Wireframes for my final project can be found at:
http://www.willispictures.com/hci454/home%20for%20UI.htm
Have a great summer everyone!
Amy
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Monday, June 4, 2007
Firefox 2.0
I recently upgraded to Firefox 2.0. It's got some cool new features. Several of which fix some of my complaints about Microsoft in a previous blog post.
Some of the highlights:
Some of the highlights:
- session restore - from their site: "Losing your place while you’re doing things on the Web is a pain. Now, with Session Restore, if Firefox has to restart or closes when it comes back you’ll pick up exactly where you left off. The windows and tabs you were using, the text you typed into forms, and the in-progress downloads you had running will all be restored. You can even set Firefox 2 to always restore your previous session instead of loading a home page, so you’ll never lose your place again." It even went back to the place 1/2 way down the page where I was reading when I closed the browser!
- can be set to have new pages open in a new tab, instead of a new window (or in a new window if you'd prefer)
- allows you to clear private data when you close firefox (not a new feature, but one that i like anyway)
- list of recently closed pages in case you accidentally close a tab you didn't mean to
- arrow at far right opens list of all open windows, so when too many tabs are open to really read what's in the tab bar of any of them, you don't have to page through them all to find the one you want. you can also open a side panel with old pages listed by when you last viewed them - yesterday, 2 days ago, etc. or sort the view by site, date, most visited, or last visited
- spell check
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Unwanted behavior
So here I am in between photo shoots, working on my computer. I've got a bunch of windows open, including some web pages which I'd opened at home, but will need to reference here where I don't have internet access.
My computer has been asking me to reboot (or rather, keeps telling me it's going to, and I keep telling it not to) all afternoon. First, once I say no, it shouldn't keep asking me every 10 minutes. What part of 'no' doesn't it understand? I suspended the machine for a while, and when I turned it back on, it took an unusually long time to start. I began to suspect it was rebooting. Sure enough, I was right. Now, I've been using computers for long enough to know to save my work periodically, which I did, especially before I suspended the machine, so I didn't lose any work. However, it's annoying to have to go back and open up all the programs and files I was working on. And more frustrating at the moment is that the web pages I had up, which I need to reference in order to do some of the homework I was going to work on until my next shoot, are gone. And without internet access, I can't access them again.
Is "the computer ate my resources" a valid excuse for turning homework in late?
Why does Windows say "Saving your settings" when it's shutting down when it's not? If it was saving my settings, it should start back up exactly as I left it - all the programs open, all the files open, even cursors in the same place. Why can't they build updates that don't require re-boots? And if there really is some fundamental reason they have to reboot my computer, why can't they write code to really put my work environment back the way I left it when it's done? I shouldn't even need to know the computer re-booted.
My computer has been asking me to reboot (or rather, keeps telling me it's going to, and I keep telling it not to) all afternoon. First, once I say no, it shouldn't keep asking me every 10 minutes. What part of 'no' doesn't it understand? I suspended the machine for a while, and when I turned it back on, it took an unusually long time to start. I began to suspect it was rebooting. Sure enough, I was right. Now, I've been using computers for long enough to know to save my work periodically, which I did, especially before I suspended the machine, so I didn't lose any work. However, it's annoying to have to go back and open up all the programs and files I was working on. And more frustrating at the moment is that the web pages I had up, which I need to reference in order to do some of the homework I was going to work on until my next shoot, are gone. And without internet access, I can't access them again.
Is "the computer ate my resources" a valid excuse for turning homework in late?
Why does Windows say "Saving your settings" when it's shutting down when it's not? If it was saving my settings, it should start back up exactly as I left it - all the programs open, all the files open, even cursors in the same place. Why can't they build updates that don't require re-boots? And if there really is some fundamental reason they have to reboot my computer, why can't they write code to really put my work environment back the way I left it when it's done? I shouldn't even need to know the computer re-booted.
Monday, May 21, 2007
More seemingly benign equipment problems
So the other piece of photo equipment I wanted to write about is not technologically oriented at all. In fact, it's an old style piece of completely non-technical equipment.
