tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58416102258652745852024-03-17T23:04:54.531-07:00Value through designA collection of assorted footsteps from the journey in designing an interface for a new mobile operating system. How to create value through design in places others cannot. How to focus on your own design game and avoid competing head-on. How to create emotional responses through engaging design to stay afloat in the ruthless hardware centered mobile landscape.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-63494341247599605662015-10-07T10:56:00.002-07:002016-02-17T00:39:52.704-08:00Do you like it? Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNr43bywHsXVWLeXr-DybsXjEqZHlURf853sSayu-8fUkC2NHJ3IOQuNtmtJjG28YtsCBoK14K79EU4QAjrElO6N_WZC5T3btj_ZuvJ6V7xPSJ12HF6RIw8G79MBWY8tKJtcga-Lremc/s1600/like3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNr43bywHsXVWLeXr-DybsXjEqZHlURf853sSayu-8fUkC2NHJ3IOQuNtmtJjG28YtsCBoK14K79EU4QAjrElO6N_WZC5T3btj_ZuvJ6V7xPSJ12HF6RIw8G79MBWY8tKJtcga-Lremc/s400/like3.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
After reading posts <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2015/10/do-you-like-it-part-1.html" target="_blank">one</a> and <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2015/10/do-you-like-it-part-2.html" target="_blank">two</a>, you already know that short term feedback easily discourages change. It's very unforgiving to anything that's different in general. But - the longer you've been working on your new product concept, the more you actually need short term feedback to move forward.<br />
<br />
When you choose to expose people to your mind-bending innovation for the first time, you're obviously interested in problems they face. Those reasons are the real roadblocks between you and a succesfull consumer product - <b>not the fact that it's different</b>. The reason these roadblocks are hard to spot by designers and engineers building the product, is because the first impression is hard to simulate.<br />
<br />
The work that has gone into your product, is founded on top of technologies, conventions and patterns introduced by products that came before it. <b>This means that your user interface will send messages that work against your new ideas</b>. Those messages are causing test subject's brain to spit out incorrect suggestions how to interact with it, making the product appear 'unintuitive'. The point of these quick feedback sessions is to identify and fix those characteristics sending bad signals, not to validate the design itself. The long term feedback is used for that.<br />
<br />
Simply kicking out unwanted messages saves a boatload of time and money, because you're <b>not </b>adjusting the product concept to match those unwanted messages (that weren't supposed to be there in the first place). This protects the core breakthroughs and principles that originally encouraged people to turn it into reality, as well as invited others to buy it. Without the need to do large architectural changes, more effort can be invested to stability and feature completeness. Everyone wins.<br />
<br />
Building products with entirely new qualities, that bring real value to end users (and force the competition to do the same), requires a lot of cage rattling. Great products will not happen on their own. <b>It requires a lot of passion, courage and determination to help people transcend their previous experiences</b>. You're building them a friendly and motivating passage through the fear of change.<br />
<br />
And when you take people to places they didn't know existed, their emotional response to that will be beyond 'liking'.<br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-24717425309069246082015-10-03T08:49:00.000-07:002015-10-03T08:49:03.296-07:00Do you like it? Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_YIwB1aorB3C3ouzfSH3UWUWqo7pgsOb5nDw4HfYlH0O4k3233QWjTT63BNbbBEv2c6DOZuM7YQDW5v4Wa7THajy0_W1kPdAUxIE4dC1qDf1yRSJfw0jM9pHNwv7oDvDz1bahnw6hVc/s1600/like2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_YIwB1aorB3C3ouzfSH3UWUWqo7pgsOb5nDw4HfYlH0O4k3233QWjTT63BNbbBEv2c6DOZuM7YQDW5v4Wa7THajy0_W1kPdAUxIE4dC1qDf1yRSJfw0jM9pHNwv7oDvDz1bahnw6hVc/s400/like2.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2015/10/do-you-like-it-part-1.html" target="_blank">previous part</a> introduced the problem of asking around for quick 'likes'. This post dives deeper into what makes the short term feedback so dangerous for<b> new product development </b>process.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The biggest challenge with short term feedback is <b>how it forms</b>. When people see or
experience something for the first time (like your groundbreaking new product
in this case), their brain is unconsciously trying to match that with any prior experience.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Time for a painfully accurate comparison: the human brain is like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_Assistant" target="_blank">Microsoft's Office Assistant</a>. It will <b>suggest </b>you things based on the information <b>available </b>to it. Irrelevant information will return irrelevant suggestion </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Short test situations will give you plenty of data about dominant products that have been succesfully launched, <b>but absolutely nothing to complete something that hasn't existed before</b>.
End users don't have the same vision that you have, nor have they used the product long enough for that vision to materialize.</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Because people can't predict the future for you, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">they will be more than</span> <b><span style="background-color: red;"> <span style="color: white;">happy </span></span><span style="background-color: orange;"><span style="color: white;"> to </span></span></b><span style="background-color: red;"><b><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: white;"> </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">tell </span></span><span style="background-color: lime;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d;">you </span></span><span style="background-color: cyan;"><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span><span style="color: #45818e;">about </span></span><span style="background-color: blue;"><span style="color: #45818e;"> </span><span style="color: white;">their </span></span><span style="background-color: purple;"><span style="color: white;"> color </span></span><span style="background-color: magenta;"> </span><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: magenta;">preferences </span></span></b></span>. Or about their hobbies, funny relatives and cute pets. You will hear why they like a certain font or type of food. Anything that comes to mind, really. Obviously, it's not their fault but <b>yours</b>. You're expecting answers they don't have; for problems they don't know. You might as well be interviewing lobsters. Or Clippy.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">More tragically, <b>you've just offloaded part of your product development responsibilities onto people paying your salary. </b>Bravo, such a genious plan to escape later responsibility if things go sideways.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If you
<b>still </b>think that one hour casual chat sessions with test subjects is all that it takes to validate new ideas and concepts, you leave me no other choice but to question your ability to read. Because this topic is not <b>that </b>hard to comprehend.</span></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Everyone remotely familiar with studying user behavior are probably furious by now, and wish to point out that short term feedback <b>can </b>give useful insight, if you know how. That's why I saved it for the final part (when I get around to write it).</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-40478362218622111142015-10-02T01:33:00.002-07:002015-10-03T13:52:44.771-07:00Do you like it? Part 1<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQN5D59DHd-ZNr5KvnhNQRmKxEhNW-Z2mAjCOX50oAmxAD6dZeELhqpc8Lre2-JJnScQFyPIXvfZysjz-LfweDsQ8ADLxkqWOLmLtzUaDIzYgaDeLTTJ0C8buUxrs2g-1C4o1KK-TbQUU/s1600/like1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQN5D59DHd-ZNr5KvnhNQRmKxEhNW-Z2mAjCOX50oAmxAD6dZeELhqpc8Lre2-JJnScQFyPIXvfZysjz-LfweDsQ8ADLxkqWOLmLtzUaDIzYgaDeLTTJ0C8buUxrs2g-1C4o1KK-TbQUU/s400/like1.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It's a well known wisdom,
that asking early whether people like the groundbreaking product you're
working on or not, has a <b>tremendous potential</b>.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Potential to
<b>destroy that said product, damage your brand, or even kill off
your company</b>; depending of its size.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Did that get your attention?</span></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Good,
because it should. <b>The critical feedback in building new products (vs. copied), is the
long term one</b>. As the name implies, it takes longer to form compared to the short term one. People have to use your product for months instead of hours. There's no shortcuts, no silver bullets. </span></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Quickly dashing around for likes, opinions, ideas and suggestions is an open invitation for a disaster. <b>You're only chasing popularity and trends</b>. Meanwhile, important
