Comments for inkblurt

Comment on So I’m writing a book on Designing Context by Jorge

Jorge — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:10:33 +0000

This is fabulous news Andrew, congratulations! Funny, I was thinking earlier today that there are no books at the moment that cover this aspect of UX. I can’t think of anyone more qualified than you to write it… Looking forward to reading it!

Comment on So I’m writing a book on Designing Context by Kaleem

Kaleem — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:15:06 +0000

Congratulations, Andrew!

Getting people to understand the importance of context in relation to the designed object is often a difficult task, in part due to the abstract thinking required vs. the tangibility of an artifact.

Having heard your deeply insightful conference talks and reflecting upon our conversations over the years, I’ve often wondered when you would write a book. If I can be of any help at all during the process, with all sincerity, please let me know.

Sign me up for a copy!

Comment on Users Don’t Have Goals by Joe Lamantia

Joe Lamantia — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:46:08 +0000

Hmm. Seems a core insight is that product-making cultures tend to make products that reflect their own worldviews, rather than that a misplaced focus on goals leads to irrelevant experiences [though this is also true]. I think there’s lots of opportunity for the typically outstanding inkblurt take on this topic – and I’m too lazy to take it on at the moment :)

Comment on Users Don’t Have Goals by Richard Dalton

Richard Dalton — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:01:39 +0000

Nice presentation Andrew, I wish I could have seen it live!

I think your point is that there are a lot of “things” above the *task* level that affect the context of the user? If so, I very much agree.

I started to explore this a few years ago with this diagram:
http://mauvyrusset.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/contextofux.pdf

But now that I look at it again, I find the “about the situation” cloud lacking – it needs more context (ha ha) to account for the problem the user is trying to solve (consciously or subconsciously) and for the emotions the user is having about the situation.

Comment on In Defense of D by Information Literacy and Learning as Fun « we learn in public: a blog for si643

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:42:47 +0000

[...] In many ways, the conversations that we had throughout the term about trying to wrap our heads, words and practices around just what could be considered information literacy echoed the parallel conversations we were having in my Information Architecture course about the round-and-round process of “DTDT” aka “Defining the D*mn Thing.” [...]

Comment on The Contexts We Make by IDD | Pearltrees

IDD | Pearltrees — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:46:16 +0000

[...] The Contexts We Make 6. flickr – uicdigitalInformation changes how we experience the physical.Because information changes how we experience the physical world.Look at this photo — there’s information everywhere in this scene.>>The lines on the road tell us where to drive; the traffic light is a virtual barrier that affectsour behavior; the road signs give us a layer of instruction that adds meaning to the cityaround us. without the information here, it would quite literally be a different place. 7. flickr – aokkone More pervasive; more immersive.Now look at today.When you’re using a GPS, where are you driving? [...]

Comment on Unhappiness Machine by Lynn Marentette

Lynn Marentette — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 06:40:23 +0000

Andrew,

I thought you might like a video clip I took at the South Park mall in Charlotte back in 2009:
“Touch Screen Coke Machine at the Mall: 90 seconds to get a coke!” http://youtu.be/72eWDUfPLvk

Lynn

Comment on Omni Magazine Shrine by Darlene Baker

Darlene Baker — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:32:02 +0000

I have an intact volume one of OMNI, free to good home if you pay for shipping. I’ve no idea how you’d rate the condition, I’d say fair. I won’t be back here, so email me: typocatcher@gmail.com

Comment on In Defense of D by Dorian Taylor

Dorian Taylor — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 23:51:02 +0000

When we came up with the demonstate the damn thing slogan for the IAI, the sentiment (at least for me) was that it’s possible to pore over the same material over and over without creating any new insight. In that way it’s kind of like a PRNG—real randomness needs an injection of new information from the outside. So the idea was to generate new material for discussion by actually generating new material for use.

I think there is also a component of professional insecurity, trying to partition intellectual territory as well as justify the position to outsiders. It’s still a nascent discipline (I’m even apprehensive about calling it a discipline). Further, perorating about the virtues of a particular practice is much less work than actually doing it. (And information architects classify things for a living anyway, so for them it’s almost like a tic.)

But by no means does this account for all discussion, nor does it discount the development of the language we use to talk about our business.

Comment on Identity is more than a name by James Melzer

James Melzer — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:28:57 +0000

The careful self-segmentation of an individual’s identity should be tremendously helpful to marketers. The social networks are closing the door on a huge opportunity. If a person takes the time to create a separate Facebook account for their knitting club identity, they’ve narrowed the focus considerably. Furthermore, that person has increased the relevance of all their relationships, their user-generated content, and their other behavior. That identity is all signal, no noise from a marketing perspective.

The single identity, on the other hand, is a confused mess. Look how much effort Amazon puts into sorting us out, as people. Was this a gift? Okay, then Amazon won’t factor into your recommendations. But who was it for? Okay, Amazon will update your view of their wishlist to take that into account. Complexity!