We use a bracket whith each camera, which is a piece of metal which attaches along the bottom of the camera, then runs a few inches beyond the end and has a piece that allows you to mount a flash on it, so the flash comes up above the camera. If you can't picture it, don't worry. The setup isn't so important to my story.
So this bracket attaches to the camera with a screw which screws into a hole built into the bottom of nearly all cameras - or at least professional and semi-professional ones (your point and shoot might not have, but all higher end ones do). So the screw usually has a large plate on the bottom which is slightly larger than the size of the bracket and allows you to twist the screw to tighten the camera to the bracket (see photos).
Somehow, one of the brackets I was sent had a screw that did not extend over the sides of the bracket, which made it very difficult to twist. Then, it was octagonal, not the usual round shape, which meant it had nice sharp pointy corners, which made it painful to try and twist it.
The point of these screws is to tighten the camera on so that when you hold it up with the flash, everything stays together in the configuration you've placed it. I couldn't tighten the screw enough so everything went flopping forward when I picked it up.
Luckily they sent me a new one before my next shoot. Not so useful the way it was.
We use a bracket whith each camera, which is a piece of metal which attaches along the bottom of the camera, then runs a few inches beyond the end and has a piece that allows you to mount a flash on it, so the flash comes up above the camera. If you can't picture it, don't worry. The setup isn't so important to my story.
So this bracket attaches to the camera with a screw which screws into a hole built into the bottom of nearly all cameras - or at least professional and semi-professional ones (your point and shoot might not have, but all higher end ones do). So the screw usually has a large plate on the bottom which is slightly larger than the size of the bracket and allows you to twist the screw to tighten the camera to the bracket (see photos).
Somehow, one of the brackets I was sent had a screw that did not extend over the sides of the bracket, which made it very difficult to twist. Then, it was octagonal, not the usual round shape, which meant it had nice sharp pointy corners, which made it painful to try and twist it.
The point of these screws is to tighten the camera on so that when you hold it up with the flash, everything stays together in the configuration you've placed it. I couldn't tighten the screw enough so everything went flopping forward when I picked it up.
Luckily they sent me a new one before my next shoot. Not so useful the way it was.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Design Important Even in Benign Objects
One of the (many) jobs I have is as a photographer. A company I do a lot of work for sends me equipment to use. This year, they made some changes to what they sent.
The one which is relevant to this blog is one of the battery rechargers. The old charger was big and heavy (a major concern when you're carrying equipment on public transit). It made lots of noise when it was charging - so I usually put it in another room, and then inevitably forgot it was there, and left batteries charging for too long. There was no feedback to know when it was done. The instructions from the photo company for the charger were along the lines of:
"slowly plug in the battery. if the indicator light blinks fast, unplug the battery and plug it in again. if it blinks slowly, the battery is charging. don't let it charge for more than 1/2 hr (which was later changed to 1 hr). If the battery gets hot, unplug it immediately." Not very useful for knowing when your batteries are charged.
The new charger is much better designed. First, there's no fan continually cycling off and on. So I can leave it in the same room as I am, and keep an eye on it. Second, when you plug in the battery, there's a button marked 'Start'. Press it, and it beeps at you to tell you it's charging. The first thing it does is test the battery - which it tells you it's doing with the word "TEST"
on the display. An indicator light above the word "start" blinks off and on. When it's done testing, it starts charging. You know it's switched modes because the word "TEST" changes to "CHARGE". The red light above the "start" button goes solid. And there's a diagram of a battery which, as the battery charges, "fills up" to visually show you it's getting fuller. And there's a blinking smiley face in the corner to tell you everything is working well.
When the charge is complete, the charger beeps 3 times to tell you it's done. It also shows a completely full battery in the display. The indicator light over the word "start" goes back to blinking. And the smiley face is still there. Certainly much better than the old charger. In general, it's a well-thought-out interface, with lots of visual feedback to let the user know what's going on and what state it's in. Much, much better than the old charger!
Things that could be improved: Display "DONE" where "CHARGE" and "TEST" were.
Tell you how much more time (in minutes) it has until it's done. Although there is something of a visual clue with the image of a battery getting fuller, it's hard to know how long it will take until it's done. I suppose as I use it more, I'll have a feel for how long it takes total, and therefore how much longer it has. Perhaps this is an item for novice users only, and intermediates develop a feel for how long it takes from use over time.
