Book Reading #3 - HCI Remixed

Assignment 1:
Chapter 1:
Summary:
The author describes his trip to a digital music machine and the impact it had on him. He points out that the most important detail of the machine was how user friendly it was.

Discussion:
Quite an enjoyable little story. A nice way to begin a book without overloading the reader with technological jargon.

Chapter 4:
Summary:
The author discusses his experiences with SketchPad. In particular he discusses how programmers have to push towards creating more programs for expert users rather than just generic novices.

Discussion:
I like how this chapter complements the other in that the book addresses how programmers need to be able to program for novices as well as experts.

Chapter 5:
Summary:
The author recalls the motivation she received from watching a demonstration of Engelbart's online system (NLS)

Discussion:
I enjoyed reading about how the author continuously felt renewed in her motivation after she watched the video.
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Assignment 2:
Chapter 24:
Summary:
The author recalls when they used a Wizard-of-Oz approach in order to conduct an experiment. In order to receive feedback on a machine they had not yet perfected, they used a human who acted as a computer in order to simulate speech recognition.

Discussion:
Although this method seems dishonest, it is a brilliant solution to get feedback on a product that is not yet fully functional.

Chapter 25:
Summary:
The author discusses the ideas artists had about The Media Space, a research project on electronically shared work spaces.

Discussion:
I agree that it is important as computer scientists to work with people from other disciplines in order to make better projects.

Chapter 26:
Summary:
The author discusses how things are more than just what they appear to be. He gives the specific example of the elevator close and open buttons. Not only are there two buttons but there is also the choice of which to press.

Discussion:
I enjoyed his solutions to the elevator problem and agree fully with the concept of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

Chapter 27:
Summary:
The author discusses work done with typography and how it can be used to associate an emotion with how the word is displayed.

Discussion:
I never realized how changing the way a word is displayed can make us associate a feeling or emotion with what is being typed.

Chapter 28:
Summary:
The author reviews Kidd's theory that while computers are good at storing information, they are bad at making sense of that information.

Discussion:
I do not really agree with the idea that computers are not great at making sense of information. Perhaps this is biased because I personally have never had a problem finding information that I need.

Chapter 34:
Summary:
The author compares HCI workers to ethnohistorians. He discusses how HCI workers much balance the needs of the low powered users and the high powered software engineers and executives.

Discussion:
I thought the authors analogy was very creative. I can see how balancing the needs of both sides could be very challenging.