Visualizing the Gravity Interest Graph / whatspop A log of things made by Kunal Anand [@ka] A few weeks ago, I prepared a series of data visualizations that would explain what the interest graph is and how it relates to the social graph. The concept I came up with was very straightforward. This was one of the first graphs to be generated. Here's another interest graph that has substantially more nodes. Perhaps the most gratifying part of this process was the ability to get many of these visualizations printed as large posters. Technically, I coded the entire process just using Core Image.
Developing Empathy | Designing for Foreign Cultures By Janet M. Six Published: September 17, 2012 Send your questions to Ask UXmatters and get answers from some of the top professionals in UX. In this edition of Ask UXmatters, our experts discuss two different topics: how to become more empathetic designing user experiences for foreign cultures Ask UXmatters is a monthly column in which a panel of UX experts answers our readers’ questions about a variety of user experience matters. The following experts have contributed answers to this edition of Ask UXmatters: Developing Empathy Q: What activities can we practice in order to get better at empathy? “Develop an interest in what motivates others and, especially, what motivates their responses.” Jordan has a unique perspective on empathy. drama—When I was growing up, the most effective way for me to learn what other people might be thinking was to take on the persona of another person. Spending Time with Users “Let’s take the simple example of watching a usability test or design research session.
Know When to Stop Designing, Quantitatively Interface design is more than hand waving and color preferences. When you design anything to be used by humans, there are some fundamental tools which can tell you if one interface is better than another. Quantitatively. Don’t believe me? Which of the following two sentences contains more information? Cogito ergo sum.Shoes smell bad. [*] The careful reader may be waggling their finger at me. The first represents a foundational building block of Western rationalism, the second is a rather banal (albeit true) thought. The lesson here is that “meaning” and “information” are distinct concepts. A bit is the fundamental unit of information. As you can see, if you have some number of things to choose from–and that number happens to be a power of two–it is easy to find the number of bits of information that the choice represents: it’s just the power. Choosing any letter (e.g., “g”) is a 5 bit choice. So back to the two sentences. Time for an example. Digital Wrist Watches So far so good.
Moments that Matter ... Moments that Don’t As consumers access more information across emerging media channels and new devices, marketers have responded by perceiving every new interaction as an available touchpoint to connect with and engage their target audiences. This has created an overpopulation of brand messaging that has had the reverse effect of dangerously distancing consumers at critically important buying moments. The result has been catastrophic for many companies—they’re bleeding customers and they don’t know why. What’s needed is a new approach engineered around what the customer wants to hear from us, not what we want to say to them. An approach that starts with a deep understanding of the moments that matter—the key trigger points for interacting successfully with buyers without alienating them. Simply said, by focusing on these pivotal moments, brands will have an easier time creating engaging experiences and maximizing their return on investment. The Moments That Matter Building Experiences “just for U”
Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design Why Big Companies Can't Innovate - Maxwell Wessel by Maxwell Wessel | 8:00 AM September 27, 2012 Big companies are really bad at innovation because they’re designed to be bad at innovation. Take a story plucked from the pages of Gerber’s history. Luckily for a company adept in sourcing and processing vegetables and fruits, tens of millions of busy Americans were spending more time at work and fewer hours in front of the stove. When Gerber launched its product targeted towards this opportunity, it flopped disastrously. Needless to say, working Americans weren’t busting down the doors at Safeway to pick up the latest, greatest flavor of Gerber Singles carrots. For those who would admonish Gerber for their approach to transformational innovation, it might be wise to consider that the company did exactly what it was designed to do: create operational efficiency. But that’s not what life is like within a mature organization. This was their biggest barrier, not a lack of vision. At the end of the day, corporations exist to make money.
From Principles to Practice of User Experience Design in the Enterprise - TLC Labs “For it is not as a very great philosopher, nor as an eloquent rhetorician, nor as a grammarian trained in the highest principles of his heart, that I have striven to write this work, but as an architect who has had only a dip into those studies.” Vitruvius in De architectura This week, Simon invited me to come down to TLC’s West Virginia office and give a lecture to the product, development and innovation teams. For many organizations that realize the importance of design thinking and user experience to the core of uncovering and creating value for customers, the perennial problem is immediately apparent: where to start? “Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose.” – Charles Eames The presentation I ended up writing and presenting Thursday was titled, “Design shapes behavior: Principles to practice of fundamental user experience in the enterprise.” The presentation started with answering the question, “Why begin with principles?”
New Ways of Visualizing the Customer Journey Map [Credit: Evan Litvak ] Evan chose to represent his journey as a circular graphic instead of the more common linear or chart structure. As the field of service design evolves so do the tools. At Adaptive Path we often find ourselves debating the form and definition of service design artifacts. I was curious to see how a new crop of interaction designers might interpret the journey map. One thing that struck me about the CCA undergrads was their natural ability to think cross-functionally. I took the students on a good old fashioned field trip to Adaptive Path and recruited six colleagues to help me guide them through a journey mapping activity. In small groups the students were tasked with documenting the experience of using public transportation. After rearranging, editing, and speculating insights, the students then had to create maps for their homework. Synthesize, analyze, create a functional/aesthetically compelling map and challenge current paradigms? Consider Activity Overview
How asymmetric is your relationship network at Google Plus?
Is there a way to visualize how each person is using and constructing this social environment? by agnesdelmotte Oct 11