Week 2, Thinking about 'standard' visuals

Hello All,
I hope Week 1 was easy on everyone. Generally, you can plan on new posts for the group in Sunday night, around this time. I promise, I won't be posting as much as last week ;-)

I would like to give everyone a round of applause for getting your details to me and getting set up in our numerous technology tools. I know it's a big 'upskilling' for many of you, but now you have all term to work out the kinks and explore. Remember, you can click on any Google Doc to request access, if I have not already given you permission to edit and view.

We have F2F this week, on Tuesday @11am in the CRC-Fishbowl. This is mandatory for all international students, and optional for everyone else. So we don't go too long with a chat, for those who cannot attend on Tuesday morning, I'll be offering an additional chat that evening (Tuesday, August 2nd @830pm). In both meetings we'll go over details about the course, as well as Assignment 1.

For this week, you should be working on:
1) Developing your blog (e.g. possibly experiment with adding a Feed, so I can follow you easier; adding permissions)
2) Responding to a minimum of 2 other students' blogs (see Activity 1)... Note - it's good online etiquette to respond to some of the comments you might receive on your blog
3) Working on Assignment 1.

Now, in regard to Assignment 1. I thought an interesting point in the Patti Maes video was the idea of 'standard gestures', such as taking a picture or enlarging a digital map. When did these become standard? How do we know if a gesture or image or idea has been standardized. For example, how do you ask the check or bill in a restaurant? Do you make a little check sign in the air or do you  scribble on your hand as though writing a bill? Check out this new technology based on standard gestures. If you have ever worked with flowcharts, you may know that there are standard symbols for certain processes.

Here are two links I put in the subject Diigo:

1) http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/10/post
2) http://www.feedthehead.net/

Both of these sources deal in symbols. The first is obviously quite explicit, while the second is less so. You'll probably find the first easy to interpret (possibly it will make you go into a fit of laughter, as I did). Consider, if you lived outside of the developed western world, would it be as easy? Would you recognize all the symbols and the cultural meaning loaded into each? Think about this in terms of Assignment 1. When we are not able to verbally explain what we mean, what can we use? Now, when/if you looked at the second link, what did you do? When you found the little hidden bits and bobs, what did you do? Did the choice of shapes and symbols cause you to make certain moves? Are these images as culturally loaded as the logos? Are they universal or at least closer?

What I am talking about is how you expect your user or viewer to interact with the object or tool you have created. Check out the following source (specifically the introduction) for an excellent description of the human-computer interaction:

Raskin, J. (2000). The humane interface: new directions for designing interactive systems: Addison-Wesley Professional.

We'll talk about interface in more detail, in a few weeks. Right now, start to consider the visual choices you make and what they mean to the user or simple viewer. What do your color choices mean, your use of symbols and placement of different elements.

Keep these things in mind as you move through the web, and you think about developing Assignment 1.

Have fun!
Sarah