Samanunga

On May 13 a very interesting symposium on co-creation, design ethnography, and contextmapping: designing for, with, and from user experiences was organized in Delft.

The symposium was a great success, among the visitors over 150 people from industry and over 200 from universities all over the Netherlands, and several foreign guests. Because of the large response, many had to be disappointed unfortunately.

For those interested in the presentations: the morning presentations by Liz Sanders, Jacob Buur, Froukje Sleeswijk Visser, and the 10 graduate designers have been put online on the collegerama website. Later this summer the proceedings of the day, including the findings of the afternoon tie-in workshops will become available.

presentations
symposium website

Colleagues in method research: Frank Long found that using persona’s is more effective than working without them, they help designers to maintain a user centered focus. Adding pictures results in an even stronger focus, because they resort stronger empathy than a description without pictures.

Interesting results!

full article @ frontend.com
Thanks to Arthur Clemens’ post @ visible area.com

There are still some usability and ethical issues: please wear this hat so we can read your mind; but the principle works. Brainscans to identify you.

original article @ the guardian

Now we’re talking UX-research. Children in “Voorburg” received an internet-only iPhone to test a mobile educational site. The site WRTS is designed to help learning words. The launched a mobile version of the site, which is now tested with the iPhone.

One glitch already frustrates the young users: the iPhone “corrects” the entries by capitalizing the first word – while the wrts ís case sensitive. Typing “free iPhone” results in submitting “Free iPhone”, which results in “WRONG – the correct answer is: free iPhone”!

ARGH!

Read the full article @ tweakers.net

Klokhuis picked up on designing with children. Any child that wants to ask a question to designers about design or construction works is welcome to ask a question to professors and other scientists and experts.

Interested? Take a look at the klokhuis website.

Any kid who’s ever been intrigued with Google’s playful holiday logo-decorating antics can now get in the act–with the potential for winning lots of loot for the best efforts.

read full article @ www.fastcompany.com

Research conducted at Harvard University shows that the dangers of internet for young children are highly overrated. Protectionists convey the message that as soon as a child gets online, it cannot escape a tsunami of pornesque pictures and proposals. However, the risk of being solicited through social sites does not differ much from the risk factor IRL, according the research.

In fact, the biggest threat for children is their own misbehaviour in online bullying.

original article @ new york times

Have you ever heard of the "cognitive load" of a city? It is not finding your way, not the city night life but just being there!
Architects and usability specialists have much in common, as they both design for users. The first for users of space, the latter for users of interactive products. The similarities are much closer than I thought, after reading this article
"How the city hurts your brain".

Scientific findings can be visually appealing. Probably you are familiar with the beauty of for example fractals. But what about design with nano-technology to create hairy nails. Tissue engineering brings beautifully grown steaks, or leather coats without spilling a drop of blood. Design for debate brings dolls forward with which we can explain modern practice in human fertilization like IVF. TED just released Paola Antonelli with her introduction into the state of the art in design by science of december 2007: “Design and the elastic mind”.

Watch the video at ted.com

How ‘s that?

People are at their most creative late at night with 10.04pm the most likely time for a eureka moment, research has shown. Brainwaves are least likely to strike in the afternoon, according to a survey that suggests office workers have little chance of solving problems after lunch. The least creative time in the day is 4.33pm, with 92 per cent of people admitting to feeling uninspired in the afternoon.

Read the full article in the daily telegraph.