Comments for Another HCI Blog http://becktench.com/hci Beck Tench's webservations on Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:16:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 Comment on How to be a good practitioner. by Drew Geraets http://becktench.com/hci/2008/04/29/how-to-be-a-good-practitioner/#comment-36 Drew Geraets Fri, 02 May 2008 16:01:38 +0000 http://becktench.com/hci/2008/04/29/how-to-be-a-good-practitioner/#comment-36 Great post! I hope you will write more often as you find the time. Great post! I hope you will write more often as you find the time.

]]> Comment on Good Design Meets Bad Habits by Conrad http://becktench.com/hci/2008/04/03/good-design-meets-bad-habits/#comment-27 Conrad Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:59:19 +0000 http://becktench.com/hci/2008/04/03/good-design-meets-bad-habits/#comment-27 Two Handles: one large, one small (this is becoming a convention overseas: a big button and a little button). But an important design constraint here is probably to find a drop-in replacement for the existing fixtures, and that may necessitate the handle design as it is. Given that, I actually like this design, and given the fact that you made the error and it become something you took note of, you might remember differently next time. But, here are some alternatives: The design could incorporate a forcing function that breaks the habit: the handle can only be moved horizontally. Plenty of people kick these sorts of handles, so that might be okay. I don't know how the mechanism works, so it might turn out that it has to be moved vertically to work. Maybe map force to flush volume: press harder, get more water, or map flush count and time. Two successive flushes, means more water. A more complicated mechanism might result in a very expensive unit, and the people who buy the flush mechanism are stakeholders in the design as well as the toilet users themselves. A cost/benefit analysis might show that the expense of the excess water used by accident does not overshadow the cost of the more expensive flushing mechanism. Two Handles: one large, one small (this is becoming a convention overseas: a big button and a little button).
But an important design constraint here is probably to find a drop-in replacement for the existing fixtures, and that may necessitate the handle design as it is. Given that, I actually like this design, and given the fact that you made the error and it become something you took note of, you might remember differently next time. But, here are some alternatives:
The design could incorporate a forcing function that breaks the habit: the handle can only be moved horizontally. Plenty of people kick these sorts of handles, so that might be okay. I don’t know how the mechanism works, so it might turn out that it has to be moved vertically to work.
Maybe map force to flush volume: press harder, get more water, or map flush count and time. Two successive flushes, means more water.
A more complicated mechanism might result in a very expensive unit, and the people who buy the flush mechanism are stakeholders in the design as well as the toilet users themselves. A cost/benefit analysis might show that the expense of the excess water used by accident does not overshadow the cost of the more expensive flushing mechanism.

]]> Comment on Good Design Meets Bad Habits by Beck Tench http://becktench.com/hci/2008/04/03/good-design-meets-bad-habits/#comment-25 Beck Tench Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:27:19 +0000 http://becktench.com/hci/2008/04/03/good-design-meets-bad-habits/#comment-25 A good question. My first thought is to have the lesser evil (the lesser water, liquid waste flush) be the default "downward" flush. But I'm still thinking it all through. What would you do? A good question. My first thought is to have the lesser evil (the lesser water, liquid waste flush) be the default “downward” flush. But I’m still thinking it all through. What would you do?

]]> Comment on Good Design Meets Bad Habits by Tam http://becktench.com/hci/2008/04/03/good-design-meets-bad-habits/#comment-24 Tam Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:22:00 +0000 http://becktench.com/hci/2008/04/03/good-design-meets-bad-habits/#comment-24 Just curious, how might you redesign this to account for user force of habit? Just curious, how might you redesign this to account for user force of habit?

]]> Comment on Report from World Usability Day by Jackson http://becktench.com/hci/2007/11/09/report-from-world-usability-day/#comment-17 Jackson Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:47:00 +0000 http://becktench.com/hci/2007/11/09/report-from-world-usability-day/#comment-17 Beck, thanks again for participating in the interactionary. I admit that we missed the "ah hah!" moment in the interactionary, and it's probably my fault. The goal of the interactionary is to help make the design process more visible to non-designers, expose fellow designers to new ideas and inspirations, and to have fun. Since we did mixed teams this year, it was also to get to know one another better. I'm glad that we succeeded in the latter, if not the former. In a brief chat with the judges, I realized that we didn't really get a chance to review the efforts of the teams. I think that bringing the teams up front and inviting a Q&A with the audience would have been a good idea. You know, elections for TriUPA offices are next month, and as an officer you could help make the next interactionary even better ;) Beck, thanks again for participating in the interactionary. I admit that we missed the “ah hah!” moment in the interactionary, and it’s probably my fault. The goal of the interactionary is to help make the design process more visible to non-designers, expose fellow designers to new ideas and inspirations, and to have fun. Since we did mixed teams this year, it was also to get to know one another better. I’m glad that we succeeded in the latter, if not the former. In a brief chat with the judges, I realized that we didn’t really get a chance to review the efforts of the teams. I think that bringing the teams up front and inviting a Q&A with the audience would have been a good idea.