values and product opportunities are drifting away - never to be seen or achieved again. It's a great way to inflict potentially irreversible damage to everyone in the value chain.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Alright, let's give that some time to sink in.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In the <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2015/10/do-you-like-it-part-2.html" target="_blank">next part</a>, I'll explain why short term feedback sucks.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span> </span></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>FI</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style>
<![endif]-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-15795439064954172882015-07-31T13:02:00.000-07:002015-07-31T13:02:05.207-07:00Man and its computer, part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkJXLr8JQ18slW-oOXHuoyu0RFSewkNmnlZ5oZr_1GjKCALfi-_syjl56JKP6K6Bg90OHqYzRjedhJ4DQDjAnu32gmict2kBo2RjrXcAhhEQR_9wybkYJ93sTVE1NCmahQxbF62q_e48/s1600/interfaces-in-common.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkJXLr8JQ18slW-oOXHuoyu0RFSewkNmnlZ5oZr_1GjKCALfi-_syjl56JKP6K6Bg90OHqYzRjedhJ4DQDjAnu32gmict2kBo2RjrXcAhhEQR_9wybkYJ93sTVE1NCmahQxbF62q_e48/s400/interfaces-in-common.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlGjt3LtRScoxB6x3AdmfD63xwKQKyq_fnTkf-oyup-qtOM4gJArGVPfnvJPiYh0_PEPifVfad47cTzEQDbYfiHAOh3H1x0E2YLpuSxCDSReSqf6Lj_5fZv3qkEhE6RJTAVC89nJe6NU/s1600/interfaces-in-common.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
In <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2015/07/man-and-its-computer-part-1.html" target="_blank">part 1</a>, I shared my conclusions about how similar today's computers are. They all run <b>different applications</b>, ranging from entertainment to productivity, from simple to complex. This post will compare in closer detail how graphical user interfaces (GUIs) of said computers help people to get the best out of their investment in these devices.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Desktop and laptop computers</span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWhhcekd1Ci-Bin84-d3M7Sv4EqlFyrKdRbIwCDBauSXqWdqYd_y1HzlxwVxmq7msAM8Y8bY13D_RuWviYEtDIFdtmcA9i9Qdpe1WqiWz-8Wx-5YMhIdGbSRn2K5Zk70mSjS1VRmu5uA/s1600/desktop-laptop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWhhcekd1Ci-Bin84-d3M7Sv4EqlFyrKdRbIwCDBauSXqWdqYd_y1HzlxwVxmq7msAM8Y8bY13D_RuWviYEtDIFdtmcA9i9Qdpe1WqiWz-8Wx-5YMhIdGbSRn2K5Zk70mSjS1VRmu5uA/s400/desktop-laptop.png" width="400" /></a></h3>
When you use one for the first time, you see en
empty desktop. The apps that you bought the computer for, are hidden
somewhere else. A few app shortcuts might be visible by default, and the rest are
tucked away below multiple steps for user to configure and manage.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqyZeIqub54okgGAs88GHPY8BuGyxf9ldy0iQ5BHvU_6wDqLHh2IT-1vHkLwiHDxrzy1iKGLIaPq8WUJLvI4Szl_z5cFxpXkCjZurDMqN-JIwennTZlNXB4VnP4pf1xRqUmSzyu1hR2c/s1600/desktop-os-sidebyside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqyZeIqub54okgGAs88GHPY8BuGyxf9ldy0iQ5BHvU_6wDqLHh2IT-1vHkLwiHDxrzy1iKGLIaPq8WUJLvI4Szl_z5cFxpXkCjZurDMqN-JIwennTZlNXB4VnP4pf1xRqUmSzyu1hR2c/s320/desktop-os-sidebyside.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Indication of an application that has been sent to background, ranges from subtle to quesswork. The desktop wallpaper, as seen in examples 1, 2 and 3, has clearly the biggest emphasis. It's however not exactly why these computers exists.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;">Phone and tablet computers </span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6QjrnMXL8kogTBAw6VZB4iKdw5R640HFRRkDwPkIJ7edh0uU_TfAzJnqI5InDMiIg5jbI8LspNL6NyKYzzksrV5kVvNfCres6iGkJitZI2KPF5JS7XJue1KBcIQbd1T967KP7efklgg/s1600/tablet-phones.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6QjrnMXL8kogTBAw6VZB4iKdw5R640HFRRkDwPkIJ7edh0uU_TfAzJnqI5InDMiIg5jbI8LspNL6NyKYzzksrV5kVvNfCres6iGkJitZI2KPF5JS7XJue1KBcIQbd1T967KP7efklgg/s400/tablet-phones.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Upon starting one of these devices, user sees that applications are also divided between multiple locations, with iOS being the only exception here (example 1). It shows everything on a single location. Android (2) has multiple home screens,
with all but few installed apps hidden in yet another place. Windows phone (3) is a mixture, while Ubuntu Phone (4) has much bigger plans than apps.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8U3pzkj-mqWcgmribkb-SikibWhXyGiM8OI6xW7imoLAvEniLezf7j1bULkXBcl_J9cj4MRaIA0Njt50quhi2QaSAYD5KlFU_6_rxZ79sL79DBHkxZDoQlg2FtqI1Zyhwf7nAYQlV1o8/s1600/phone-os-sidebyside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8U3pzkj-mqWcgmribkb-SikibWhXyGiM8OI6xW7imoLAvEniLezf7j1bULkXBcl_J9cj4MRaIA0Njt50quhi2QaSAYD5KlFU_6_rxZ79sL79DBHkxZDoQlg2FtqI1Zyhwf7nAYQlV1o8/s400/phone-os-sidebyside.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
For an unknown reason, all
applications that have been started, are demoted and hidden to a task switcher view. <b>A design that looks and works like an afterthought</b>. Windowed apps are
slowly starting to appear, but still feel clunky and bolted-on solutions. The experience doesn't change when the device is connected to a larger screen. Only WP and Ubuntu phone are pursuing scenarios beyond the traditional
desktop and mobile divide. Kudos for both for focusing on the future.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Console computers</span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv34vkZjSPU31DfcuN9XEmEWzbyA7VaEc7pS_wFS1aSWgpkfwl4sfasp9RxEamnFYp5v_o7tkqyJZPOr-elTEGoHXpX6dfUzbx1_9eOrrSkzNGdVFO-5kRfYCGIU03ZjwLAq4nFYdd7Q/s1600/tv-gaming.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv34vkZjSPU31DfcuN9XEmEWzbyA7VaEc7pS_wFS1aSWgpkfwl4sfasp9RxEamnFYp5v_o7tkqyJZPOr-elTEGoHXpX6dfUzbx1_9eOrrSkzNGdVFO-5kRfYCGIU03ZjwLAq4nFYdd7Q/s400/tv-gaming.png" width="400" /></a></div>
The same pattern is sadly repeated. The software that user benefits from, is divided and scattered around
the main user interface. The current game/app is prominently shown, but when it
comes to seeing what else is installed, or running
in the background for that matter, it's not what these interfaces are intended for. And consoles are usually connected to over 40" screens, so it's not that they wouldn't have space to put it in.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVllYX-Uux95lag73R5lBK7WAczr_8wSLBJ6L-bDaQ7y6Rx3dO2OIoAE8mnyG41xbB74A1VeTkpgOYDY2klA5mBMn4ysWxyNVZCM9toUPWzj3e4ugAUBARhinRl66MhlxPolEVFfsSCQ/s1600/console-os-sidebyside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVllYX-Uux95lag73R5lBK7WAczr_8wSLBJ6L-bDaQ7y6Rx3dO2OIoAE8mnyG41xbB74A1VeTkpgOYDY2klA5mBMn4ysWxyNVZCM9toUPWzj3e4ugAUBARhinRl66MhlxPolEVFfsSCQ/s400/console-os-sidebyside.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
There's no support for multiple screens, and these computers are sometimes even more limited than mobile ones, due to shortcomings of gamepad input. Xbox OS has an edge over its competition in doing several things at the same time by allowing windowed operation of some of its core features, without breaking the context user was in.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">The verdict</span></h3>
Even though all computers and their operating systems are near identical in terms of what they do; companies developing them have chosen very different graphical user interfaces for them to do it. It means, that:<br />
<ul>
<li>users have to memorize different interface conventions between different computers</li>
<li>multiple OS'es (or variants of them) are needed to support different devices</li>
<li>only big companies have resources to develop multiple products from different categories</li>
<li>massive overlap in required effort when developing software for multiple devices and/or operating systems</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<br />
Back in the days, with just few computers around, there was no need for a common approach to GUIs. Instead, there was plenty of time, ignorance, workforce and money. As a result, we have several user interface paradigms, that all fail with various degrees. The shared mistake is <b>focusing on building physical products with 'art directed' interfaces</b>. A direction based on a personal perception how a particular device should be used, easily masks any digital similarities underneath the glamorous surface, abstracting important qualities all operating systems commonly share.<br />
<br />
To sum it up.. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4fxjnJcvUVoOBAnoetbNDB7a2v0pr8EhReOyxuoFUIjyWVp-BVrJj7T7pJlZH0jtaonLS07GvEPx3AbQ5AXXQgQgM9ijur5A4o3L7yZ-z-T9RUn2VWMmIi9VWn30NiG79eyVg67xlPQ/s1600/nothing-in-common.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4fxjnJcvUVoOBAnoetbNDB7a2v0pr8EhReOyxuoFUIjyWVp-BVrJj7T7pJlZH0jtaonLS07GvEPx3AbQ5AXXQgQgM9ijur5A4o3L7yZ-z-T9RUn2VWMmIi9VWn30NiG79eyVg67xlPQ/s400/nothing-in-common.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Every 'signature charasteristics' that desktop, mobile and other interface paradigms have managed to pile up over these years, are merely <b>distractions</b>. They occupy minds of designers, developers and and end users alike. Our digital world is a hot mess - partly because of our obsession over the current categorization of computer GUIs and OS'es.<br />
<br />
