Going around at MIT Media Lab

Presentation at TEI 10 at MIT

Here is the presentation in pdf :)

Conclusions on the User Experience

Light vocabulary tested on 20 users (from 21 to 72 years old), with different backgrounds. I conducted 10 of the 20 interviews during the TEI conference Demo session.

1. All the users understood:

• the concept of Main Device (with memory storage) and Peripheral device (without memory storage)
• the concept of Connection light (bottom light) and Control light (top light)
• the colour coding system to show the connection between a Main device and a Peripheral one
• the colour coding system to show the transfer direction
• the connection light behaviour

2. The transfer complete routine should be refined, now it is not clear enough: some users got confused.
3. A general overview is really important: after the user has seen the whole vocabulary he/she can guess the meaning of all the light behaviours (exclusion principle).
4. The error message is the most important feedback to design. It should be more detailed and specific: right now the user just understands that something really wrong happened.
5. All the users -but one- thought that the light behaviour was an handy and useful tool to show the devices’ activities. The light vocabulary is logic and consistent.

User experience on the new light vocabulary

Introduction on User Testing methodology: from a design perspective, when the user doesn’t understand something the process makes steps forward. Failure is part of the user experience and co-creation methods.

USER TEST/ MAIN DEVICE to MAIN DEVICE
In the near future most of the devices that are now connected by cables will be communicating wirelessly. It will be handy not to have so many cables around, but probably it will be much harder to understand if two devices are connected and, if they are talking, what they are talking about.
My research would like to understand if it is possible to replace the physical cable with a “metaphorical” cable made of light.

These two cubes represent two devices that communicate trough a wireless connection.
1. Please pick two examples between these possible devices

We have the Device Ma and the Device Mb, when you buy a device you will be able to set your product personal colour. In this case Device Ma is mine and it is pink, Device Mb is yours and it is blue. Setting the colour is extremely easy: it will be the same procedure as calling your USB stick “John”, or setting a new ring tone on your mobile phone.

A collection of light behaviours

Today every device has its own light vocabulary, it is hard to guess what it is saying.
A research on a “universal device language” based on light behaviours could show potentials and opportunities for undeveloped interaction tools.

This video is a quick overview on different light statuses that are already largely used in everyday devices. Some of them are pretty confusing, others are completely accepted in our culture.

TEI conference: 30 seconds of madness

Before each slot of the conference, each presenter will have 30 seconds to briefly introduce their later presentation.

“One of these two systems of light is supposed to convey some useful information, can you tell which one? Sadly enough it is the one on the right. Few people understand what their internet router is trying to say with its fascinating display of blinking lights.
If you attend my talk you will move a few steps closer towards understanding how to design a more meaningful and readable light vocabulary. Everyday we see a very successful example of how to communicate with light. I’m sure all of you have seen one of these.”

Light vocabularies in everyday devices

I am currently researching and collecting videos of devices with an interface strongly based on light. Some of them can effectively communicate with the users, some others are quite hard to guess. I’ll soon publish my video as a quick overview on different light vocabularies that are already around us everyday.

In the meantime: Playtime, Jacques Tati 1967

Flashing lights

Chu Yun
Constellation No 3. 2009

Venice Biennial, Arsenale

Chu Yun’s ongoing work Constellation consists of various household electrical appliancess divorced from their usual function and installed in a dark room. Their flashing indicator lights comprise a small universe.

Tangible Lightscapes is going to Boston!

My Explorations submission to TEI has been accepted, and has been allocated as a 15 minute time-slot + prototypes demo.

viva!

TEI conference

Material sent to the TEI (Tangible Embedded Interfaces) conference at MIT, in the exploration section: “Explorations at TEI are intended to introduce thought provoking, evocative, visually and sensually rich content created by a diverse and broad group of practitioners, researchers, artists, designers, inventors, students, and independents. Explorations invites a radical interdisciplinary approach in which tangible embedded interaction draws out the subtle aspects of physical experience.”

Project description: TEI2010

Trailer

Video