Information & Interaction Design Fall 2005 Bill Hart-Davidson Session 1: Introductions; Guidelines for Semester Project; Dourish Book; Self-Assessment

Today in Class…part I Our focus for the semester: designing for change Our aim: not just change, but change for the better! Our influences: Activity Theory, User- Centered Design, Embodied Interaction Our methods: Contextual Inquiry, inspiration from Rational Unified Process

Designing for Change: Theoretical Influences Activity Theory – understanding the relationship between human behavior and the tools they use User-Centered Design – placing the needs of users prominently in the design process (more later)

Designing for Change: Theoretical Influences Embodied Interaction – An approach to interacting with software systems that emphasizes skilled, engaged practice rather than disembodied rationality

Activity & Change, 1 Activity Theory says… 1. “activity” is the minimal meaningful unit of human behavior 2. Activity is motivated (not just random) 3. Activity is mediated (by tools)

Activity & Change, 1&1/2 Activity Theory also says… Activity develops over time…and, actually, that there is a certain dynamic between “structures” (whether these are physical or social structures) and “agency,” such that it is by habitual action that we make and remake our world.

Activity & Change, 2 Consider 3 levels of action: 1. Activities that are motivated 2. Action that are goal oriented 3. Operations that have conditions Note that most complex activities are comprised of all three…so…

Activity & Change, 3 Levels of activity correspond with familiar questions: 1.Activity - Why? 2.Action- What? 3. Operations – How? Where does HCI usually concentrate ?

Activity & Change, 4 Innovative HCI designs focus on the Why, mediating the What and How 1.Activity - Why? 2.Action- What? 3. Operations – How? What and How, those we tend to experience as “structure”…when we act on a “Why,” we enact agency

Activity & Change, 5 Agency is linked to Change. The goal of good HCI design should be transformation of some social practice. Can you think of a successful HCI that transforms a social practice for the better? Whose agency is enabled by your example? Users? Designers?

Dourish and Change… Dourish’s central argument is that HCI designs are (re)constructions of the world…and as such, are representative of not just “logic” but of values, feelings, desires (even if these are invisible or minimized). He asks us to make our intentions in these areas explicit when we design, and to reconcile them with our goals for change. …but we can’t do it alone

Change in Information Ecologies “We define an information ecology to be a system of people, practices, values, and technologies in a particular local environment.” (p. 49)

How to Responsibly Evolve Information Ecologies 1. Work from core, local values. 2. Pay attention. Notice the meanings assigned to existing tech & practice 3. As strategic, open-ended questions about use. “What if…?” Nardi & O’day, p. 65

Some strategic questions, 1 Analysis questions: ask about motivations, opinons, relationships among things Observation questions: What can be seen & heard in the ecology? What is the goal of the department’s website revision? How is the current site administered? pp

Some strategic questions, 2 Focus questions: Identifies important operational conditions Feeling questions: Ask about emotions, trust, etc. How much money is available for the revision? Which features of the site do folks have a positive association with? pp

Some strategic questions, 3 Visioning questions: Identifies ideals, dreams Change questions: Envision a path from here to there… Where would we like this site to go in the next year? How might we prioritize our wish list? pp

Some strategic questions, 4 Alternatives questions: Consequences questions: Are the communities in the dept. distinct enough to warrant multiple sites? Whose interests are served by making the following kinds of changes…? pp Obstacles questions: Will there be a need for more training?

Some strategic questions, 2 Personal inventory questions: Identify interests and contributions of stakeholders Planning questions: Specifics, what & how How can the expertise we have in the dept. be best harnessed? How will we propose, approve, and test new designs for the site? pp

Try out the Questions! Have a conversation…start with an information ecology that you are familiar with…then consider a technological change appropriate for that community…run through the questions, coming up with your own for each category.

Today in Class…part II Touring Web Site Class Format Picking a Project Working Through the Phases Thinking about Grading Setting Goals Establishing a Team Linking SD to Your World

The Resources Page

Class Info & Announcements Resources Page – Notes, Syllabus, Brief Schedule, Links to Team Web Presence.

Let’s Look at the Syllabus Course Description Policies and procedures Projects Schedule

Collaborative Tools I’ll ask you to set up a virtual team workspace You choose…but all team members should be able to access it…and it should have a place to post public documents

Doing The Numbers 9 Full-group Class Meetings 3 Design Presentations 2 Consultations

Example Presentation Schedule* 6:30 Team 1 6:50 Team 2 7:10 Team 3 7:30 Review 7:50 Team 4 8:10 Team 5 8:30 Team 6 8:50 Review 9:10 Team 7 9:30 Team 8 9:50 Team 9 10:10 Review don’t worry, we won’t be going this late… :)

Picking a Project 1.Aim to transform a real social practice 2.Humans, computers working together 3.Must be a new project 4.Change the world…for the better!