You know, elections for TriUPA offices are next month, and as an officer you could help make the next interactionary even better ;)

]]> Comment on If User Extremists Cut Hair. by I am Beck Tench » Blog Archive » Who has the time for that? http://becktench.com/hci/2007/05/13/if-user-extremists-cut-hair/#comment-16 I am Beck Tench » Blog Archive » Who has the time for that? Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:32:15 +0000 http://becktench.com/hci/2007/05/13/if-user-extremists-cut-hair/#comment-16 [...] This post is a follow-up to my last post, If User Extremists Cut Hair. [...] […] This post is a follow-up to my last post, If User Extremists Cut Hair. […]

]]> Comment on Web-based Surveys for Collecting Feedback by I am Beck Tench » Blog Archive » One-on-one Interviews for Collecting Feedback http://becktench.com/hci/2007/04/27/web-based-surveys-for-collecting-feedback/#comment-15 I am Beck Tench » Blog Archive » One-on-one Interviews for Collecting Feedback Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:31:23 +0000 http://becktench.com/hci/2007/04/27/web-based-surveys-for-collecting-feedback/#comment-15 [...] is part two of an ongoing series entitled “Research for a Website Redesign.” The first post, Web-based Surveys for Collecting Feedback, identified reasons and strategies for collecting feedback on a website redesign using web-based [...] […] is part two of an ongoing series entitled “Research for a Website Redesign.” The first post, Web-based Surveys for Collecting Feedback, identified reasons and strategies for collecting feedback on a website redesign using web-based […]

]]> Comment on One-on-one Interviews for Collecting Feedback by I am Beck Tench » Blog Archive » Report: My First Real Live Usability Study http://becktench.com/hci/2007/06/21/one-on-one-interviews-for-collecting-feedback/#comment-14 I am Beck Tench » Blog Archive » Report: My First Real Live Usability Study Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:30:51 +0000 http://becktench.com/hci/2007/06/21/one-on-one-interviews-for-collecting-feedback/#comment-14 [...] I conducted the very first of several one-on-one interviews for an upcoming redesign. Here are a few lessons I took away from the [...] […] I conducted the very first of several one-on-one interviews for an upcoming redesign. Here are a few lessons I took away from the […]

]]> Comment on Presentation: Designing Compelling User Experiences (in Higher Ed) by Pete Bekisz http://becktench.com/hci/2007/10/16/designing-compelling-user-experiences-in-higher-ed/#comment-11 Pete Bekisz Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:57:44 +0000 http://becktench.com/hci/2007/10/16/designing-compelling-user-experiences-in-higher-ed/#comment-11 Beck - Your presentation was, hands down, the best one at the conference. I really appreciate the advice you had to offer about our student life section. I hope you made it back to Duke unscathed! Beck -

Your presentation was, hands down, the best one at the conference. I really appreciate the advice you had to offer about our student life section. I hope you made it back to Duke unscathed!

]]> Comment on Presentation: Designing Compelling User Experiences (in Higher Ed) by joel pattison http://becktench.com/hci/2007/10/16/designing-compelling-user-experiences-in-higher-ed/#comment-10 joel pattison Tue, 16 Oct 2007 19:48:44 +0000 http://becktench.com/hci/2007/10/16/designing-compelling-user-experiences-in-higher-ed/#comment-10 I attended your session this morning and thought it was great! Several of us agreed-- this was the most useful presentation of the conference so far. Thanks for all the great information. I work for IT at William & Mary-- we are currently in the midst of an extensive web redesign project. (http://reweb.blogspot.com/) We will definitely keep your presentation, (and your blog) in mind as we move forward... I attended your session this morning and thought it was great! Several of us agreed– this was the most useful presentation of the conference so far. Thanks for all the great information.

I work for IT at William & Mary– we are currently in the midst of an extensive web redesign project. (http://reweb.blogspot.com/) We will definitely keep your presentation, (and your blog) in mind as we move forward…

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