using an anthropological approach is crucial to reveal tacit needs of the consumer.

Mass Customisation
Mass customisation is a way of generating extra value by being flexible to customers, and at the same time keeping within manufacturing capability. Mass Customisation is introduced at a relatively late stage in the design process.

Business model design
To engage the users early on is time consuming and often expensive as it is a premium cost to the in-house design and R&D departments, but to introduce the users at a late stage, can be even more expensive as significant changes perhaps need to be made, or perhaps there is no real interest in the innovation made. Making your entire business model user-centered can be a way of streamlining operations.

Service design
Users cannot fail to notice if the service has been poorly designed. Perhaps even more than other kinds of design, service design really need to be user-centered.

The revamp was pretty far reaching - the team took a user-centred approach, with extensive usability testing and planning, and found new ways to think about marketing books via the site.

The group is also set to launch new sites to increase its engagement with customers - one is a youth-oriented site called spinebreakers.co.uk, which is employing teenagers in its development.

E-Consultancy, the British online publisher, has posted an interview with Penguin and DK’s online development manager Jeanette Angell, who speaks about the reasons behind the project and the techniques it used.

Read interview

Usability professionals ask the question “What makes something usable?” The UPA’s 2008 International Conference will ask a related question: “Who makes things usable?” With a world full of complex technology, consumers are demanding products and services that are more usable. Organisations are learning that it takes many different skill sets and roles to create user-friendly products and services that consumers want.

Designers, psychologists, marketing specialists, technologists, business analysts, information architects, and technical writers are just a few of the roles that bring valuable perspectives to creating good user experiences. The UPA [therefore] welcomes people from every User Experience (UX) role to join “traditional” usability professionals at the 2008 International Conference [and to] collaborate and share methods and new ideas for accomplishing a common goal.

The new Managing User Experience track is focused on User Experience (UX) leadership and current trends in UX management. Special challenges such as the need to strategically position UX within organizations and the many skill sets required by mature UX teams make this track especially valuable to managers and consultants.

A special one-day track in e-Government usability will be offered this year only. Building a more responsive and connected government involves the creation of web sites and electronic services for the public and businesses. The e-Government track at UPA 2008 will be of particular interest to professionals working for government agencies or on government contracts.