The one which is relevant to this blog is one of the battery rechargers. The old charger was big and heavy (a major concern when you're carrying equipment on public transit). It made lots of noise when it was charging - so I usually put it in another room, and then inevitably forgot it was there, and left batteries charging for too long. There was no feedback to know when it was done. The instructions from the photo company for the charger were along the lines of:
"slowly plug in the battery. if the indicator light blinks fast, unplug the battery and plug it in again. if it blinks slowly, the battery is charging. don't let it charge for more than 1/2 hr (which was later changed to 1 hr). If the battery gets hot, unplug it immediately." Not very useful for knowing when your batteries are charged.
The new charger is much better designed. First, there's no fan continually cycling off and on. So I can leave it in the same room as I am, and keep an eye on it. Second, when you plug in the battery, there's a button marked 'Start'. Press it, and it beeps at you to tell you it's charging. The first thing it does is test the battery - which it tells you it's doing with the word "TEST"
on the display. An indicator light above the word "start" blinks off and on. When it's done testing, it starts charging. You know it's switched modes because the word "TEST" changes to "CHARGE". The red light above the "start" button goes solid. And there's a diagram of a battery which, as the battery charges, "fills up" to visually show you it's getting fuller. And there's a blinking smiley face in the corner to tell you everything is working well.
When the charge is complete, the charger beeps 3 times to tell you it's done. It also shows a completely full battery in the display. The indicator light over the word "start" goes back to blinking. And the smiley face is still there. Certainly much better than the old charger. In general, it's a well-thought-out interface, with lots of visual feedback to let the user know what's going on and what state it's in. Much, much better than the old charger!
Things that could be improved: Display "DONE" where "CHARGE" and "TEST" were.
Tell you how much more time (in minutes) it has until it's done. Although there is something of a visual clue with the image of a battery getting fuller, it's hard to know how long it will take until it's done. I suppose as I use it more, I'll have a feel for how long it takes total, and therefore how much longer it has. Perhaps this is an item for novice users only, and intermediates develop a feel for how long it takes from use over time.
Of Mice, Part II
One of my favorite technology toys is the mouse for my laptop. It's one of the best designed devices I have. It's small, but not too small, and fits comfortably in my hand (a previous laptop mouse went back to the store because, among other problems, it was too small to comfortably use). The top of the mouse has your standard left and right buttons, as well as a roller in the middle for easy scrolling. So far, all pretty standard.
The best part is when you flip the mouse over. The USB connector, which allows the mouse to wirelessly communicate with the laptop, has a docking port on the bottom where it not only fits snuggly into the mouse so it doesn't get lost, it also turns the mouse off. Nice way to not drain the batteries.
Other nice features: the mouse turns off after a short amount of time, again not to drain the batteries. Just click on one of the buttons when you want to use it again, and it wakes back up. There's also a small light on the top which tells you when your battery is getting low. No wondering why the mouse is acting strange (as mine was this morning - light told me it was out of juice.)
The best part is when you flip the mouse over. The USB connector, which allows the mouse to wirelessly communicate with the laptop, has a docking port on the bottom where it not only fits snuggly into the mouse so it doesn't get lost, it also turns the mouse off. Nice way to not drain the batteries.
Other nice features: the mouse turns off after a short amount of time, again not to drain the batteries. Just click on one of the buttons when you want to use it again, and it wakes back up. There's also a small light on the top which tells you when your battery is getting low. No wondering why the mouse is acting strange (as mine was this morning - light told me it was out of juice.)
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Of Mice & Motor Control
Yesterday, I was working in Visio, trying to line up boxes and re-size them. I was finding it very difficult to move things only a few pixels at a time, so kept over-shooting where I wanted to go, or not moving things far enough.
I use a trackball mouse, which I love (prevents problems with my wrists, and when I was working, kept other people off my computer). In general, I feel like it gives me more control than a regular mouse, but still was having problems. My solution was, when possible, to highlight the object and move it around using the arrow keys, which move in small increments so alignment is much easier. It was not an ideal solution, because required moving back and forth from the keyboard to the mouse, but at least it lined things up where I needed them.