If something is certain, it's that <b>software has never needed such arbitrary categorization</b> - and neither do people using them. Future user interfaces will leverage different screen sizes and input types when they become available; instead stubbornly serving a single form factor, like they do today.<br />
<br />
How can we help people to see beyond their lust for yesterday? How can future user interfaces better focus on increasing our human potential, if our preferences and behavior explicitly tells them otherwise?<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-75615300077616846182015-07-10T07:11:00.002-07:002015-07-31T13:02:44.381-07:00Man and its computer, part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0V6NU_XJACLsp0tvFU_QCl0SN92Bk8EQm4gyPIk_oMdWY0MSVsXHixnHx8LO3aLvRt-IuVrsAIh4lK5I4yJkX4EXWSWf2WVTiKuHyz_1R7p3jORPd1Rw4IB-42tuFkgD3mXqUUtBbfYA/s1600/what-in-common.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0V6NU_XJACLsp0tvFU_QCl0SN92Bk8EQm4gyPIk_oMdWY0MSVsXHixnHx8LO3aLvRt-IuVrsAIh4lK5I4yJkX4EXWSWf2WVTiKuHyz_1R7p3jORPd1Rw4IB-42tuFkgD3mXqUUtBbfYA/s400/what-in-common.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our world is loaded with different computers that we use for a variety
of things, ranging
from good to bad, from luxury to necessity. And at their very nature,
they're essentially the same. This and the following post emphasizes
how similar they are (post 1), and how different user interface designs they
ended up with (post 2).</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTt0SsGcit5wZjmAD5Ib335dEyoYwoPmCz6zUnKlwbpwEx8LPdnfqqHmcWOOvtmdsXMSnV756yM7ZrVCZsbo5pfSfVKNDtXSXqQjhK5jcmIME4-lHOVpisyY-dyC2_XvMTlqZKj4hUbI/s1600/run-apps.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTt0SsGcit5wZjmAD5Ib335dEyoYwoPmCz6zUnKlwbpwEx8LPdnfqqHmcWOOvtmdsXMSnV756yM7ZrVCZsbo5pfSfVKNDtXSXqQjhK5jcmIME4-lHOVpisyY-dyC2_XvMTlqZKj4hUbI/s400/run-apps.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Most importantly, it doesn't matter what computer we're talking about. Value is always generated through some type of application. Gaming, content creation & consumption, communication, and many other domains depend on using applications. Web browsers are eating away that pie all the time, but they as well are applications. Just hugely complex ones.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOzFlEqU5XQjJSDmse-AIPlmYZfBjV1wuFGzWhdicEAYp45NraWjjlm0fO6n3GTjnwpGRa0U0yxU2ZUaRpFY6wYt2Q_lLoYAHN8WWxIVDi5kFOrrLIAG3hd7iMFCkaeglZ3z6fAXdVtA/s1600/many-inputs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOzFlEqU5XQjJSDmse-AIPlmYZfBjV1wuFGzWhdicEAYp45NraWjjlm0fO6n3GTjnwpGRa0U0yxU2ZUaRpFY6wYt2Q_lLoYAHN8WWxIVDi5kFOrrLIAG3hd7iMFCkaeglZ3z6fAXdVtA/s400/many-inputs.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Depending of what we're doing with a computer, and where that happens, we use different input devices to help us. Keyboards, mice, trackpads, styli, cameras, game controllers and microphones, just to name a few. The line between computer specific input devices is blurring, as devices increasingly support a wider range of peripherals.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQ6s9Tyt1PVn8_NGUHK5IgsSSYVaDEO0UUd080tRWOhvRmAqmgJHpQGXYLSDK4IbLzPyUNlB-f4zSGYHc4vlQhakV5bltcKLgKtYjOdOlOG2HUV5oqT_zF4_noxUjNv7ZwzrCJtQPTo8/s1600/screens-sizes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQ6s9Tyt1PVn8_NGUHK5IgsSSYVaDEO0UUd080tRWOhvRmAqmgJHpQGXYLSDK4IbLzPyUNlB-f4zSGYHc4vlQhakV5bltcKLgKtYjOdOlOG2HUV5oqT_zF4_noxUjNv7ZwzrCJtQPTo8/s400/screens-sizes.png" width="400" /></a></div>
A displays is the dominant output device when it comes to computing. With a larger screen, you can see more without scrolling. Smaller screens are more portable, but the screen content needs to be scaled and restructured to make up for the reduced screen area. The more different display sizes a computer can support, the less limiting it is for the user.<br />
<br />
To sum it up.. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK4vMXDXMgLWb5H0wUDRwXSjuhyphenhyphenpNh1ul8bnFV_7Y1dUWRR197O2bvAH41z6YbfCjC3FWjiVCbR17VV-p2pHpAmSXEkLw1IgfsS7wHG_9eYIYkfHAHIR59Ao4LmncHour4LEZt6vuWZQ/s1600/lot-in-common.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK4vMXDXMgLWb5H0wUDRwXSjuhyphenhyphenpNh1ul8bnFV_7Y1dUWRR197O2bvAH41z6YbfCjC3FWjiVCbR17VV-p2pHpAmSXEkLw1IgfsS7wHG_9eYIYkfHAHIR59Ao4LmncHour4LEZt6vuWZQ/s400/lot-in-common.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The way most common computers generates value for the end user, is identical. The way we control them is too, as well as the way they respond back. In the next post, we'll have a look at some of the most common computer categories and their graphical user interfaces. Stay tuned for the <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2015/07/man-and-its-computer-part-2.html" target="_blank">next post</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> </span></span> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-4301278176096466022015-06-30T13:40:00.001-07:002015-06-30T22:16:04.111-07:00Breaking free from my invisible prisonEverything that we know today is based on our past experiences. Our knowledge is limiting what we can create tomorrow.<br />
<br />
When we solve a problem, we tend to stick with that solution and keep improving it. That affection prevents alternative discoveries from happening. Alternatives, that weren't possible at the time of our original idea. Alternatives, that have much higher potential in the long run.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQzCO23qdKocf9-9qx57oh8-o58MM-Cz0IvAJTZZ4OY_izAWpxtNKCe3ZVmyaSziPJy7hiJLocU6Z96PVJpqHbwV05ESD_zyNJsUeODyJcFGhB0CAhyggpVJ21rn15eok-tM6dALjttY/s1600/legacy-weights.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQzCO23qdKocf9-9qx57oh8-o58MM-Cz0IvAJTZZ4OY_izAWpxtNKCe3ZVmyaSziPJy7hiJLocU6Z96PVJpqHbwV05ESD_zyNJsUeODyJcFGhB0CAhyggpVJ21rn15eok-tM6dALjttY/s400/legacy-weights.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Various limitations that are affecting our past tools, will silently keep limiting the potential of our future ones.</b> It's not natural for us to consider our proven solutions as restraints. Well, this isn't a prison made of concrete and steel, but obsolete or incorrect knowledge that we fail to see. And what you can't see, you can't escape.<br />
<br />
I joined Jolla in 2012. It took me almost three years to discover my self-imprisonment. Back then I could only work with knowledge withing those walls of mine. I was happy to repeat what had been done before. It didn't use to matter, as anything was always possible before. I was either creating concepts or working without time pressure. It all changed when I started working with Sailfish OS.<br />
<br />
I guess it was the immense pressure that finally pitted me against my own knowledge. <b>During these three years, I have questioned majority of what I know</b>. Life of uncertainty and constant doubt has been hard, but at least those walls gave in before I did - ironically only to be replaced by tiredness and loneliness. Abandoning things I've held as facts for many years was a cruel journey. Mainly because I just traded one solitude for another.<br />
<br />
Our existing knowledge is our happy place, and it's perfectly understandable to fight for that happiness. They say that ignorance can be a wonderful thing. It's only human to seek comfort through stability and order - until one dies. To me, that's a horrible waste. Loneliness I can deal with.<br />
<br />
So remember. The knowledge you have gathered doesn't update itself.<b> If there's something you really care about, you should question everything you know about it</b>. Sure, it might get lonely for a while, but it's imperative that you do. <br />
<br />
Because tomorrow will be just like yesterday if you don't.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-18120622555679274732015-06-13T05:17:00.002-07:002015-06-13T05:17:53.504-07:00Tailoring graphical user interfaces for everyday lifeWhen developing a graphical user interface for a product, it's easy
to forget the outside world; the reality that your product will
ultimately face.<br />
<br />
It's tempting to downplay the importance of various everyday situations. Mundane, boring and even stupid situations, that have nothing to do with your amazing new product; yet everything to do with how much user attention they require. This <b>common and critical mistake</b> results in a struggle between the product and the environment it's being used in. Below is a simplified example of this conflict (click to enlarge).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLyGq-GZ8jmLwfi7aLO_0zL07siqtoymBw16B0bdCodEg1PYN8dBMZumZO3kiWGafFDEf4rOM_bsSSLg3umjyA7LA5Zn5ck2lqGIyvmjYAQdv3waz29rU9VtLEdgUGYKa-fjy6cxukqEU/s1600/interface-complexity.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLyGq-GZ8jmLwfi7aLO_0zL07siqtoymBw16B0bdCodEg1PYN8dBMZumZO3kiWGafFDEf4rOM_bsSSLg3umjyA7LA5Zn5ck2lqGIyvmjYAQdv3waz29rU9VtLEdgUGYKa-fjy6cxukqEU/s400/interface-complexity.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The image shows how the
environment affects our ability to focus and handle information. The more control we have over the environment we're in, the
more demanding interfaces we can cope with.<br />
<br />
Mobile and portable devices are widely adopeted because they conform to dynamic and unpredictable qualities of human life. We naturally have a lower barrier toward carrying small devices with us. Therefore a smartphone is <b>more likely to be used inside a
taxing situation</b> than a desktop computer.<br />
<br />
On
