Posts Tagged ‘ blog ’

Design for reflective processing

Interesting blog post on designing for reflective processing – relates to our class discussion.

Do note the definition of reflective processing as introduced by Norman. It does not refer to reflection as thinking, but to reflection as in a mirror – do you see your self-concept mirrored in the product? Does the product conform to your self-image? Think about how important this is when choosing a car, for example.

Reflective processing is when our desires for uniqueness and cultural or aesthetic sophistication influence our preferences. Simply put, it is about seeing ourselves positively reflected in the products we use.

But then, how do you design products that are aligned with your users’ self-image? Read the blog post!

2012
10/12
CATEGORY
Interesting links
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Setting up your RSS feed reader

Once you have set up your wordpress blog and emailed me the link, the next step is to subscribe to my blog and all classmates’ blogs using an RSS feed reader. Please find below some helpful information about this process:

Where do I find my classmates’ blogs URLs?

Look at the blogroll on this blog – on the right side bar, there is a heading “Blogroll” and under it, a list of names. Each name is linked to that person’s blog.

Why is my name not on the Blogroll?

Because you did not send me the link by Friday, as you were supposed to. Please send it ASAP!

How do I use Google Reader?

Well, you could Google that, but here is a video tutorial about Google Reader I created some years back.

What’s a Blogroll?

If you are not familiar with blogging terms such as blogroll, permalink, trackback, etc., here is a series of tutorials I created years back to explain these concepts (to undergraduate liberal arts students – so they’re as clear as can be!)

Other questions?

Please ask in the comments below this post.

2012
08/25
CATEGORY
Helpful tips
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Assignment: Blog requirements Fall 2012

Please familiarize yourself with the requirements for your CGT course blog. Come back to them whenever you need to refresh your memory about how to categorize your posts.

Please ask any questions about the blogging assignment in the comments to this post.

2012
08/23
CATEGORY
Assignments
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Class notes: User cognition

Today in class we talked about:

  1. mental models, as defined by Cooper. It is important to remember the distinctions between user, system/impementation, and represented model, as well as the relationships with them. What are the implications? How does understanding mental models help you create better interfaces? Blog post idea: Find an example of a good/bad represented model.
  2. theories that explain how users find information online – it is important to remember there are several explanations, but that the most popular theory is information foraging theory, developed in 1995 by Pirolli & Card. Some important aspects to remember:
    • assumptions about rationality: bounded rationality/satisficing
    • assumptions about human behavior: maximize benefits, minimize cost, preserve energy
    • explanations about information searching behavior: foraging
    • key concept: information scent. Blog post idea: Find examples of weak/strong information scent.
  3. the use of usability principles for heuristic evaluation – which leads into the presentations for the next two weeks.

Do you feel these class notes are useful, or would my time be better spent elsewhere? Please let me know by rating, liking, or commenting.

2011
09/14
CATEGORY
Blog Ideas
Class notes
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Blog challenge: Gestalt principles of perception

In case you need some ideas for your blog, and even if you do not, try looking for how Gestalt principles of visual perception are applied in interfaces. Post a good/bad example about them sometime this week.

As a rule, when you post the good/bad examples, try to relate them to the principles of design and usability you’ve learned up to that point in the class.

You already know quite a few from the readings from week 2 (mapping, visibility, feedback, politeness, etc.), to which you can add the implications for design of what you know about visual perception and visual attention.

From a visual attention perspective, every time you look at an interface, close your eyes, then open them and notice what grabs your attention first, second, then third. Then, examine what principles of bottom up visual attention are at work there. How did the designers achieve saliency in order to grab your attention and direct it in a 1, 2, 3 sequence?

Both Gestalt principles and visual attention principles are used in the design of the San Diego Zoo homepage. Can you tell how?

2011
09/09
CATEGORY
Blog Ideas
Examples
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Assignment: Blogging Requirements

This assignment is posted on Blackboard, but I promised I would post it here so you can ask questions about it. Whether now or later in the semester, if you have any questions about your CGT 512 blogging assignment, please post a question in the comments to this post.

You can also ask me questions privately, by email. But if you think other students may benefit from the answer, ask your question here.

Please make sure you subscribe to the comments on this post, so you can be informed of new questions and answers.

Below is the text of the assignment:

2011
09/08
CATEGORY
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Interesting blogs

lolcat reading blogsHere is the list of all the blogs you found for the past week’s blog challenge. Thank you very much, Alex, for putting the list together!!!

Now, go ahead and pick some (or all) of these blogs and subscribe to them in your RSS feed reader.

2011
09/08
CATEGORY
Resources
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