While I was struggling with this, I started thinking about other ways of interacting with the monitor. Over the weekend I had been reading one of the chapters in About Face 2.0 - The Essentials of Interaction Design by Alan Cooper and Robert Reimann that talked about manipulation devices and motor control. The book talks about several different types of
devices, including light pens, touchpads, trackballs, and of course, mice. In the book, they discuss how pens aren't practical when using vertical displays, since our motor skills don't allow us to have much fine motor control when also holding our arms vertical. Pens work well on horizontal surfaces (paper laying on a desk), but not on vertical computer screens. Which had me wondering why computer screens are vertical at all. We develop all sorts of problems from sitting at computers improperly - back problems, eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome. None of these existed when we worked with pen and paper on a desk. Why don't we change the way computers are designed, so they mimic these? Why not have the monitor flat on the desk? Technology now enables touch screens, so why have to have a keyboard at all? Why not let me just point to what I need directly, instead of with the intermediary of a mouse, and write directly on the screen, instead of having to use a keyboard? Spending a short time teaching the software to recognize a user's handwriting would certainly be faster than teaching the user to type as quickly as they write. It would solve the physical problems a lot of people have developed from sitting at a computer all day, and would probably make parts of interaction design much easier because users would have much more fine motor control than they do with a mouse.
I use a trackball mouse, which I love (prevents problems with my wrists, and when I was working, kept other people off my computer). In general, I feel like it gives me more control than a regular mouse, but still was having problems. My solution was, when possible, to highlight the object and move it around using the arrow keys, which move in small increments so alignment is much easier. It was not an ideal solution, because required moving back and forth from the keyboard to the mouse, but at least it lined things up where I needed them.
While I was struggling with this, I started thinking about other ways of interacting with the monitor. Over the weekend I had been reading one of the chapters in About Face 2.0 - The Essentials of Interaction Design by Alan Cooper and Robert Reimann that talked about manipulation devices and motor control. The book talks about several different types of
devices, including light pens, touchpads, trackballs, and of course, mice. In the book, they discuss how pens aren't practical when using vertical displays, since our motor skills don't allow us to have much fine motor control when also holding our arms vertical. Pens work well on horizontal surfaces (paper laying on a desk), but not on vertical computer screens. Which had me wondering why computer screens are vertical at all. We develop all sorts of problems from sitting at computers improperly - back problems, eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome. None of these existed when we worked with pen and paper on a desk. Why don't we change the way computers are designed, so they mimic these? Why not have the monitor flat on the desk? Technology now enables touch screens, so why have to have a keyboard at all? Why not let me just point to what I need directly, instead of with the intermediary of a mouse, and write directly on the screen, instead of having to use a keyboard? Spending a short time teaching the software to recognize a user's handwriting would certainly be faster than teaching the user to type as quickly as they write. It would solve the physical problems a lot of people have developed from sitting at a computer all day, and would probably make parts of interaction design much easier because users would have much more fine motor control than they do with a mouse.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Blogspot
I was planning on writing about something else this week, but this trumped all other topics.
I consider myself a generally intelligent person. And ironcially, while I'm studying a computer-related field, I'm not a gadget geek, and don't necessarily keep up with the newest and greatest technologies. I am somewhat technology savy, however.
So this is my first "blog", and then the only reason I'm writing is because I've been forced to by a professor (sorry, Rachel). I am, however, generally familiar with websites, and can read English.
Which brings me to the problem I'm having. I have spent 10 minutes trying to figure out how to post a new topic to my blog. I remember having a bit of trouble with this last week as well, but apparently did find the right link in the end. Today, for some reason, I can't find it at all (I'm currently typing in a word processor and will paste into blogspot when I figure out where to put it.) Perhaps it's right in front of my face, and I'm just being oblivious? Maybe if I come back in an hour it will jump out at me. But I somehow doubt it.
I can reply to other people's posts without a problem, and can reply to their replies to my posts, but somehow can't find a way to create a new topic on my own site. It seems like this would be a huge button on the page, once I sign on, since how often am I likely to log on to read my own stuff? Generally I'm likely to want to post something new.