the opposite ends of that scale, we can either be fully engaged with
the environment, or with the graphical user interface. Even a familiar
and simple interface will be problematic in a demanding situation. Like composing an email while outrunning a bear. Similarly, any smartwatch interface feels lethally boring and
restrictive, while waiting for another meeting to end (you'd rather tussle a bear). For reference, see the following image (click to enlarge).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnl7batsX0HU9v0iJC4Ky7qIf79fUMfHjHh3lpHlZcrcR1VgZe3goE6q7dtd5NZaegmTei8fZIrRsTLDFAVe5fM5tecnXASQPQDV3xMtShLOzlP8PKNhyUvodonrxScjgC5MdEGfEKX2w/s1600/interface-relevance.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnl7batsX0HU9v0iJC4Ky7qIf79fUMfHjHh3lpHlZcrcR1VgZe3goE6q7dtd5NZaegmTei8fZIrRsTLDFAVe5fM5tecnXASQPQDV3xMtShLOzlP8PKNhyUvodonrxScjgC5MdEGfEKX2w/s400/interface-relevance.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Our available time, at any given moment, affects what we consider important. When a situation requires any attention, completing another task will costs you situational control and awareness. The expense amount depending on both interface needs and the task complexity in question. In short, if you text and drive, you'll suck at both. Human multitasking in all its glory.<br />
<br />
Therefore it's important for interfaces input requirements to scale accordingly. The problem is that many interfaces today, like Android, iOS and WP, are already beyond their capability to do so, <a href="http://www.peoplesniper.com/image/people/1303/zombie-apocalypse-now-smartphone-zombie-apocalypse-people-pic-1363696706.jpg" target="_blank">forcing the user to give in</a>. The reason is a devious one. Even if people don't like to carry around tower PCs, they still <b>love the familiar interface logic</b> derived from them. Even though many human interaction methods, that were developed for <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2015/02/to-evolve-or-not-to-evolve.html" target="_blank">desktop computing</a>, are far too demanding for the life outside those cubicles they were never meant to leave.<br />
<br />
The smaller your product is,<b> the more focused, effortless and fault tolerant </b>the interface needs to be. I know that our <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/pushing-touch-interface-to-next-level.html" target="_blank">work on Sailfish OS</a> is not there yet either, but it's still easier to keep on building it on top of thoughts like these.<br />
<br />
A mobile device that fits your life, is valuable. One preventing you from living yours to the fullest, is not.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-77970732160634986572015-06-09T15:06:00.001-07:002015-06-09T15:06:01.850-07:00No more empty smartphone screens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgtLswqqZHEyszGazmhdy6um6xYAduCZWAJ7uZVANbXEUKWhsVJJuXMsMnHMZXM9gDmTd8Rvj47Ik_MxI9dIUpK5BFkk4TdC2oiUkZ6gE8Y8xK87IVoHMnJ3C12jdtbWuwlBjzLGjX_I/s1600/display-off.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgtLswqqZHEyszGazmhdy6um6xYAduCZWAJ7uZVANbXEUKWhsVJJuXMsMnHMZXM9gDmTd8Rvj47Ik_MxI9dIUpK5BFkk4TdC2oiUkZ6gE8Y8xK87IVoHMnJ3C12jdtbWuwlBjzLGjX_I/s200/display-off.png" width="151" /></a>Ever since I parted ways with my trusty Nokia 3310, empty standby screens of many smartphones have felt <b>cold, distant and useless</b> in comparison.<br />
<br />
Although, various Windows phones, and a handful of Android devices come equipped with features that make their standby screens appear far less dead. After all, credit must be given where credit is due. <br />
<br />
No need for power or home key presses, display double taps or other conscious interactions. The moment they're exposed to the world outside users pocket, both the phone and its user are already one step ahead of everyone else. <b>A digital extension of a human intention.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7nM6BaBCIZJxoTIAScYetEUaN-v1Z59Jm5VuJAM_1f4EKfA-2bQXmzBsbtzdaPuL5kInoVTvNGdQigFs_rFMY06tvT8TRsO1hGTEdqBu3HRnpEnokYbmNfXZQZfn7oKjkfZXstRgcHI/s1600/human-standby-screen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7nM6BaBCIZJxoTIAScYetEUaN-v1Z59Jm5VuJAM_1f4EKfA-2bQXmzBsbtzdaPuL5kInoVTvNGdQigFs_rFMY06tvT8TRsO1hGTEdqBu3HRnpEnokYbmNfXZQZfn7oKjkfZXstRgcHI/s400/human-standby-screen.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Sailfish OS also has a similar feature in development we call <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJUrAXwlG-s" target="_blank">"Sneak Peek"</a>. It's not ready yet, but I've been trying it out for almost one year now. Somehow the feature always carried over software upgrades, up until last week at least. I had to re-flash my phone, turning the feature off for good.<br />
<br />
The sudden change in device behavior has left me staring at an empty screen more times than I'd like to admit. Looking and feeling like an idiot.<br />
<br />
<h3>
One step too much </h3>
<br />
Curiously enough, I realized that all those solutions I mentioned earlier, had one important piece missing. They all focused only on what user might want to see, <b>but ignored where that would lead</b>: what would people do next, after already holding the device in their hand, with the display showing relevant information?<br />
<br />
Easy. You either want to interact with it, put it back to your pocket, or set aside on a surface near you.<br />
<br />
And the problem with everything we have out there today, is that they all just create an <b>additional state</b> between the display being completely off and fully on. A <a href="https://www.google.fi/search?q=Windows+phone+glance&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=CDR3VfiBBOnhywPt5YO4BA&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ" target="_blank">glance</a> or <a href="https://www.google.fi/search?tbm=isch&tbs=rimg%3ACcwSIuNifW0vIjjX-wuF8cQcS6l60BtBIyb640opZJ6Tsxb3pZQp4Ue4LxiOzBVBy-FMzglCN8DvfIighbVpu1OjPCoSCdf7C4XxxBxLEZOVvrHvpWV1KhIJqXrQG0EjJvoR0Bq39KMx-TkqEgnjSilknpOzFhHTNiOCjBht6yoSCfellCnhR7gvEQ3Mcq0RRi5HKhIJGI7MFUHL4UwRdcDiUIhL-Z4qEgnOCUI3wO98iBEm2ophmcbJmSoSCaCFtWm7U6M8EfVUQpzp0hrO&q=android%20active%20screen&ved=0CAkQ9C8wAA&biw=1717&bih=926&dpr=0.9&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.&bvm=bv.94455598,d.bGg&ech=1&psi=caBsVe_YLIu2swGMiYLoBw.1433182323271.5&ei=o6BsVcqhEsmOsAG-roGgBg&emsg=NCSR&noj=1#imgrc=_" target="_blank">active</a> screen is shown first, before you can see the lock screen. If you desire to interact with device functions below, you have to first go through that extra screen. This throws away part of the potential gained through anticipating user intentions.<br />
<br />
To <b>allow </b>user interaction, it would make more sense to automatically show the lock screen, without any added steps. User would see the same information, intereact with lock screen controls, or continue to unlock their device. <br />
Yes, it would requires some adjustments to how the lock screen behaves. It might be something like these wildly conceptual images, that are created to support this post. Take them for their <b>illustrative</b> value.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpW4pciNA6v6hyphenhyphenxkRG-N6kOlufgg9XnlXglIUTPP3BIGjuGFEaGAQElfoAYZJse4bV7qkoAvCPaPYhZ7DsNe-5-a6dnwzxbmrqra2_IwAoMJV8JVQ_-YUQSHWGedzebGbrhdvIdTjHFhY/s1600/lockscreen-human.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpW4pciNA6v6hyphenhyphenxkRG-N6kOlufgg9XnlXglIUTPP3BIGjuGFEaGAQElfoAYZJse4bV7qkoAvCPaPYhZ7DsNe-5-a6dnwzxbmrqra2_IwAoMJV8JVQ_-YUQSHWGedzebGbrhdvIdTjHFhY/s400/lockscreen-human.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Moreover, the appearance is secondary in the long run. How it <b>feels</b> in the daily use becomes much more interesting and valuable quality. At first, it might sound strange for the phone to behave like this, but let's look at what would happen if it did.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGQnWHA4VLG4nbz1Vl_Ms43Ps3jphDLkwsrBYQv9bmzbGkEd-t2cgPFXM-huw8dtOMIblGkbWN8mzm4wJwAbK1Uc3AwbUxP6QIkaYC4oSupDvThR-mtF-hdyNjxUzsDaVjw-T7odLlyc/s1600/lockscreen-human-functionality.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGQnWHA4VLG4nbz1Vl_Ms43Ps3jphDLkwsrBYQv9bmzbGkEd-t2cgPFXM-huw8dtOMIblGkbWN8mzm4wJwAbK1Uc3AwbUxP6QIkaYC4oSupDvThR-mtF-hdyNjxUzsDaVjw-T7odLlyc/s400/lockscreen-human-functionality.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The first thing you'll notice, you can get to whatever you're doing a bit faster. People use smartphones over 100 times a day, with majority of those instances starting with manually turning on the display. As the manual part is removed, less attention and accuracy is needed.<br />
<br />
Second, the amount of user errors would decrease, because nothing was added. Every gesture and functionality works just the same way. It's the same lock screen, nothing more, nothing less. It's just working with you, not against you. <br />
<br />
Worried about accidentally unlocking it? Don't be. Every lock screen has a built in protection mechanism to prevent that. Made famous by that "slide to unlock" slider on the first iPhone. We flick or swipe long enough distance to get past it.<br />
<br />
