Brad A. Myers, CMU Pilot: Exploratory Programming for Interactive Behaviors: Unleashing Interaction Designers’ Creativity Brad Myers, Stephen Oney, John Zimmerman, Bonnie John, Miso Kim, Kursat F. Ozenc Human Computer Interaction Institute School of Design Carnegie Mellon University Brad Myers, Stephen Oney, John Zimmerman, Bonnie John, Miso Kim, Kursat F. Ozenc Human Computer Interaction Institute School of Design Carnegie Mellon University

22Brad A. Myers, CMU Goals Making it easier for designers to create interactive behaviors User studies to discover needs and natural expressions of designers Create novel authoring tools and languages Foster creativity of designers EUCLASE: End User Centered Language, APIs, System, and Environment Making it easier for designers to create interactive behaviors User studies to discover needs and natural expressions of designers Create novel authoring tools and languages Foster creativity of designers EUCLASE: End User Centered Language, APIs, System, and Environment

33Brad A. Myers, CMU “Designers” Graphic Designers, User Interface Designers, Interaction Designers, Experience Designers, … Not “software designers”, not engineers Designers usually participate in the creation of user interfaces & interactive web sites Designers have many tools for the look Graphic Designers, User Interface Designers, Interaction Designers, Experience Designers, … Not “software designers”, not engineers Designers usually participate in the creation of user interfaces & interactive web sites Designers have many tools for the look

44Brad A. Myers, CMU “Interactive Behaviors” Fewer tools for the interactive behavior What the program does in response to user Most require elaborate programming Javascript or ActionScript “Real” languages – collaboration of a developer Fewer tools for the interactive behavior What the program does in response to user Most require elaborate programming Javascript or ActionScript “Real” languages – collaboration of a developer

55Brad A. Myers, CMU Pilot Activities Field studies (“Contextual Inquiry”) of 13 designers Survey of 259 designers Lab study of 16 designers & programmers Workshops with professional designers Further studies Tool investigations Field studies (“Contextual Inquiry”) of 13 designers Survey of 259 designers Lab study of 16 designers & programmers Workshops with professional designers Further studies Tool investigations

66Brad A. Myers, CMU Results of Field Study and Survey Reported at VL/HCC’08 Behaviors are more difficult to prototype “Behaviors are dynamic” “Often ill-defined until final implementation” “There’s no such thing as low-fidelity interaction, it has to be right.” “Current tools for defining behavior suck.” “I can represent very exactly the desired appearance. However, I can only approximate the backend behaviors.” Reported at VL/HCC’08 Behaviors are more difficult to prototype “Behaviors are dynamic” “Often ill-defined until final implementation” “There’s no such thing as low-fidelity interaction, it has to be right.” “Current tools for defining behavior suck.” “I can represent very exactly the desired appearance. However, I can only approximate the backend behaviors.” (t=6.8, p <.0001)

77Brad A. Myers, CMU More Results Required Behaviors are Complex Creativity is important Makes us skeptical of approaches like Adobe Catalyst Some examples: Physical simulations of dominos falling onto each other Graphics that changed based on various sensors Interactions among graphical objects on the screen such as bouncing off each other An animated ‘lens effect’ Novel physical devices Character animation 3D rotation Synchronised behaviours Required Behaviors are Complex Creativity is important Makes us skeptical of approaches like Adobe Catalyst Some examples: Physical simulations of dominos falling onto each other Graphics that changed based on various sensors Interactions among graphical objects on the screen such as bouncing off each other An animated ‘lens effect’ Novel physical devices Character animation 3D rotation Synchronised behaviours

88Brad A. Myers, CMU More Results Sketches (used by 97%) and storyboards (88%), etc. are popular, but not adequate Annotations are key Arrows, small text, large paragraphs Used to collaborate with developers, and as specifications Designer explore alternatives Multiple versions sketched Design emerges through creation, exploration More difficult with behaviors Sketches (used by 97%) and storyboards (88%), etc. are popular, but not adequate Annotations are key Arrows, small text, large paragraphs Used to collaborate with developers, and as specifications Designer explore alternatives Multiple versions sketched Design emerges through creation, exploration More difficult with behaviors

99Brad A. Myers, CMU Lab Study on “Natural” Expressions Lab study of 16 designers & programmers Natural = Closer to the way that people think about algorithms and solving their tasks Use before and after pictures so language not biased Lab study of 16 designers & programmers Natural = Closer to the way that people think about algorithms and solving their tasks Use before and after pictures so language not biased

10 Brad A. Myers, CMU Some Results Noticeable commonalities in designers’ descriptions, e.g., “appears/disappears”, “fade in/out” Other concepts resulted in diverse expressions: “extend”, “expand”, “increase”, “grow”, “enlarge”, and “become larger” Noticeable commonalities in designers’ descriptions, e.g., “appears/disappears”, “fade in/out” Other concepts resulted in diverse expressions: “extend”, “expand”, “increase”, “grow”, “enlarge”, and “become larger”

11 Brad A. Myers, CMU Workshop 7 professional designers doing design in teams Wanted to observe collaboration, ideation, communication around interactive behaviors Some results: Communication using talking, drawing, gesturing Often communication difficulties caused switch of modalities Drawings often included context, not just the item being designed 7 professional designers doing design in teams Wanted to observe collaboration, ideation, communication around interactive behaviors Some results: Communication using talking, drawing, gesturing Often communication difficulties caused switch of modalities Drawings often included context, not just the item being designed

12 Brad A. Myers, CMU Next Steps Further studies Natural expressions Appropriate primitives out of which to build behaviors Future tools Focus on switch from sketching to computer- based tools Ideas: New, more natural textual programming language Metaphor based on storyboards More appropriate interaction primitives Support for exploration, versions and undo in editor Further studies Natural expressions Appropriate primitives out of which to build behaviors Future tools Focus on switch from sketching to computer- based tools Ideas: New, more natural textual programming language Metaphor based on storyboards More appropriate interaction primitives Support for exploration, versions and undo in editor

13 Brad A. Myers, CMU Go Steelers!