User:Natasa Siencnik/notes/bardini/: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 16:27, 23 October 2010

Abstract

Thierry Bardini: Inventing the Virtual User. In: Bootstrapping. Stanford University Press, 2000.

Introduction
- computer interface design is an ad hoc discipline (Brenda Laurel)
- many people today equate the interface with the screen
- but several models of the interface emerged through time
Problem of the Interface
- Brenda Laurel > Computers as Theater
- simplistic model of interface as rectangle between user and computer
- person's mental model of computer and computer's understanding of person
- conceptual interface > user and computer need understanding of each other
- simpler concept of interface > how humans and computers interact
Interface as representational space
- agents in the interface cannot be separated from the plot
- human-computer interface entails narratives of interaction
- user and designer agree on the "truth" of the representation
- consequently the representation (illusion) appears "real"
- designing this illusion is designing the user interface
- moving a document on the desktop of a personal computer
- similar to but different from moving the "real" document on a "real desktop
Virtual Witnessing
- invention of the user as a virtuality via virtual witnessing
- imagined users anticipate the potential use of the design
Reflexive user
- designer's representation of user is a distorted representation of the designer himself
- designers often think of themselves as typical users
- virtual user is progressively shaped and transformed via virtual witnessing
Inventing the Virtual User
- Dougles Engelbart > framework for the augmentation of human intellect
- user described in his own idealized image: "knowledge worker"
Bootstrap Group
- who would be the most likely computer user if not a computer programmer?
- experimental reasons describe programmers as ideal intelligence workers
- they are autonomous and creative
- fundamental reasons deal with the benefits of using programmers as the template
Black-Boxing the User
- in sociology of technology, the projection of a representation of the user via testing has sometimes been called "black-boxing the user"
- potential differences between what the designer envisioned the virtual user to be and what the real user actually becomes
- testing as central moment in process of technology development
Prospective testing
- testing if the design is feasible, whether the technology works as specified in the design, whether different components can be integrated
- 1967 mouse was compared with alternative devices already on the market
- several pointing devices were tested (mouse, light pen, tablet, joystick)
- results seemed "disappointingly nonspecific", but the usage system seemed too broad
- defined virtual user of someone who did not need to learn how to employ the technology
- from the start, user of the personal computer was imagined in terms of an existing incorporating practice
- alternative device > knee control that liberated both hands from selection operations
- systematic attempts to imagine ways to use the possibilities for instrumentation by human body
Mouse in a Maze
- marking interface > mouse and chord keyset
- feedback loop on the screen, input device is determined by display system
- Engelbart imagined an input and feedback loop that was purely tactile (gesture)
Augmented Knowledge Workshop
- place in which knowledge workers do their work
- coordinated set of user interfaces principles
- specific vocabulary and commands, but consistent language and control structure
- front ends should be universal things to serve multiple applications for the user
ARC's oN-Line System (NLS)
- NLS was designed as a collection of applications (then called "subsystems")
- certain kinds of commands did certain kinds of things no matter where you were
- vision has been realized in many forms (graphical user interface, architecture)
- problem was that it relied on practices of only reflexive virtual users
Modes of Systems
- mode is a particular state of a system
- early text-editing systems had at least two modes: input mode and editing mode
- input mode > hitting the "d" key would input a "d"
- editing mode > hitting the "d" key would send the delete command
- user had to memorize where he or she was in the hierarchy of commands and modes
- reflexive users accepted the premise of the modal interface
Conclusion
- transformation of humans and machines
- design of interface combining chord keyset and mouse lead to increase in speed
- this goal drove the whole concept of the interface
- modal nature of NLS for Engelbart wasn't a problem, but one of its features

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 #*person's mental model of computer and computer's understanding of person
 #*conceptual interface > user and computer need understanding of each other
-#*simpler concept of interface > how humans and computers interct
+#*simpler concept of interface > how humans and computers interact
+#Interface as representational space
+#*agents in the interface cannot be separated from the plot
+#*human-computer interface entails narratives of interaction
+#*user and designer agree on the "truth" of the representation
+#*consequently the representation (illusion) appears "real"
+#*designing this illusion is designing the user interface
+#*moving a document on the desktop of a personal computer
+#*similar to but different from moving the "real" document on a "real desktop
+#Virtual Witnessing
+#*invention of the user as a virtuality via virtual witnessing
+#*imagined users anticipate the potential use of the design
+#Reflexive user
+#*designer's representation of user is a distorted representation of the designer himself
+#*designers often think of themselves as typical users
+#*virtual user is progressively shaped and transformed via virtual witnessing
+#Inventing the Virtual User
+#*Dougles Engelbart > framework for the augmentation of human intellect
+#*user described in his own idealized image: "knowledge worker"
+#Bootstrap Group
+#*who would be the most likely computer user if not a computer programmer?
+#*experimental reasons describe programmers as ideal intelligence workers
+#*they are autonomous and creative
+#*fundamental reasons deal with the benefits of using programmers as the template
+#Black-Boxing the User
+#*in sociology of technology, the projection of a representation of the user via testing has sometimes been called "black-boxing the user"
+#*potential differences between what the designer envisioned the virtual user to be and what the real user actually becomes
+#*testing as central moment in process of technology development
+#Prospective testing
+#*testing if the design is feasible, whether the technology works as specified in the design, whether different components can be integrated
+#*1967 mouse was compared with alternative devices already on the market
+#*several pointing devices were tested (mouse, light pen, tablet, joystick)
+#*results seemed "disappointingly nonspecific", but the usage system seemed too broad
+#*defined virtual user of someone who did not need to learn how to employ the technology
+#*from the start, user of the personal computer was imagined in terms of an existing incorporating practice
+#*alternative device > knee control that liberated both hands from selection operations
+#*systematic attempts to imagine ways to use the possibilities for instrumentation by human body
+#Mouse in a Maze
+#*marking interface > mouse and chord keyset
+#*feedback loop on the screen, input device is determined by display system
+#*Engelbart imagined an input and feedback loop that was purely tactile (gesture)
+#Augmented Knowledge Workshop
+#*place in which knowledge workers do their work
+#*coordinated set of user interfaces principles
+#*specific vocabulary and commands, but consistent language and control structure
+#*front ends should be universal things to serve multiple applications for the user
+#ARC's oN-Line System (NLS)
+#*NLS was designed as a collection of applications (then called "subsystems")
+#*certain kinds of commands did certain kinds of things no matter where you were
+#*vision has been realized in many forms (graphical user interface, architecture)
+#*problem was that it relied on practices of only reflexive virtual users
+#Modes of Systems
+#*mode is a particular state of a system
+#*early text-editing systems had at least two modes: input mode and editing mode
+#*input mode > hitting the "d" key would input a "d"
+#*editing mode > hitting the "d" key would send the delete command
+#*user had to memorize where he or she was in the hierarchy of commands and modes
+#*reflexive users accepted the premise of the modal interface
+#Conclusion
+#*transformation of humans and machines
+#*design of interface combining chord keyset and mouse lead to increase in speed
+#*this goal drove the whole concept of the interface
+#*modal nature of NLS for Engelbart wasn't a problem, but one of its features