Finally, removing your device from your pocket becomes much more friendlier event.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtcD5f5XQHO19Bd8fO1uYFhVKRhLJr9B7UyCCLtmQyqfgfLaqi13xH4DLsCHZQBcBqGhRYQPD8BIUVs8CRImZpHBQGnPKpga_v2YyEvG3sYwgVSGHnzyMLbzzGIs8VnAI_sFXdkCa4Tc/s1600/lockscreen-human-ignore.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtcD5f5XQHO19Bd8fO1uYFhVKRhLJr9B7UyCCLtmQyqfgfLaqi13xH4DLsCHZQBcBqGhRYQPD8BIUVs8CRImZpHBQGnPKpga_v2YyEvG3sYwgVSGHnzyMLbzzGIs8VnAI_sFXdkCa4Tc/s400/lockscreen-human-ignore.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Just pick up the phone from your pocket and place it on a surface near you. Display will light up to greet you. An <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerometer" target="_blank">accelerometer</a> inside the phone can tell whether you're holding it in your hand, or it's resting on a table. By following that information, it's easy to turn off the display sooner to save power.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkYuw3N58nphja1VjDfvWNVvs_K0TwFj8yBYCiJsr5n3xL4jxxng69EdCmZXvquHfHbBlFr8cB1ZMapGUX_-u8eWrgwCRzbMTMZvg09LksNx9D4i0CEJ_baDZHsRmiZWIIDC7h3dGruM/s1600/lockscreen-human-table.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkYuw3N58nphja1VjDfvWNVvs_K0TwFj8yBYCiJsr5n3xL4jxxng69EdCmZXvquHfHbBlFr8cB1ZMapGUX_-u8eWrgwCRzbMTMZvg09LksNx9D4i0CEJ_baDZHsRmiZWIIDC7h3dGruM/s400/lockscreen-human-table.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Naturally, if the phone is on a table, the same sensor can be used to detect user picking up the device. And for cases you don't want to pick it up, you're just a double tap away from whatever you need.<br />
<br />
By now, I'm sure some of you've already wondered why not use black background with colored text and icons on top. Well, it works great if there's no display backlight. If there is, too bad. I illustrated the problem below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSuSm2mK3jey2XXe6vQiPylJJynnFtGz2yV3zvis0Hr8rmZACVYQVwiseUEuUmanmfl4nlR7K6MtP7S7e3eO8RU83eiHcPt_G4LdBufMn07fLEa0tJ3eNRyrmLXansaf4l4Oa1w0_wmA/s1600/lockscreen-human-black-problem.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSuSm2mK3jey2XXe6vQiPylJJynnFtGz2yV3zvis0Hr8rmZACVYQVwiseUEuUmanmfl4nlR7K6MtP7S7e3eO8RU83eiHcPt_G4LdBufMn07fLEa0tJ3eNRyrmLXansaf4l4Oa1w0_wmA/s400/lockscreen-human-black-problem.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Those liquid crystals that are used to affect the light passing through, cannot block all of the backlight, resulting in gray appearance instead of black. This is very visible at night, inside movie theaters, clubs and ancient dungeons.<br />
<br />
Using a background image will simply make the issue less apparent (can be turned off for AMOLED devices to save power). Also, a user selected image is much more personal option compared to someone saying it should always be black.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NpMmKJ56KEpEUeYoJhoASxH0r3b7VCYEsqpSzh9qHbtJRMCxvyLo2MJsK1B7Dvtw5Wc5VWWsnZksh6gqGlNbnaOLNtoRA3ppGlKEHudJc8v_1TJgasqXaY4mHl-9ij43we2CbdrDIkE/s1600/lockscreen-human-colors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NpMmKJ56KEpEUeYoJhoASxH0r3b7VCYEsqpSzh9qHbtJRMCxvyLo2MJsK1B7Dvtw5Wc5VWWsnZksh6gqGlNbnaOLNtoRA3ppGlKEHudJc8v_1TJgasqXaY4mHl-9ij43we2CbdrDIkE/s400/lockscreen-human-colors.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Making smartphones anticipate our needs is not rocket science. Especially when it comes to the lock screens scenario that we manually go through almost 100 times a day anyway. It's much more about <b>seeing past of our past experiences</b>. If you see through them, and get a taste of what things could be, it's going to be difficult to go back anymore.<br />
<br />
You'll soon realize how <b>passive </b>most smartphones are. As if they didn't have the information available to anticipate the most basic thing we do. Once again, you've been staring at an empty screen. Looking and feeling like an idiot.<br />
<br />
Welcome to the club.<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans';"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans';"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans';">T</span>hanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-55733483287055346432015-05-31T14:21:00.000-07:002015-05-31T14:21:03.878-07:00Does the software you use have multiple personalities?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you paid for it, or got it after signing up for a "free" service, it's a 100% yes. Some just hide it better than others.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The thing splitting a one good personality into several ones, is called <b>business requirements</b>. These requirements serve the existence of the company maintaining the software, and are kept hidden from the end user.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Imagine these requirements as another user next to you (the real end user). This one is just invisible. Naturally, these two users never share the same goals or values, because they're <b>inherently different</b>. Another one is a real person, while another just a set of objectives. This means, that the product has at least two reasons to exist; two separate masters to serve. In the light of my ponderings about <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2015/05/good-and-bad-software.html" target="_blank">good and bad software</a>, this is how business requirements tend to change development focus. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQIvwIJ4alBGNxYAo6Sb339qLI6zjoftLHlRRbqx9Hljtdi0cqo9RoxQIuf-j-vDTVS_hmVqPTpjvpPJOA-EIdz_qedrzFP0HKGuR9EGend-RuSSfCEmZsAAfehGTerxC5EHy1F36OdY/s1600/closed-software.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQIvwIJ4alBGNxYAo6Sb339qLI6zjoftLHlRRbqx9Hljtdi0cqo9RoxQIuf-j-vDTVS_hmVqPTpjvpPJOA-EIdz_qedrzFP0HKGuR9EGend-RuSSfCEmZsAAfehGTerxC5EHy1F36OdY/s400/closed-software.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Somehow, we all can sense this. At times, software can feel very fluid, smooth and purposeful for us. For those cases, the invisible business aspect is not interested what you or the software does. But sometimes you feel like being thrown through unnecessary hoops for no good reason. That's due to business requirements being met. Things like mandatory registration, DRM, enforced internet connection etc.<br />
<br />
If a lot of code is needed to meet defined business requirements, it will be hard for the company to open source such a software, because it <b>exposes all these questionable things</b>. Not to mention making it dead obvious that a similar value is achievable with much less code elsewhere.<br />
<br />
Therefore many companies refrain from open development; convincing themselves into believing these undocumented capabilities are for the good of everyone.<br />
<br />
We all want better experiences, but they <b>honestly </b>have to deliver on that promise. There might be temptations to harness software to serve alternative masters, but it only leaves everyone wondering why it's so damn hard to openly develop software.<br />
<br />
And why their software still has multiple personalities.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans';"> </span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans';">T</span>hanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-74092332369464128042015-05-26T12:14:00.000-07:002015-05-26T12:14:13.816-07:00Opinions kill open softwareIt's happening. Silently, slowly, without exceptions. Dead, gone, deceased. You just don't know it yet.<br />
<br />
Some background before proceeding. My previous post, about <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2015/05/good-and-bad-software.html" target="_blank">good and bad software</a>, underlined how important it's for everyone to know <b>why a particular piece of software exists</b>. Especially in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open-source_software" target="_blank">FOSS</a> development.<br />
<br />
The problem is user expectations. Our past experiences naturally affect our preferences, and we subconciously project them to new software. This pulls developer toward <b>how</b>, away from <b>what</b> the software was created to do. And since we're all unique, it's difficult to see the real reason from our equally subjective viewpoints, steering the software into a direction illustrated below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIThSHhtvV-UiVmRses_0K1E1y7yHdgUR9C8cwkuU4D-2zlvTlvqYPebH6Y-pv8fGxIh_IwY4Mo3IX4J3Dg7nVYOEwD7nkuGYV6CpPgkl15Y2BIq5-88zTZNxER5wYpnWgNRJJJc9joc/s1600/open-software.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIThSHhtvV-UiVmRses_0K1E1y7yHdgUR9C8cwkuU4D-2zlvTlvqYPebH6Y-pv8fGxIh_IwY4Mo3IX4J3Dg7nVYOEwD7nkuGYV6CpPgkl15Y2BIq5-88zTZNxER5wYpnWgNRJJJc9joc/s400/open-software.png" width="400" /></a></div>
The reason is that FOSS users engage much more in software development, when compared to proprietary software users. <b>Everyone knows that much about software</b>, that anything is possible with it. It's a holy grail of every software project to be pursue sophisticated frameworks that support our highly heterogenous user preferences.<br />
<br />
You might not realize it, but the price a proprietary software user pays in cash, a FOSS user pays in responsibility. We're all priviledged to have an alternative, and we should respect the reason it exists. <b>Don't neglect or avoid it </b>by
suggesting yet another user setting or customization framework. That's always away from what the software can do to everyone. <br />
<br />
If
FOSS alternatives will ever reach a wider consumer adoption, they'll do so being faster to develop and maintain. By going faster to places a proprietary software is too heavy and cumbersome to go. By helping people to do more, faster, simpler and more reliably. <b>By giving us our time back</b>.<br />
