Academic Papers

I looked into Hoffman & Novak website navigation theory after reading an excerpt of 'Measuring the customer Experience in Online Experience: A structural Modelling approach' which is available here: http://www.jstor.org/pss/193257. I also read this report: http://www.webreference.com/programming/optimize/speedup/chap2/3.html

It supports my research into the effectiveness of portfolios (Project 4, Year 1) in that navigation is crucial to their success, not only the aesthetic properties. Grid systems and layouts would be part of this, but when navigation is easy and second nature, it becomes easy for a user to explore a website deeply and get almost 'sucked into it'. Where a user does not need to think about navigation, it becomes easy to source the information that they want or are interested in, and it reduces the frustration that may push them to look elsewhere. Obviously, having appropriate content is important as well, but above and beyond simply portfolios, it suggests that the success of all website interaction. It also made me think about the importance of ensuring that a piece of digital media 'loads' quickly i.e. that information is fairly immediate to prevent frustration (unless it is an experience that you want the user to go through). It also made me realise that perhaps i should put a disclaimer on the finished interactive piece which will let the user know roughly what to expect i.e. an information section or a short description intro. Also, i could work in a poll to collect responses and therefore user-test the experience as part of the actual experience!

I also looked at http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol6/issue1/eastin.html titled

Internet Self-Efficacy and the Psychology of the Digital Divide.

This paper looked at the the democratisation of the internet, and the obstacles that new internet users faced vs. experienced users. It pointed out the importance of recognising the skillset of the target audience, their confidence and how it affects their interaction with media. It also made me think about how important it is to ensure that if i am creating an interactive piece, that i must consider the barrier to entry to prevent users 'giving up' or getting bored and going elsewhere. I need to assess who will be using it, consider who the work is designed for, and tailor it to that end. Before reading this paper i was primarily concerned about the design aspect and aesthetics.

Engaging with a digital artefact: AI

Artificial Intelligence

I am very interested in computer AI as it is a completely different way of interacting with computers, and how i interact with it and my experiences of it have currently been limited to FAQ sections of websites picking up keywords in your questions, and providing you with a small paragraph on info or a link to a part of the website which answers the question you pose.

Step 1: Search for 'Ai Research'
Step 2: Browse Links
Step 3: Select http://www.a-i.com/
Step 4: Skim the homepage, and decide to play with 'MyBot'
Step 5: 'My Bot' conversation:

MyBot says:

Welcome to the world of artificial intelligence. Are you a registered user?

User says:

no

MyBot says:

Attention : Your session has been disconnected after 5 minutes of silence. A brand new session is starting now! Welcome to the world of artificial intelligence. Are you a registered user?

User says:

no

MyBot says:

In this case, I assume you came here for your own MyBot, right?

User says:

i'm not sure

MyBot says:

Well, if you change your mind, let me know. What is your name?

User says:

siobhan

MyBot says:

Shall I call you 'siobhan'?

User says:

yes please

MyBot says:

Ok then. Your name is siobhan .

User says:

yes

MyBot says:

Agreement is the seed of salvation.

User says:

who designed you

MyBot says:

You want to know who writes my witty texts?

User says:

yes

MyBot says:

It is a small group of dedicated volunteers. Do you want to join them?

User says:

no thanks

MyBot says:

So siobhan, it's nice to meet you. what's up?

User says:

i am researching ai

MyBot says:

That's interesting, siobhan. I see. You are researching ai. OK.

User says:

why aren't you guiding the conversation?

MyBot says:

Why, why, why - I don't know why. I don't have all the answers.

User says:

do you understand the question?

MyBot says:

I understand.

User says:

you understand what?

MyBot says:

I think so.

As a 'digital artefact', i found it kind of unnerving. Other ai conversations are usually guiding you towards a solution, where they say 'do you want to do this or that'... but this was strange as it relied on your input to fuel the conversation.

Also, it doesn't name itself as many do i.e. 'hi i'm Louise' on the paypal website: https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/helpscr?cmd=_help&t=escalateTab

I was quite unsure what to say to it, and felt quite self conscious of talking to a 'machine'. I was also quite aware of its limitations after a little while, and aware of its lack on understanding of many of the things i was saying.

At first, i talked to it as if i was talking to a child: Very clearly and politely.

The design process was like a chat window which was easily identifiable. Strangely enough it times out after 5 minutes and you have to start again from scratch. I guess that this is like 'reintroducing' yourself to an acquantance. If i had registered, maybe it would recognise me straight away and 'learn' from previous interactions.

Also, the messages come onto the screen as if someone is typing them which helps the illusion that MyBot is real.

I then tried out the website again, and my attitude was slightly different. I was more testing and tried to find out its limitations.

MyBot says:

Welcome to the world of artificial intelligence. Are you a registered user?

User says:

what is the difference?

MyBot says:

In this case, I assume you came here for your own MyBot, right?

User says:

i didnt

MyBot says:

Well, if you change your mind, let me know. What is your name?

User says:

what if i get my own mybot?

MyBot says:

Wait a second - hold your horses! I don't even know your name!

User says:

that isnt important

MyBot says:

And who's to tell what's important?

User says:

me

MyBot says:

Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself then.

User says:

i'm bored

MyBot says:

I'm trying as hard as I can.

User says:

try harder

MyBot says:

Here is a riddle: What has keys that open no locks, has space but no room, and allows you to enter but not to go in?

User says:

password

MyBot says:

..and the answer is: A computer keyboard.

User says:

a keyboard does not have 'space'. it has a 'space bar'

MyBot says:

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

User says:

bad question

MyBot says:

I must ask you to keep this talk simple. I'm still a young bot.