Selection Criteria New! Innovative & interesting Allows team members to stretch & meet self assessment goals Doable in the the time we have Access to social environment for study Based on a mutual desire for transformation of cultural conditions among stakeholders

Examples from previous years Restaurant Guide Design Participator Hiking Buddy Tableside ordering at sit- down chain restaurants Website allowing community input for design projects A backpacker’s PDA; stores pictures, maps, journals, etc.

Restaurant Guide RPI-based team, undergrads Table-side screen device meant to streamline ordering process during busy lunch and dinner cycles

Activities of Restaurant Guide Sort & View menu items using various criteria Order from Menu Track order progress Swipe card to pay at table

Restaurant Guide Mediation Touch Screen mounted tableside PDAs for waitstaff

Upping the Ante: Transformation All of these projects involve issues of power agency access skill So we must ask: Cui Bono? Who benefits from…? Who benefits from the transformations your design introduces? How?

A few things to keep in mind… Users don’t need to be saved! (treat them as skilled, innovative, resourceful stakeholders in the system…because they are) Systems aren’t finished when you install them…they develop, grow, change. Users take over the design where designers leave off.

Design Phases We’ll follow a familiar 3-phase approach, but we will be reflective about the benefits and constraints of each.

The Phases The Phases Building block of the project Requirements DesignImplementation

Methods Key concepts and techniques Requirements DesignImplementation Activity Analysis Contextual Design Prototyping

Deliverables Key Outcomes from each phase Requirements DesignImplementation Activity analysis; scenarios; buy-in Work models; concept; buy-in Prototype & Spec; approval

Facilitation Activities to insure success Requirements DesignImplementation Share w/ peers Consultations Share w/ peers Consultations Share w/peers Review panel

Evaluation Evaluation Measures of Team Performance Requirements DesignImplementation Activity Presentation Memo Activity Presentation Memo Activity Presentation Memo

Thinking about Grading

Project Breakdown 2 Individual Assessments 15% Requirements phase : homework, presentation, memo (20%) Design phase: homework, presentation, memo (20%) Implementation phase: homework, presentation, spec/prototype (30%) Peer review, panels (15%)

Individual Assessment Set performance goals and evaluate your progress Use template provided on resources page, iatemplate.rtf Submit twice – once at the beginning and once at the end of the semester First version due next time!

Setting Your Goals The Individual Assessment

Areas for Advancement Tools and Techniques Teaming Design Process Presentation and Persuasion Deliverables

Assessment Questions For each area, you’ll answer questions about… Background w/ that area Aspirations for that area

Tools and Techniques ability to use tools and techniques related to HCI Design. –interface design tools; –writing tools; –web design tools; –research tools –visual design tools; –database tools; –scripting tools

Teaming ability to work in teams on HCI designs. ability to use an explicit design methodology fully, giving due weight to –requirements analysis, –conceptual design, –implementation. Design

Presentation and Persuasion-1 ability to present HCI designs to an audience –get buy-in –persuade them to make resources available to continue the design work.

an ability to –make an effective argument –develop a clear presentation –marshal technical content effectively –analyze project needs –consider counter-arguments. Presentation and Persuasion-2

Deliverables-1 In the area of Deliverables, you should plan to develop your capacity to make critical contributions to the delivery of HCI Designs.

the full range of human-computer interactions –web-based interactions –software interfaces, – the personal and enterprise hardware-software configurations of the future. Deliverables-2

Establishing a Team Teams should be 3-4 people No individuals working alone; a goal of this course is building good team skills All team members must participate in review sessions

Teaming Up…After class today: Divide into teams of 3-4 Send an to with basic team info: Team members contact info Brief discussion of project idea …and your team’s web presence

Team Contents 2 Name of proposed HCI design Description of the way this HCI design will transform a current cultural practice For each team member, a few lines describing how this project will meet your individual goals for the course

This week Meet with your team Review your individual goals for the course Refine your ideas for an HCI design, prepare team memo Establish a web presence and discuss logistics for presentations, drafting, research, etc. Yahoo! Groups? A blog? A wiki?

For Next Week Individual Assessments Due 1/19 (attached to is ok) Teams in place; project ideas firming up Read Dourish selections (on website) Post project idea/abstract to team page for sharing in class On 9/5