<br />
That's why it's imperative that the development is focused. One software can't adapt to seven billion amazing opinions, but seven billion people can adapt to one amazing software.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans';"> </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans';">T</span>hanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-81352192748770100832015-05-24T00:51:00.000-07:002015-05-24T00:51:44.099-07:00Good and bad softwareI'm going to start with an argument.<br />
<br />
<b>Software exists because people are lazy</b>; not that it's a bad thing. Throughout the history, it's been one of the greatest sources of ingenuity. A wonderful catalyst for ridding inefficiency.<br />
<br />
It all started with a lazy person, defining a set of instructions for a machine, for it to do something people are bad at, and machines fantastic.<br />
<br />
Those lines of code, running on a piece of hardware, helped that person to get more work done. Ideally, <b>the time invested in instructing a machine to work for us, is far less in a long run compared to us doing all that work ourselves</b>, impeded by human limitations. <br />
<br />
Software exists to use computer's potential on tasks which people struggle with. People simply need to focus on instructing it. Sadly it's the <b>focusing part</b> where things usually take an unexpected turn from the ideal road. Right through the safety rail of professional training. Over and off the cliff of common sense. Straight into the bottomless pit of irrational. I visualized the problem below.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9IVNkCGJINNZ9akun7fB_4ByVtAA7x4Q3lZZKeTKC7Isn-YiOCsd2aTX1-aKGhybTkpADZ75tdSIOVEVwAhIa6DDhdKelvmqnUumAB3ExufeuKVyq5EbD-S3j1BdPqcNb_Ue82P-NyY/s1600/good-bad-software.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9IVNkCGJINNZ9akun7fB_4ByVtAA7x4Q3lZZKeTKC7Isn-YiOCsd2aTX1-aKGhybTkpADZ75tdSIOVEVwAhIa6DDhdKelvmqnUumAB3ExufeuKVyq5EbD-S3j1BdPqcNb_Ue82P-NyY/s400/good-bad-software.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Given that <b>a same amount of people</b>, with equal skillsets, are working on a software project with identical goals, it's more likely that they end up with what I personally think as bad software.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Such software doesn't do what software is supposed to do. If you get stuck on the user interface part, you're missing the reason why people use your product. <b>You have just instructed the machine to play hopscotch with the user</b>, instead solving a user problem. The balance is just way off. Bad instructions, bad software. No amount of excuses change that.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Beautiful, well performing and behaving user interfaces can be built with relatively little amount of code, if you know what you're doing. If not, you easily end up with a complex and overdone interface; a monstrosity that needs even more complex customization options to tame -- or fire to kill, as it depends.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Still, game over.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Becoming blinded and trapped by the user interface iteration loop is <b>very easy</b>. It's the most visible thing for everyone in the project. That's why it's so important to be aware of this danger. Adding more interface easily feels like adding more value. How wrong can people be. You only waste resources on things that:</div>
<ul>
<li>end up eating even more resources since you're stuck with maintaining it</li>
<li>restrict your options for potential devices and businesses in the long run</li>
<li>distract user from the real value your product offers = less appealing product </li>
</ul>
"But Jaakko, isn't there many other areas as well that affect software goodness / badness?"<br />
<br />
Yes. There are. A lot in fact. However, this one is something <b>everyone can and should understand</b>. It doesn't take a computer science PhD to figure this stuff out. It's especially important for companies whose business depends on software quality. Even more so with startups and small companies.<br />
<br />
I'm going to end with an argument.<br />
<br />
<b>Your company exists because people are lazy</b>. Make sure your product focuses on helping them, like a good software does.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans';"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans';">T</span>hanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-68945301259371098782015-05-14T08:44:00.000-07:002015-05-14T09:03:19.412-07:00What is keeping Sailfish OS alive<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KGc7gf4BRltVVL0Ot7NxNrmn9J7uEr5mlygQNvT1OIjOiCv2w6qZ-vtM47mVXw74X32qrYeMjt2tQd89z9HE1xkD6ph4HcmXBtNeP4RUKD21uZaEPHiFjdKLmTmYTswRFgWCpSFrNso/s1600/sailfishos_on_jolla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KGc7gf4BRltVVL0Ot7NxNrmn9J7uEr5mlygQNvT1OIjOiCv2w6qZ-vtM47mVXw74X32qrYeMjt2tQd89z9HE1xkD6ph4HcmXBtNeP4RUKD21uZaEPHiFjdKLmTmYTswRFgWCpSFrNso/s400/sailfishos_on_jolla.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image by Jolla</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In my <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2015/04/too-much-design.html" target="_blank">previous</a> post, I used Windows phone as an example of how focusing too much on design can hurt your product. This post is a follow-up for it, focusing on the importance of design intentions and the overall reasons to do things in the first place.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Be realistically ambitiuos</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<br />
For the sake of comparison, let's <b>pretend</b> that Jolla chose the strategy everyone expected it to choose: follow iOS and Android to join the mobile OS and smartphone business. Just close your eyes, and picture Jolla offering the same experience what Apple, Samsung and others already do.<br />
<br />
Wonderful, here's the thing: that strategy has been perfected by Apple, Google (later Samsung et al.) since 2005. They will keep doing so in the future, without any intentions of slowing down. 7 years later Jolla was ready to compete against industry giants, with the announcement of Sailfish OS. <br />
<br />
Enough pretending. Competing with this strategy, against these guys, is like trying to race against a bullet train, with a bicycle, without pedals. <b>You will get nowhere; even if you pretend to</b>. It's utterly silly to think you can beat them in their own game they've rigged beyond recovery. <br />
<br />
You'll be spending all your time on things you can't compete with. And since everything you implement has a cost, it's more logical to find a simple solution for all those things that make your product a reality. Move through the mandatory feature list as fast as you can, so that you can save time and effort to use on what, in your vision, makes you relevant.<br />
<br />
This is where Microsoft stumbled. WP tried to create value too close to competition, instead of building on top of and strengthening existing ones; those that made Microsoft relevant. In the end WP sabotaged Microsoft's opportunity to not limit its users to stationary computing. Their ambition to build a <b>smartphone</b> OS ended up instead limiting people also on the go. Looks like they're finally fixing this with <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/how-continuum-will-work-in-windows-10/" target="_blank">Windows 10</a>, so let's move on.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Be honest to what you exist for</h4>
<br />
Three years after the Windows phone launch, Sailfish OS rolled out as a very limited and rough experience. You were all set, if you had enough interest and patience to wade through tutorials, reviews and forum posts. It worked if you knew exactly what you were doing, but it didn't leave any room for user errors. There was hardly any guidance to help user. To be open about things, we shipped it with a beta stamp. Digital pioneers and average consumers alike received their copy, installed on the finest hardware we had access to; a mid-range phone on all accounts. A failure by industry standards.<br />
<br />
But the thing is, we're not competing solely within industry standards; things what others already master. We have our minimal solutions for those, but <b>our real business is where others cannot easily go</b>. Either because they're too scared, lack the required vision, or don't really care as long as they can convince people buying their next wave of latest and greatest.<br />
<br />
People deserve <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/pushing-touch-interface-to-next-level.html" target="_blank">more natural</a> and <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/lets-talk-about-multitasking-as-feature.html" target="_blank">focused</a> interfaces than current industry standards require. We need more openness, collaboration and sustainability = a thorough value domain reset. Automation and computing in general are less about the
technology, and more about finding a common direction to increase human potential; everyone deserves more time for things that are defining humanity.<br />
<br />
