David Liddle’s ideas: the Conceptual Model Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3

David Liddle’s ideas: the Conceptual Model Software design is the act of determining the user's experience with a piece of software It has nothing to do with how the code works inside The designer's task is to specify completely and unambiguously the user's whole experience

Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3 David Liddle’s ideas: the Conceptual Model Everything else should be subordinated to making that model clear, obvious, and substantial That is almost exactly the opposite of how most software is designed

Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3 Consider the following 3 slides J decide: D what the slides seem to show D whether they are “genuine” D are they are connected D whether there seems to be a time sequence D what have been the main influences on the changes in design

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J “desktops” for Windows 3.1, MSDOS and Windows NT J they are not genuine (they are “pictures” of the desktop - no cursor shown) J they are connected ( all screen captures of desktops ) J there is a perceptible time sequence (B - A - C) J the use of icons - a graphical user interface (GUI) - simple, user friendly computing J is this completely successful? ( see Chapter 2, D. Liddle In: Winograd, T. - Bringing design to software) The 3 slides are about: Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3

the desktop is only a metaphor it is NOT their purpose to imitate real- world objects they are abstractions which users can use to relate to their jobs they allow people to use RECOGNITION rather than RECALL from Liddle, D. - The Design of the Conceptual Model

Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3 people are good at managing through RECOGNITION we are rather bad at performing even routine actions through precise RECALL from Liddle, D. - The Design of the Conceptual Model

BOB Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3

 The desktop metaphor is replaced a cartoon picture of a room in a home  Familiar objects, such as a calendar, a cheque book, and a notebook, are scattered throughout the room  Bob conveys an immediate impression of "This is not an office - it's not heavy-duty business or technical stuff"  Rather than using the abstract dialogue boxes of most current interfaces, Bob communicates with the user through an animated character, such as a cute little bunny rabbit, or a squawky petulant parrot.  Bob does not entice the user to become an expert  The message to the beginner is "You're as good at using the system as anyone else is, so go-ahead!"  Microsoft released its Bob software in early 1995 from Winograd, T. - Bringing Design to Software

who has ever heard of Bob?who has ever heard of Bob? Why hasn’t something like Bob taken off? become a new standard?Why hasn’t something like Bob taken off? become a new standard? Is computing still in some sort of elitist stranglehold?Is computing still in some sort of elitist stranglehold? Questions for you: Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3

If it is still in some sort of elitist stranglehold, what does that mean for software design principles?If it is still in some sort of elitist stranglehold, what does that mean for software design principles? Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3

David Liddle’s ideas: the Conceptual Model Software design is the act of determining the user's experience with a piece of software It has nothing to do with how the code works inside The designer's task is to specify completely and unambiguously the user's whole experience

So why was BOB not a success? Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3

David Liddle’s ideas: the Conceptual Model in the first phase, the new technology is difficult to use and its benefits are not yet obvious. It appeals mainly to those people who are fascinated with it for its own sake - enthusiasts.

Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3 David Liddle’s ideas: the Conceptual Model In the second phase, the economic benefits are the focus in order to attract business users the bottom linethe bottom line - not whether the technology is fascinating or easy to use, but whether it will promote greater efficiency, productivity, and profits In designing for it, the main consideration is cost effectiveness but progress is made:

Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3 The third phase reaches the public - the discretionary users who choose a product because it satisfies a need or urge They don't care about cost benefit analyses, but they do care about whether the product is likeable, beautiful, satisfying, or exciting focus on the userdesign needs to focus on the user, rather than on the mechanisms David Liddle’s ideas: the Conceptual Model and more progress:

Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3 The third phase...but they do care about whether the product is likeable, beautiful, satisfying, or exciting the second phase bottom linethe second phase bottom line - not whether the technology is fascinating or easy to use, but whether it will promote greater efficiency, productivity, and profits So why was BOB not a success? I would hypothesise that BOB failed because the product fell between second and third phases of development - it was neither

In considering software design and the evolution of interface design in particular we must also be aware of many other influences. The main point: Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3

J The changing perception of “self” and “other” in society The expectations of users J The expectations of users J Anthropomorphisation by many users of their interaction with computers J Increasing confusion between hardware and software J Increasing confusion between content and context Important influences: Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3

Important influences: J is it, or is it NOT, reasonable to consider that a computer, or an information system, is human? JAt first sight, this sounds crazy, but a deeper understanding of systems development, and computing in general, might indicate that it is not unreasonable to assume a human dimension to software (lecture 5) Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3

Seely Brown & Duguid and Liddle touch on the same core idea Abstractions are very important - the Conceptual Model must be well designed but there must be a balance in this design between breaking new ground and establishing familiarity Information Systems Development 3 UQI107S3