Video for Weather Experience

I created this video using windows media maker, so it is very rough around the edges, but was useful in creating it quickly and experimenting with different techniques.

At the beginning is a flashing 'waiting' title that gives no indication as to how long it you will be waiting which brings the user through the experience. When i'm waiting for a PC to load, i click buttons hoping that it will speed up the process and this is replicated in the sound file. At this point i overlaid a cartoon angry face onto the titles.

The video attempts to take the user through the process i went through. As i zoned in on the firefox icon once my computer loaded, and didn't notice anything else, i didnt show anything else on the slide.

Throughout the process is a lot of waiting, so i showed lots of 'loading' signs.

The process is signposted, and as well as documenting the experience in a linear fashion, i've attempted to make the user feel impatient and to experience the sounds that i did too.

Describing an Internet Experience

Describing a simple everyday experience: Checking the weather online

This is a very simple process which i do every day, and involves the internet. Alternatively you could look out a window or turn on the tv and multitask, but that doesn't get you localised predictions unfortunately. From turning the laptop on, to getting the information, it takes about 30 seconds if the internet hasn't disconnected/is running slowly.

I use google weather as it is built into the search engine: i don't have to go very far to find it, and it contains the basic information that i need. It is the same reason i use google to make currency conversions quickly and do basic maths rather than opening up the windows calculator (if my browser is already open)

My process:

Booting up netbook from hibernate mode: just over 15 seconds
Booting up the browser: 5 seconds
Typing in 'weather' into google 5 seconds
Typing in 'E17' into the 'location' section: under 5 seconds




I made a sound recording of the process. It was done afterwards, but i recetaed the 15 second bootup time, and watched the same TV programme at the time. I inputted the same mouse clicks and keyboard hits at roughly the appropriate time. I don't see a huge problem with it being slightly different as each time is slightly different anyway.

How to recreate this experience:

'Emotional journey'

Creating a formula to show an emotional journey for absolutely anything?!

My emotional journey:
15 seconds: Impatience, unsure as to exactly how long it will take. Frustration
Once it's done it loads up quickly, information is easy to get

I created a short movie to take someone through my emotional journey and to invoke the feelings (and signpost mine)

Borrowed graphics are noted below:
Angry face: http://medicblog999.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/angry-face.jpg

Examining digital artefacts: E-Portfolios

I first looked at a youtube tutorial on how to create an e-portfolio as it tied in well with the current portfolio compilation brief, and also i've never seen a portfolio video before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B3tujXlbdk

Potential problems with this video:

Cutesy design: Does not seem relevant to the student/professional target audience
Not targeted: A user has to listen to half the blog before realising that the e-portfolio is not for media/creatives.
Not signposted: Content list is not outlined quickly
Informative but uninspiring commentary

My experience was that i was not drawn into the video from the start, and it took a little while to find out if the video had content that i would be interested in. There was no textual explanation to inform the viewer, so i wasnt sure if it was relevant before i looked at it. In a way this created intrigue, but when it failed to deliver what i wanted, i felt disappointed.

What i've learnt from this is that you have to identify your audience, and tailor the design to make it appropriate.

The next e-portfolio i looked at was a 'related link' titled 'My e-portfolio'

I clicked on it due to the icon video screenshot which was a pair of hands with an earth painted over them. From this i assumed it would be an art/design type of portfolio, however, it ended up being the life story of a student interested in learning/teaching foreign languages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-kB7AcZ3xY&NR=1

A little ineffective to have a portfolio of someone aged maybe early 20's that doesn't show any of their work and is just their educational life story. However, it seems like a school project so for what it is, it may have been effective for the brief.

I skipped through the frames after a few seconds of watching it properly as it did not draw me in, and did not contain any visual work or information that would draw me in. My treatment of the video is different from perhaps if it had been their tutor or teacher, as they would have watched the video properly. This shows how perhaps you should tailor a piece of media not only to the intended audience, but also take into consideration other possible viewers.

What made up the experience?
-Slideshow
-Regional classical music

How would i do it differently?
-Faster transition through slides/more information on each to get the point across more quickly and avoid users getting bored with it
-Perhaps show exerps of
-However, do not overload with information too quickly!

Why would it be online?
-There is no contact information or samples of work, so there is not visible benefit of it being online.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ozgergen
The user has little online activity and probably created the account to share this video with her teachers/peers

How does the design play a role?

It affects how you read the media, attempts to push focus to certain things, either forces you to focus on something or allows you to make the choice. In this portfolio presentation, you are forced to read the media in a linear way, although you can skip to different parts. Perhaps you should get the choice to read certain parts in a linear way, where other parts you get a choice?

How to recreate the experience? Or a similar one?

-Applying my findings from my original research: Showing what i notices, focused on, sounds i listened to, the order i experienced the media in (frames i skipped to)
-Fuzzying out the parts i didnt listen to, muting the sounds i didnt listen to
-Listing things i noticed?
-Ability to read the media in different ways at different times

Designing a user experience review

My final response to the brief was a step away from my research, and incomplete. Looking back on it, i was trying to create an understanding of my experience whilst pointing out how different people percieve the same experience, but although i feel the concept and platform was potentially successful, i felt i did not investigate how design mediates an experience fully and feel that more research would have resulted in a more effective outcome.

I focused too much on investigating the general concept of experience without narrowing it down and looking at existing Internet experiences or digital artefacts. In the next few days i will investigate these experiences and document my findings, and experiment with different ways to reproduce them interactively in an online platform. I will also investigate the role of design in these, and how they have enriched or possibly detracted from the experience.