DIG2500c: Fundamentals of Interactive Design

1. Fall 2009 Semester Dr. Rudy McDaniel DIG2500c: Fundamentals of Interactive Design Lecture 3: Think

2. Review • Last week • We discussed speaking in interactivity • We looked at POV • Human v. Computer • We calculated asset sizes • Questions?

3. This Week • We’re focusing on the aspects of interactivity from the technical point of view • Recall the Crawford definition is the cycle of • SPEAKING • THINKING • LISTENING

4. Thinking (From the Human’s POV) • How do humans think? • Humans process patterns • We are designed to see patterns even when they may not exist • If the pattern doesn’t complete humans become “dissonant” • Good interactive designers take patterns into account when developing interactions

5. An Unusual Argument • I’m going to present you with an unusual argument made by a cognitive scientist named Daniel Willingham. • The argument is simple: we, as humans, are not very good at thinking. • If this is the case, how have we been so productive in our lives and as a society?

6. Are We Good at Thinking? Source: Willingham, D.T. (2009), Why Don’t Students Like School?

7. What Does This Problem Tell Us? • Thinking is slow • Thinking is effortful • Thinking is uncertain

8. Is Stress Useful for Thinking?

9. Another Classic Problem (3 Disc)

10. Animated Solution (4 Discs) Source: Wikipedia.

11. How About a Word Problem?

12. Combining Information • We can use Willingham’s (2009) definition of thinking as “combining information in new ways.”

13. Thinking (From the Machine’s POV) • How do machines think? • Process bits of data with the three primary operators AND, OR, NOT • All machine thought is defined by combinations of these three • Large numbers of them must be placed together to make anything humans would consider useful. • You ever play with Legos? • Takes a lot of bricks to make something doesn’t it?

15. Verisimilitude • What does this word mean, and why do we care?

17. Designing Computer Thought • There are two major approaches to designing computer thought • Top-down Approach • Bottom-up Approach

18. Top-Down Approach • This approach consist of: • Starting with the broadest statement of the objectives • Breaking the objective into smaller chunks • Breaking the smaller chunks into smaller chunks • Continuing to break the smaller chunks down until the implementation becomes obvious • In top-down design, we start with the questions.

19. Bottom-Up Approach • This approach consists of: • Starting with capabilities, resources, and tasks • Build components combining the parts that are useful • Work upwards toward a general objective • This can be conceptualized as “starting with the answers.”

20. Let’s design something • I want a new system that distributes news to people in real-time as it happens • What do we need to make this happen? • Use the top-down approach • Goals driven • Use the bottom-up approach • Resources driven • The reality: interactive design flickers continuously back and forth between top-down and bottom-up design.

21. Compromise • Both approaches have their merits • They assist us in finding and resolving complexities prior to writing code or developing assets • They keep designers from designing something that cannot be developed • Always try to THINK before you speak • Your designs will be better and more robust • Both the humans and computers will thank you

22. Translating Human Thought • Regardless of approach we need to be able to describe what we are doing • General descriptions are reasonable for humans because we’ll see the patterns and fill in the gaps • Computers need more structured specifics because they don’t • These descriptions are called algorithms

23. Algorithm? • An algorithm is a procedure or formula for solving a problem. • The more complex the system you are attempting to achieve the more complex the algorithm can be. • A computer program can be viewed as an elaborate algorithm. • Modern applications can have millions of lines of code generated by hundreds of developers

24. Crawford’s View • Listening, Thinking, and Speaking must be an integrated whole. • If you can’t design the algorithms, go do something else. • What does this mean for us as interactive designers?

25. Technology Serves Art • But only for those willing to learn the technology.

27. Make a PB&J

28. Algorithms and Creativity • How did Crawford generate random numbers for his project as an undergrad?

29. Algorithms as Metaphors • Here are some useful metaphors to help you generate algorithms • Spatial and geometric metaphor • Physical metaphor • Musical metaphor • Business and Economic metaphor • Emotional metaphor • Bureaucratic metaphor

30. Spatial and Geometric Metaphor • Spatial and geometric metaphor • Distance • Relationships between objects • Shapes • Arrangement

31. Physical Metaphor • Physical metaphor • Borrowing concepts from Physics or Chemistry • Springs • Catalysts • Magnetism • Mixtures • Weight

32. Musical Metaphor • Musical metaphor • Harmonics • Melodies • Chords • Scales

33. Business and Economic Metaphor • Business and Economic metaphor • Cost/ Price • Buy/Sell • Put/Call • Supply/Demand

34. Emotional Metaphor • Emotional metaphor • Happy / sad / angry • Sleepy / tired • Hyperactive • Objective Defiant • Anthropomorphic Attributions to machines • “They don’t get happy they don’t get sad they just run programs.” – Short Circuit

35. Bureaucratic Metaphor • Bureaucratic metaphor • Hierarchies • Executives v. labor • Social tasks • Divisions of labor • Bureaucracies have proven themselves to solve complex problems

36. Class Exercise • In groups of two, come up with some original design metaphors for an application that allows very young children to learn art skills. • Report out

37. What You Thinkin’? • We can structure the thinking but what are we thinking about? • Data is needed for thoughts • Data is necessary • Algorithms are just the framework to process thoughts • Without data algorithms do not function • Data is the fuel

38. Data is Structured • Data can be thought of as a spreadsheet or table • Columns are the structure • Rows are the records • Cells are the data • Data can be stored • Short term / Long term • Accessing data is vital

39. Significances of Thinking • Thinking is where all the content lies • Speaking and listening are important resources • Thinking is where the focus lies during interactive design • Technology can change but the thinking if done properly can transcend obsolescence

40. To Review • The actors think • The actors can be humans or computers • Each think differently • Thinking in humans is difficult and we look for patterns and rely heavily on memory • Thinking from computers an be complex even though it is made up of simple operators • Algorithms • Data Structures • Thinking is the content of interactive design

41. This Week’s Lab • More Introduction to Flash • Interface • Tools, Panes, and Panels • Drawing in Flash • Working with the timeline • Frame by frame animation • Tweening

42. Sample Exam Question • What do we know about the way in which we as humans think? • We think slowly. • Thinking requires a lot of effort. • Thinking is uncertain. • All of the above. • A and B only.

43. Sample Exam Question • In Crawford’s mind, which is the most important part of interactive design? • Listening • Thinking • Speaking • All of the above are equal

44. Homework • See syllabus for readings • Your second lab is this Thursday with Adam Lenz. • Remember, lab 1 is due this Friday at 5pm. If you don’t finish by the Thursday of this week, you’re out of luck.