Cultivating the creative juices

Posted by Doug on Nov 9, 2009 in Thoughts | 2 comments

There is no doubt that the key element to a successful interactive endeavor is creativity. Without a creative spark, your presentation will fall flat on its face. As this video shows, cultivating creativity is a slow and arduous process that can sometimes take years but when done right, Voila!

What do you do to trigger your creative energy? I like to ask myself creative questions that are visually stimulating such as, ‘what would a chair look like if your knees bent the other way?’ Where do your best ideas come from?

The Worst Interactive Design in the World

Posted by Doug on Oct 10, 2009 in Thoughts | 1 comment

…is right in front of your face when you wake up. That’s right. A digital alarm clock. Have you ever noticed how complicated it is to set the time, set one of multiple wake-up times, set a snooze time, set the alarm, stop the alarm, switch between music and buzz and even find a radio station are? This is a great example of how progress has taken us one giant leap backwards. Features trump functionality.We designed something that by definition requires interactivity on a regular basis but completely lost track of usability.

Remember back when an alarm click did one thing. It woke you up. Period. Then we discovered that it was more pleasing to wake to music. But the music has to fade in so as not to jar us from our beauty sleep. And AM is too scratchy so we need FM to find that soothing classical station. Then we need two separate alarms, one for weekdays and one for weekends. But then, since we don’t need to set the time that often, let’s make setting the time of day obscure and difficult so that dolts won’t accidentally set the time instead of the wake time. And the only button big enough to locate in a sleepy stupor is the snooze button which works twice, then fails without warning.

I want three controls and three controls only:

1. Set the time of day
2. Set the time I want to wake up
3. Toggle the alarm on and of

And if it’s not too much to ask I’d like a big digital display so I can see it while my eyes are still blurry to ensure that I didn’t screw up one of those three controls and that it is indeed time to get up. Is that too much to ask?.

Sometimes Interactive Isn’t

Posted by Doug on Sep 24, 2009 in Thoughts | 0 comments

One of my biggest frustrations in constantly having to explain the word ‘interactive’ to business associates and customers. It seems that when a word gets hot in marketing, everyone uses and abuses it until the meaning becomes blurred. So let’s start at the beginning. Webster’s defines ‘interactive’ as follows:

Main Entry: in·ter·ac·tive
Pronunciation: \-ˈak-tiv\

1 : mutually or reciprocally active

2 : involving the actions or input of a user; especially : of, relating to, or being a two-way electronic communication system (as a telephone, cable television or a computer) that involves a user’s orders (as for information or merchandise) or responses (as to a poll)

Personally, I prefer the first definition. I believe that interactive require a two-way exchange. The second definition is the one that gets abused by the computer industry most often. Adding a poll to a video conference does not make it ‘interactive’ in my book.The audience does not affect the program in any way. Polls are most often used as a gimmick by the presenter to ensure that the audience on the other end of the phone hasn’t fallen asleep.

But what difference does it make you may ask? Well, frankly, none unless you are trying to differentiate your product or service. For example, a system such as PresenterNet that allows the audience AND presenter to participate in the Webinar is truly interactive. The presenter provides interactive options  that are physically connected and simultaneous with the information being displayed, thus generating the ‘interactivity-at-point-of-business’ effect.

A new Interactive Museum has opened in New York highlighting 80 of the coolest ‘interactive’ gadgets of the past century. Now, granted, these gadgets are ‘way-cool’ to us gadget freaks, but the ability to turn something on with fewer buttons or adding video to a telephone doesn’t make it more interactive. Really cool items, bad word used to describe them. But if you are in New York, you might want to stop by and have a look anyway.

The Most Honest Interactive Response is Anonymous

Posted by Doug on Sep 15, 2009 in Thoughts | 1 comment

When building an online presentation that is stand-alone, it is tempting to try to get the user’s vital information (name, email address, phone number) up front. This comes from an old marketing tactic of ‘building your list’ so that ‘no lead is left behind.’ But this really is not an effective tactic. Most people will put in false information just to see what you are really offering.

The point of interactivity-at-point-of-business is to capture input from a user at the moment of maximum emotional involvement. To gain maximum value from this interaction you need the response to be honest and true. Studies show that you have the best chance of getting this honest input if the user thinks he is anonymous. There is no reason for him lie!

Think of it this way. Imagine that you are starting a presentation such as the one below. The early questions seems innocuous and non-threatening. But what if the presentation had asked you to provide your name and email on the first slide? Or even as a preface for the privilege of watching the presentation? You would most likely enter false information until you know what is coming next — even if you are an otherwise good prospect.

Answer this honestly – Have you ever lied on a contact request for when being prompted for your name or contact information at the beginning of the process? I’d wager 90% of you would say yes. Would you lie if prompted for name and email at the end? The answer in most cases is NEVER. If you truly aren’t interested at the end you would just ignore the prompt and move on.

And that’s just fine. The only truly qualified lead is one who actually understands your offer and requests a follow up. Why would you want to waste your time with anyone else?

In the Blink of an Eye

Posted by Doug on Sep 8, 2009 in Thoughts | 6 comments

There has been a lot of discussion about new hyper-productive input devices since Tom Cruise wowed us all in ‘Minority Report’ in 2002 and since the unveiling of the iPod and ‘finger gestures.’ We now have display platforms from Microsoft and others that work with gestures and various ‘hand waving’ motions. But are they really that efficient?

Seems like a lot of work. The special effects in the movies make it appear to be easy and fun. MSNBC and other news channels use the new Microsoft display to move things around for news and it is impressive stuff. But what about actual information design? Seems that what they have done is allow you to use your hand instead of a mouse. That’s great, but not enough.

What we don’t see yet is true innovation in UI design. The graphics tablet made it easier for artists to input directly into a computer in a ‘art like’ way. But what about those of us who are artistically challenged? How can the common person be more productive with a man-machine interface.

When I want information from the internet or from my computer in general, I want it now. It goes back to an old adage I coined circa 1985 – ‘you can tell you really are in the information age when nothing but instantaneous response is acceptable.’ This means getting what you want in the blink of an eye. Instant gratification – is it too much to expect? Of course, hardware and software are key components in the performance game. But we have come a long way since 1985 and I am ready for the revolution!

They key to a successful input device is the ability of a human to control it accurately, quickly and intuitively. Awkward motions (golf swing) may yield success to some but simple motions (kicking a soccer ball) yield results for many more. Too many new products are over complicated. I don’t want a four-button mouse. I want to blink my eyes and have the computer know what I need. Is that too much to ask?

Here is a test I’d like you to participate in. Sit in front of your computer and start performing your regular duties. It doesn’t matter whether it is writing a blog, or playing a game or doing your work. Take a minute and think about what would make your life easier. Don’t put any physical limitations on your wants. Just dream. Then tell us here in comments. Maybe your idea will change the world.