What makes Jolla and Sailfish OS relevant, is <b>our reasons to exist in the mobile space</b>, and what our actions stand for in contrast to the competition. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what keeps Sailfish OS alive. Not what it can directly offer, because it's not much at the moment. There's a mountain of work remaining -- actually -- make that two mountains; the operating system alone is not what you need for your computing tasks. It's merely a start.<br />
<br />
We still need apps, more supported services and other natural functionality integration points. They are paramount in making sure Sailfish OS also stays relevant. There's a big functionality debt we owe our community. It's through their passion and trust, that we've given this chance to make a difference.<br />
<br />
Respecting that debt would not only be human, but also an exception that this industry sorely needs to change.<br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>FI</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
</style>
<![endif]-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-29959898201414258682015-04-21T04:09:00.001-07:002015-04-21T12:11:25.741-07:00Too much design<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.signature9.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/windows-phone-7-metro-490x343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.signature9.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/windows-phone-7-metro-490x343.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="_r3"><a class="_ZR irc_hol" data-ved="0CAYQjB0" href="http://www.wpsauce.com/category/editorial"><span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr">www.wpsauce.com</span></a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A Windows phone design <a href="https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/windows-phone/3000/ex-microsoft-designer-explains-the-move-away-from-metro?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed" target="_blank">article</a> by Paul Thurrot, summarizing a "ask-me-anything" <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/windowsphone/comments/32yf85/i_designed_the_new_version_of_office_for_windows/" target="_blank">thread</a> in reddit, reminded me about something that easily goes wrong in design: the <b>design itself becomes more important</b> than the product or medium it's applied to. Meaning, that more work goes into sustaining design as an activity; instead of treating it as an integrated part of making a competitive product.<br />
<br />
What kept popping up throughout the article, was the need to <b>differentiate</b> Windows phone from others, through Metro's unique visual and interaction design (mainly focusing on application side though). This resulted in design importance raising out of proportion, disturbing the actual product work (make a great product). The focus was on finding a striking and novel design (too much), instead of making a relevant alternative to iOS and Android.<br />
<br />
Alternative can mean being different, but it doesn't have to. A product that's just different for the sake of being different, is bound to have a design overdose. The only way to deliver an industry-breaking products, is by <b>not designing it for the industry </b>(remember what Apple did when it entered the smartphone market). That alone requires you to focus on problems that the industry tries to hide. Too much design will just make things worse.<br />
<br />
The mobile industry has a significant ability to resist changes. Look at any usability studies. They all basically state that Android and iOS have reached the pinnacle of touch screen interaction. To put that in some perspective: they say that majority of desktop interaction patterns (the way you use mouse and keyboard to do things) are just as usable on mobile devices, as they were 40 years ago. <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2015/02/to-evolve-or-not-to-evolve.html" target="_blank">Nonsense</a>.<br />
<br />
Usability studies like that show how amazingly well people adapted to our messy past with computers. Studies can always help to spot problems in both design and implementation, but the they tell <b>nothing </b>about our potential, our hopes, dreams or what we'll do tomorrow. <br />
<br />
So, at the end of the day, those studies tell that the industry doesn't want to be broken.<br />
<br />
"To go against it (industry) you need to earn it. You need to <b>be far, far better</b>." Being different for the sake of difference, is not enough.<br />
<br />
With Metro, Microsoft experienced the hard way what happens when you put in too much design, at the expense of end user value. It failed to be relevant.<br />
<br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com102tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-88921041049258808112015-03-31T04:29:00.002-07:002015-03-31T04:29:32.484-07:00The story of SailfishOS browserWhy on earth would someone start yet another browser project, when there's so many already out there? Well, because all mainstream browsers are more or less <b>scaled down desktop browsers</b>, than something designed with one handed mobile use in mind. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQfp7F9IyrQGTt3xkP8Qqz6v375MArZKNt5LrGbKNKmWET6SeN3YPYmRO3pefJZiJgOc8I-_93itzvHvXOAZhetc1f-hjUhhVApTMdnzdpJpPjgpkOJBOoVh_9P2guuN_FeUaJoFdqxH4/s1600/browser-toolbars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQfp7F9IyrQGTt3xkP8Qqz6v375MArZKNt5LrGbKNKmWET6SeN3YPYmRO3pefJZiJgOc8I-_93itzvHvXOAZhetc1f-hjUhhVApTMdnzdpJpPjgpkOJBOoVh_9P2guuN_FeUaJoFdqxH4/s1600/browser-toolbars.png" height="180" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Looking at the image above, the two examples from the left are impossible to comfortably use without altering your hand grip. Also the reason for such design is obvious just by looking at <b>desktop browser interfaces</b>: they hardly need to be operated with one hand alone. I mean, try lifting your desktop/laptop with one hand, and enter a website address.<br />
<br />
Even if you can somehow do it, it's not comfortable; and downscaling that interface design to 5" screens <b>does not change that</b>. You'll still need both hands to operate it, which is an unacceptable requirement for a simple tool that should <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/lets-talk-about-multitasking-as-feature.html" target="_blank">increase your potential</a>, not decrease it.<br />
<br />
And that's where the third example on the right comes to play. Obviously, we're not doing everything by ourselves. We chose to build our web browsing experience on top of <a href="https://wiki.mozilla.org/Gecko:Home_Page" target="_blank">Mozilla's Gecko rendering engine</a>, developed for the Firefox browser.<br />
<br />
Then, let's look at the two major steps we took before ending up with the current SailfishOS <a href="https://github.com/sailfishos/sailfish-browser/blob/master/design" target="_blank">browser design</a>. There's some good things we learned along the way.<br />
<br />
<b>Version one </b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAosJot1wWc302SlbpgDC8_7pgrflisbUnanzBLgfMwHWlBZfVxdgBXpB-Z0uPz9eTF3gD9mPAQzknbGeBL8iybImjgmCwoM2qJ5uAfkWqvKYWTZyfiQNTb7NlAlX6IvzowdOwmWgoII/s1600/sfos-browser-v1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAosJot1wWc302SlbpgDC8_7pgrflisbUnanzBLgfMwHWlBZfVxdgBXpB-Z0uPz9eTF3gD9mPAQzknbGeBL8iybImjgmCwoM2qJ5uAfkWqvKYWTZyfiQNTb7NlAlX6IvzowdOwmWgoII/s1600/sfos-browser-v1.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a>In addition to moving the toolbar down, the first design (click to enlarge) used separate pages for both tabs and website address. The aim was to <b>avoid the performance hungry scenario</b>, where some web content is rendered in the background, a virtual keyboard is open, and there's search suggestions on top of everything.<br />
<br />
The toolbar had buttons for back, address field, tabs, reload/stop and forward. In the end, the design was discarded as too complicated to understand. The root cause was in the magnifying glass icon. People didn't associate it to searching the web.<br />
<br />
<b>Version two </b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhM8M5fNt4SPodnUzhJqKs9DrIvN9eNPiA6f3DU_kGzt8rd4WoaFhxch4NdOhUD0qpcxNpHlSKEJzkge2NyTQSArtdTCxiqMiFNuLql932sot6Cm0DxYiVj6Dw2PzImK1bvoOXcrnre4/s1600/sfos-browser-v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhM8M5fNt4SPodnUzhJqKs9DrIvN9eNPiA6f3DU_kGzt8rd4WoaFhxch4NdOhUD0qpcxNpHlSKEJzkge2NyTQSArtdTCxiqMiFNuLql932sot6Cm0DxYiVj6Dw2PzImK1bvoOXcrnre4/s1600/sfos-browser-v2.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a> The next image shows the design that actually shipped with the Jolla phone sales release (click to enlarge). It combined both tab and addres entry into a single page. And instead of a separate address eentering icon, it promoted easier bookmarking.<br />
<br />
We got a lot of negative feedback for that design, as it added an extra step to searching something or entering page address, and also made tabs functionality unnecessarily complicated to understand, use and develop.<br />
<br />
<b>Version three</b><br />
<br />
The <a href="https://github.com/sailfishos/sailfish-browser/blob/master/design/sailfish-browser-15-1.jpg" target="_blank">current design</a> brought back separated tabs and address entry points. Tabs still use a page, but the latter one behaves like a toolbar extension, so that you can still see a bit of the webpage underneath. Much more useful functionality was also added throught the expanding/collapsing toolbar.<br />
<br />