So while I'm analyzing their site...I like the little logo inconspicuously in the top left corner to take you back to the blogspot home page. The search function is nice, and clear. The 'flag blog' button to me means that I can flag it for myself to come back to later - like a bookmark. However it is to 'notify Blogger about objectionable content on this page'. Not what I was expecting, but at least they tell you that, and before you click on the link, with a small line of text. 'Next blog' is nice, but I don't know what blog is next after mine, so am not sure where it will take me or how that is decided. What does 'next' mean in this type of setting?
'Create blog' and 'Sign in', on the right side, are clear, although since I've already signed into my page, 'Sign out' would be a better option, and one that is missing on this site entirely. Not good design.
The overall layout of the page is clear, and I like that I can choose the colors, font style, etc. from a set of pre-designed templates to give my blog a bit of character. The archive section on the right is clear and functional. The ability to view my profile or change it also works nicely. (I won't go into those pages or this will get too long.)
Now if only I can figure out how to post this...
...and the mystery is solved. I posted a reply to someone else's site first, which required me to put in my login and password. Which I did. So I assumed I was logged in. And when I went to my own blog, it appeared as though I was, since I could edit my profile - presumably not something I could do unless I'm logged in as me. However, the only way to get to all the other functionality of the site - like posting a new blog entry - is to click on 'sign in'. But I'm already signed in! So why would I do that? I'm not sure, but that seemed to do the trick (although I wasn't asked to re-enter my login or password, so clearly the system did acknowledge that I was logged in). And now I've got all sorts of options for settings and posting new entries. And I do see a 'sign out' button. Excellent. That's what I'm going to do now...
I consider myself a generally intelligent person. And ironcially, while I'm studying a computer-related field, I'm not a gadget geek, and don't necessarily keep up with the newest and greatest technologies. I am somewhat technology savy, however.
So this is my first "blog", and then the only reason I'm writing is because I've been forced to by a professor (sorry, Rachel). I am, however, generally familiar with websites, and can read English.
Which brings me to the problem I'm having. I have spent 10 minutes trying to figure out how to post a new topic to my blog. I remember having a bit of trouble with this last week as well, but apparently did find the right link in the end. Today, for some reason, I can't find it at all (I'm currently typing in a word processor and will paste into blogspot when I figure out where to put it.) Perhaps it's right in front of my face, and I'm just being oblivious? Maybe if I come back in an hour it will jump out at me. But I somehow doubt it.
I can reply to other people's posts without a problem, and can reply to their replies to my posts, but somehow can't find a way to create a new topic on my own site. It seems like this would be a huge button on the page, once I sign on, since how often am I likely to log on to read my own stuff? Generally I'm likely to want to post something new.
So while I'm analyzing their site...I like the little logo inconspicuously in the top left corner to take you back to the blogspot home page. The search function is nice, and clear. The 'flag blog' button to me means that I can flag it for myself to come back to later - like a bookmark. However it is to 'notify Blogger about objectionable content on this page'. Not what I was expecting, but at least they tell you that, and before you click on the link, with a small line of text. 'Next blog' is nice, but I don't know what blog is next after mine, so am not sure where it will take me or how that is decided. What does 'next' mean in this type of setting?
'Create blog' and 'Sign in', on the right side, are clear, although since I've already signed into my page, 'Sign out' would be a better option, and one that is missing on this site entirely. Not good design.
The overall layout of the page is clear, and I like that I can choose the colors, font style, etc. from a set of pre-designed templates to give my blog a bit of character. The archive section on the right is clear and functional. The ability to view my profile or change it also works nicely. (I won't go into those pages or this will get too long.)
Now if only I can figure out how to post this...
...and the mystery is solved. I posted a reply to someone else's site first, which required me to put in my login and password. Which I did. So I assumed I was logged in. And when I went to my own blog, it appeared as though I was, since I could edit my profile - presumably not something I could do unless I'm logged in as me. However, the only way to get to all the other functionality of the site - like posting a new blog entry - is to click on 'sign in'. But I'm already signed in! So why would I do that? I'm not sure, but that seemed to do the trick (although I wasn't asked to re-enter my login or password, so clearly the system did acknowledge that I was logged in). And now I've got all sorts of options for settings and posting new entries. And I do see a 'sign out' button. Excellent. That's what I'm going to do now...
