Reference Information
Title: HCI Remixed: Reflections on Works That Have Influenced the HCI Community
Editors: Thomas Erickson, David W. McDonald
Chapter 1: My Vision Isn't My Vision: Making a Career Out of Getting Back to Where I Started (6 Pages)
Summary
Summary
In this article, William Buxton discusses one of the first computer music systems. The system was quite ahead of its time and had a relatively large amount of different input mediums. He reveals that the real objective of the designers was to study HCI, not make music.
Discussion
Discussion
I found it odd that they created such a complex system to study HCI, but given Buxton's reasoning, I guess it made sense. The author gives very high praise for the work in saying, "any graphics or HCI student who has come out of the University of Toronto, this work is a significant part of their heritage--whether they know it or not."
Chapter 4: Drawing on SketchPad: Reflections on Computer Science and HCI (5 Pages)
Summary
Joseph Konstan argues that computer science and HCI are very much interwoven. He says that it is "critical to keep a presence of HCI within computer science--critical to both HCI and computer science." He uses SketchPad as his example in this piece. He is impressed by its ability to advance new algorithms and such as designers look to better create touch screen software.
Discussion
I like when he says, "how often are we handicapping ourselves by accepting whatever today's desktop computer has to offer?" The tablet PC has never really caught on, mostly because people don't want to use a desktop OS with a touchscreen. I feel like the introduction of the iPad, much like the iPhone, is going to open up a whole new product category and a very exciting time for consumer electronics.
Chapter 5: The Mouse, the Demo, and the Big Idea (5 Pages)
Summary
Wendy Ju discusses HCI's demo culture and the word that is so associated with it, "hype".She talks about the "Engelbart video", a video about the creation of the mouse. This demo became known as "The Mother of All Demos". She realizes that a great demonstration is "not hype, but proof."
Discussion
I like that the article discussed that while generating hype in a product is important, it actually has to do something. I see a lot of hyped up products fall by the waste-side because they only imitate other products with very little innovation of their own.
Chapter 18: Observing Collaboration: Group-Centered Design (7 Pages)
Summary
Saul Greenberg discusses the origin of Groupware and the limitations of online collaborative efforts. He demonstrates why a shared space online is not enough for good collaboration to occur. He goes on to talk about the efficacy of human type interactions (gesturing and writing) that are essential to the "experience".
Discussion
Chapter 4: Drawing on SketchPad: Reflections on Computer Science and HCI (5 Pages)
Summary
Joseph Konstan argues that computer science and HCI are very much interwoven. He says that it is "critical to keep a presence of HCI within computer science--critical to both HCI and computer science." He uses SketchPad as his example in this piece. He is impressed by its ability to advance new algorithms and such as designers look to better create touch screen software.
Discussion
I like when he says, "how often are we handicapping ourselves by accepting whatever today's desktop computer has to offer?" The tablet PC has never really caught on, mostly because people don't want to use a desktop OS with a touchscreen. I feel like the introduction of the iPad, much like the iPhone, is going to open up a whole new product category and a very exciting time for consumer electronics.
Chapter 5: The Mouse, the Demo, and the Big Idea (5 Pages)
Summary
Wendy Ju discusses HCI's demo culture and the word that is so associated with it, "hype".She talks about the "Engelbart video", a video about the creation of the mouse. This demo became known as "The Mother of All Demos". She realizes that a great demonstration is "not hype, but proof."
Discussion
I like that the article discussed that while generating hype in a product is important, it actually has to do something. I see a lot of hyped up products fall by the waste-side because they only imitate other products with very little innovation of their own.
Chapter 18: Observing Collaboration: Group-Centered Design (7 Pages)
Summary
Saul Greenberg discusses the origin of Groupware and the limitations of online collaborative efforts. He demonstrates why a shared space online is not enough for good collaboration to occur. He goes on to talk about the efficacy of human type interactions (gesturing and writing) that are essential to the "experience".
Discussion
This paper was interesting because I have experienced these sort of limitations firsthand. It also might be able to explain why people "meet to decide when next to meet".
Chapter 20: Taking Articulation Work Seriously (5 Pages)
Summary
Geraldine Fitzpatrick talks about the field of CSCW, computer-supported cooperative work. He stresses the importance of "articulation work". Articulation work mediates and manages everyone's activities. For example, it could be important in "allocating tasks, distributing resources, scheduling activities and so on."
Discussion
I found this paper to be very confusing at times. There were so many quoted and italicized words that I was beginning not know what the author was talking about.
Chapter 23: Video, Toys, and Beyond Being There (6 Pages)
Summary
Brian Smith talks about the differences between "being there" and "beyond being there". "Being there" is essentially communication between people who aren't in close proximity but is good enough. The example he uses is communication between a grandmother in chemotherapy talking to her granddaughter over a computer screen. "Beyond being there" essentially takes face to face communication to another level; technology aids the communication, not hampers it.
Discussion
He had a fantastic analogy: a shoe is something that you don't necessarily need, but you would not prefer to go without it when possible. I imagine that it would be quite difficult as an HCI researcher to develop "beyond being there" type communications. The article talks about creating "emotional experiences" as part of key design nowadays. I see that in devices such as the iPhone. I feel like Apple really sells an experience, not just a product.
I was recently watching Mad Men, a show about advertising executives in the 1960's and this bit about an "emotional experience came up". The agency had to make an ad for a Kodak slide projector. Kodak wanted words like "research and development" and such but Sterling Cooper went a completely different direction; they focused on the memories that the machine would conjure. Nostalgia is far more powerful than fancy words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suRDUFpsHus
Chapter 20: Taking Articulation Work Seriously (5 Pages)
Summary
Geraldine Fitzpatrick talks about the field of CSCW, computer-supported cooperative work. He stresses the importance of "articulation work". Articulation work mediates and manages everyone's activities. For example, it could be important in "allocating tasks, distributing resources, scheduling activities and so on."
Discussion
I found this paper to be very confusing at times. There were so many quoted and italicized words that I was beginning not know what the author was talking about.
Chapter 23: Video, Toys, and Beyond Being There (6 Pages)
Summary
Brian Smith talks about the differences between "being there" and "beyond being there". "Being there" is essentially communication between people who aren't in close proximity but is good enough. The example he uses is communication between a grandmother in chemotherapy talking to her granddaughter over a computer screen. "Beyond being there" essentially takes face to face communication to another level; technology aids the communication, not hampers it.
Discussion
He had a fantastic analogy: a shoe is something that you don't necessarily need, but you would not prefer to go without it when possible. I imagine that it would be quite difficult as an HCI researcher to develop "beyond being there" type communications. The article talks about creating "emotional experiences" as part of key design nowadays. I see that in devices such as the iPhone. I feel like Apple really sells an experience, not just a product.
I was recently watching Mad Men, a show about advertising executives in the 1960's and this bit about an "emotional experience came up". The agency had to make an ad for a Kodak slide projector. Kodak wanted words like "research and development" and such but Sterling Cooper went a completely different direction; they focused on the memories that the machine would conjure. Nostalgia is far more powerful than fancy words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suRDUFpsHus
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