October 22, 2020

Next steps in Human-Computer Interaction

“We cannot achieve what we cannot imagine.”

One of the things that struck me about this paper was the tentativeness of the authors to define what the protopian version of these technologies might be. I am grateful that they acknowledge challenges of the current cultural and social issues that surround the development of these technologies, but I often find myself wondering "okay we know its bad now... how do we build the bridge to where we want to be."

The people conducting and researching the tools and technologies they talk about, could also share insight into their hopes for the field. In this way, they could define the space, "north stars," to guide these technologies and the people that create them in more protopian directions.

Published by rachelarre in Reflection
Tags: HyperSense, Reading, Reflection

October 20, 2020

Designing the Behavior of Interactive Objects

Any interaction is imbued with personality. We apply anthropomorphic qualities to objects in our everyday life whether that's calling malfunctioning machines names or applying gender characteristics to everyday objects. What the focus of this paper is researching whether these type of interactions can be created and studied.

It's interesting that they choose this area to focus on for their research since while common, I think most people just want a sofa to be a sofa. While users did start to form expectations of the sofa's, I feel that the novelty of these interactions would fade quickly over time.

Published by rachelarre in Reflection
Tags: HyperSense, Reading, Reflection

September 25, 2020

Exploring the Reflective Potentialities of Personal Data with Different Temporal Modalities

"Personal listening histories lack the material presence that might enable people to casually engage with them in daily life."

The human brain does not construct memory and remembrance linearly or sequentially. Everything is a metaphor connected to another metaphor. Any memory is an intangible experience. Something you can't put your finger on, existing undefined at the edges of your consciousness. The more you try and define it the more you destroy it, layering over current experiences, until all thats left is the memory of the memory. This has been explored at depth in literature, cognitive psychology, philosophy, pop culture, and various other mediums.

And now this radio.

"...to catalyze a range of experiences that can evolve as one develops a sensibility."

What appeals to me about this radio is that it's almost as if you are putting a knob on your memory. Exploring time both linearly but also "perpendicularly" across time periods. This isn't a way of thinking that is natural (sample size: me). Plotting connections between time and memory in a way that forms new associations and remembrances. Memories that don't rewrite but strengthen the power of the connection between your felt experience in the present and your memory of the past.

Of course, I am basing this off a few quotes by a small, niche study size, but I find myself wanting this radio nonetheless.

Published by rachelarre in Reflection
Tags: HCI, HyperSense, Reading, Reflection

September 25, 2020

Being outside the dominion of Time

Temporality is perhaps the most fundamental constituent of human cognition. Thus, any modification in temporality is of significant cognitive import, empirical as well as theoretical.

It is an unseen sense that undercuts all that we experience but it is never the same for anyone. 7.5 Billion lives. 7.5 Billion times.

When you are young, time is longer because your scale is shorter. You can reinvent yourself over and over because time is endless. This endless time extends forever but only in one direction. There is no space for the circular, time travel of nostalgia.

All experience is an exploration of the unknown. But as you gather more years, the years become shorter and your empirical perception of them shorter. You construct and live in your known world. Your scale shifts with each day that passes but you can go back in time, and forward in time. You have a model of what was once and what can be always present within.

Being-outside-the-dominion-of-time-Shanon PDF
Published by rachelarre in Reflection
Tags: Reading, Reflection, Senses

September 7, 2020

Using the Analysis-Synthesis Bridge Model

“… It enables designers to develop larger and more complex systems and make the process of working with larger more complex…”

If the core of the model is Abstract / Thematic | Real/ Concrete and Analysis / Research | Synthesis / Prototyping, you could frame any problem or method in this context. You could place any decision from thought to production in this format. I.e, I am thinking about making Mac and Cheese — Looking for a recipe, considering my previous preferences, understanding new things I might wanna try, blending the two to make my final decision that is enacted in the real world.

This is still at the core an abstract mental model, and not a defined process in the real world. But at the least it helps generate a path that you can then construct more defined processes along.

Download Analysis-Synthesis Bridge PDF

Published by rachelarre in Reflection
Tags: Reading, Reflection

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