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Beeping
Everything these days seems to make noise. Not just alarm clocks and trucks backing up and car alarms that go off for no apparent reason and stay on for hours. But cell phones, PDA's, regular phones, and microwaves. Everything, it seems, must make noise to alert you to what it's doing.
In my office, we have an all-in-one fax/copier/printer/scanner. Which, of course, beeps. It beeps when there's a paper jam. It beeps when it's out of paper. And for some reason, it beeps when you open the drawer to put more paper in. Now, I understand the first two - assuming you're not sitting right next to the machine, you probably want to be alerted that it's not printing. But why when I open the drawer? And it's not a quick, short beep, either. It continues for probably 20 seconds (which may not seem long, but trust me, it is when you're right next to the machine). If the paper drawer is open, clearly someone opened it, so who is it alerting that the drawer is open? Me? I know it's open - I just opened it! - to put in more paper, which it just beeped to tell me I needed to do!
My other problem with same said copier is that it's default function is fax. Always. Not just when I turn it on, but if I haven't done any copying for a while, it reverts to faxing again. The problem is that this particular machine isn't hooked up to a fax line. So for our office, this is a never used state! Why not leave it on whatever function I did last? With perhaps the fax as the default state after the power is turned on? A nice idea, but I think not well tested.
In my office, we have an all-in-one fax/copier/printer/scanner. Which, of course, beeps. It beeps when there's a paper jam. It beeps when it's out of paper. And for some reason, it beeps when you open the drawer to put more paper in. Now, I understand the first two - assuming you're not sitting right next to the machine, you probably want to be alerted that it's not printing. But why when I open the drawer? And it's not a quick, short beep, either. It continues for probably 20 seconds (which may not seem long, but trust me, it is when you're right next to the machine). If the paper drawer is open, clearly someone opened it, so who is it alerting that the drawer is open? Me? I know it's open - I just opened it! - to put in more paper, which it just beeped to tell me I needed to do!
My other problem with same said copier is that it's default function is fax. Always. Not just when I turn it on, but if I haven't done any copying for a while, it reverts to faxing again. The problem is that this particular machine isn't hooked up to a fax line. So for our office, this is a never used state! Why not leave it on whatever function I did last? With perhaps the fax as the default state after the power is turned on? A nice idea, but I think not well tested.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Cellphones
Welcome to my blog. Here you will find postings relating to Human-Computer Interaction, also known as Human Factors, User Interaction, Interaction Design, Information Architecture, and more. As you can see, there's no standard yet for what it's called. In a sentance, it's basically how technology (computer software, cell phones, PDAs, etc.) is designed, with the goal of making them more easily usable by the average, non-technical, person.
Today's posting is about cell phones. Or rather the options you get when you call someone's phone and they don't answer.
Have you noticed that many services don't just give you the outgoing message of the person you're trying to reach saying "Hi, You've reached Johnny. etc.." This is followed by 5 minutes of instructions from the phone company to not just leave a message after the beep (as if we don't know that's what we're supposed to do), but also how to page the person, how to leave a callback number, and how to get additional options. Is all this really necessary? Do I really need to leave a call back number when it will show up on their called ID? And I can leave my number in my voice mail if I want just in case. I wonder what my 'additional options' are? Maybe it will let me find out where they're located, or listen in on their business meeting. Or find out what they had for lunch? Perhaps next time I'll try that option just to see what it says.
Today's posting is about cell phones. Or rather the options you get when you call someone's phone and they don't answer.
Have you noticed that many services don't just give you the outgoing message of the person you're trying to reach saying "Hi, You've reached Johnny. etc.." This is followed by 5 minutes of instructions from the phone company to not just leave a message after the beep (as if we don't know that's what we're supposed to do), but also how to page the person, how to leave a callback number, and how to get additional options. Is all this really necessary? Do I really need to leave a call back number when it will show up on their called ID? And I can leave my number in my voice mail if I want just in case. I wonder what my 'additional options' are? Maybe it will let me find out where they're located, or listen in on their business meeting. Or find out what they had for lunch? Perhaps next time I'll try that option just to see what it says.
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