The feedback has been really good, and although I'm not completely happy about two different gestures to get back to browsing (flick address overlay down to close it vs. flick tabs page right to close it), we're much closer to a modern mobile browser interface.<br />
<br />
Something that supports the way your hand works, instead of how you moused around in desktop interfaces <b>few decades ago.</b><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-79091516506615858012015-03-24T10:03:00.000-07:002015-03-24T10:03:03.991-07:00Sailfish OS growing pains<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_5P70mDnom7ZcWrwU7AJxYrJNoNKsn1M9BmvKzOwEE0xxAx9WAvn77nQKApnIvlSh9kbNbGHxyP4-qBJGPmZbu3CMffGOk7EmdWvzZCeam2ixrAnDs9Niha4QjGON0u2cHXeJIiRt44/s1600/growing-pains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_5P70mDnom7ZcWrwU7AJxYrJNoNKsn1M9BmvKzOwEE0xxAx9WAvn77nQKApnIvlSh9kbNbGHxyP4-qBJGPmZbu3CMffGOk7EmdWvzZCeam2ixrAnDs9Niha4QjGON0u2cHXeJIiRt44/s1600/growing-pains.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>A pain that either forbids you from falling asleep, or aprubtly cuts your awesome dream short during the night.<br />
<br />
It's your your junior legs that are hurting from a reason neither your parents nor doctors really know. A painkiller, accompanied with some medical jargon, is all that you're administered with. Followed by reassuring words about things getting better over time. And they do, because such are growing pains.<br />
<br />
The Sailfish OS 2.0 <a href="https://blog.jolla.com/jolla-iteration-3/" target="_blank">demo software</a> made its debut in Barcelona, at the Mobile World Congress. It got amazing reception from both Jolla booth visitors and media. It even landed us an award for the best tablet in show. However, our community and early adopters are not your average group of enthusiasts. Not too long after first hands-on videos reached youtube, various social media threads about missing features were open for business.<br />
<br />
It's no wonder. That's the risk of demoing unfinished software publicly. But there's a solid reason behind us doing so. When it's your turn to be in the showroom spotlight, in-between some billion dollar companies with their competing products, you need to make everyone experience the end result. And demo software has the exactly opposite emphasis compared to something you use on a daily basis.<br />
<br />
The demo software had to piggyback on easy and familiar features people can immediately recognize, understand and remember. Not on groundbreaking things that reboot the mobile computing or touch interaction, because those things require time to materialize during actual use. For someone already familiar with Sailfish OS, the demo software lacked many features that really add to the long term user experience.<br />
<br />But at the end, we didn't go to MWC just to show another product we've made. We didn't go there to show what we've done so far. We
were there to represent everyone who has ever supported us. To make
sure your decisions and voices count. This is a movement instead of technology. It's
more human than anything else out there, so it has all the potential to grow to the right direction.<br />
<br />
Even if it hurst a little.<br />
<br />
I'm going to end with reassuring words about things getting better over time. And they do, because such are growing pains.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-49315133744785499782015-03-16T13:54:00.001-07:002015-03-16T13:54:29.874-07:004 design tips for edge gesturesThis post is continuing my earlier article on <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/harmonizing-touch-screen-gestures.html" target="_blank">harmonizing touch screen gestures</a>.<br />
<br />
Look closely at recent apps and mobile operating systems. Swiping over the screen edge to trigger navigation related action, is becoming increasingly popular. No wonder, as edge gestures are fast and comfortable way to interact with your mobile app or device. They have a huge potential in them, but only a fraction of it has been put into use.<br />
<br />
It's not all unicorns, rainbows and marshmallows, though. These hidden gestures come with major drawback in discoverability and variation in use. Here's few tricks how to improve the way edge gestures can be put to use.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Keep it simple, consistent and fit for one hand.</b><br />
<br />
I can't stress this enough. The less there's to memorize, the faster it's to master. Eliminate exceptions and special conditions when an edge gesture is not working, or does something completely different. Focus on a robust gesture recognition, and let the physical repetition do the work for you. It's like training in any sport, so make sure those training conditions are obvious to the user. Interfaces are just tools, and a good <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/lets-talk-about-multitasking-as-feature.html" target="_blank">tool needs to be simple</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5a9qVpwLu8-T__E6jjhVP6Gl6yITbUtDi4yZhsu2tMIvpi0bS6aWQd_DJyBp15UTn5XEGaDK-hs1rhvMWkRZxN9-uaCFtXVADM3VCXwbbmlDK9IFKYQU9qTiXHzLYmmVd_4Rs0biJ8KA/s1600/display-edge-gestures.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5a9qVpwLu8-T__E6jjhVP6Gl6yITbUtDi4yZhsu2tMIvpi0bS6aWQd_DJyBp15UTn5XEGaDK-hs1rhvMWkRZxN9-uaCFtXVADM3VCXwbbmlDK9IFKYQU9qTiXHzLYmmVd_4Rs0biJ8KA/s1600/display-edge-gestures.png" height="180" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>2. Think edges as physical buttons.</b><br />
<br />
Edge gestures work especially well in controlling an operating system. A single edge gesture can be harnessed to perform similar kind of actions. For example, one edge can do things related to the power key (turn off screen, change profiles etc), while another one controls application window (minimize, close, windowed mode). Like in majority of other devices, notifications and whatnot could reside in another one.<br />
<br />
So, with only three edges, an extremely competitive and simple interface can be built. If more than one action starts from the same edge, use absolute care in fine-tuning the feedback for it. The finger movement needs to feel different for your brain to associate them to their corresponding actions. Traveled distance, change in direction, speed or physical location, are all your usual suspects for separating them. Keep it simple, and prioritize the most used action.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsYFxbsoF_08DngoKdbMHRJqfQ6J0uKLVCyK852_Rwe3O4x1tl43MTtfvsNUeOQPdY9z1Xg64mWRSY2-G9iZab2waTO1ClRLoKmGyGbtRwuE4i91QSAqGr5hWhyphenhyphenIBrl_aQ1RxWaJGrRk/s1600/display-edge-gestures-groups.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsYFxbsoF_08DngoKdbMHRJqfQ6J0uKLVCyK852_Rwe3O4x1tl43MTtfvsNUeOQPdY9z1Xg64mWRSY2-G9iZab2waTO1ClRLoKmGyGbtRwuE4i91QSAqGr5hWhyphenhyphenIBrl_aQ1RxWaJGrRk/s1600/display-edge-gestures-groups.png" height="180" width="400" /></a></div>
The relation to hardware buttons helps people understand the idea behind it much better. Memorizing actions becomes faster and more natural, when there's a familiar relation between them. The reason for some actions not being available becomes more obvious that way. Take application window controls as an example. They are only available when there's an application window on the foreground.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>3. The edge feedback is everything.</b><br />
<br />
Just like with any other interactive elements, when user interacts with the edge, there should be an appropriate feedback on it. This is important for many users not familiar with interactive edges. Gestures in general can be performed so fast, that it's a good idea to keep the interacted edge highligted even after the gesture has been succesfully completed.<br />
<br />
If your design uses gestures to control the application content, having different transitions for edge gestures and application content gestures is an advisable idea. It's a valuable difference to tell the two appart. After all, if edge gestures control the system level navigation, the feedback should be different than the application level navigation. Let's look at the hint animation for unlocking a smartphone as an example.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9h8CAMLBFYQgW1kLr_NbYmvuWEcZFJ-nLHCR8HfZ5Qx9FnEivuINkqIc0c-30GGOyQatQQu9z8q7tGZzapzP_EwcAQZm3qYr8yoIu-iIPoxO1zTNqNBWFLQTo1EDOOgg3qMWtOTyGI44/s1600/display-edge-gesture-indication.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9h8CAMLBFYQgW1kLr_NbYmvuWEcZFJ-nLHCR8HfZ5Qx9FnEivuINkqIc0c-30GGOyQatQQu9z8q7tGZzapzP_EwcAQZm3qYr8yoIu-iIPoxO1zTNqNBWFLQTo1EDOOgg3qMWtOTyGI44/s1600/display-edge-gesture-indication.gif" height="180" width="400" /></a></div>
If you want to use edge gesture to unlock, you should direct attention to the interaction area. If everything moves (right side example), it implies parallel navigation (like going through images in gallery) instead. If you have plans for any lock screen controls (phone call controls, maps, flashlight, audio playback), you most likely should reserve that center screen flick for such actions.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>4. Edge notifications and toggles.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1UzumU-QN2hJUrPr8pDth293YFi8q4cwZ-XyQKsMo-C39MSbT0leoK07pONGFgx0GLC57UzPbcJ5YVLCigm4xC-YEKraZ7l44ZMxHhrmI704lyJtrw-bWOTpEeaFbBiOHYUj1sfu9u4/s1600/display-edge-gesture-notification.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1UzumU-QN2hJUrPr8pDth293YFi8q4cwZ-XyQKsMo-C39MSbT0leoK07pONGFgx0GLC57UzPbcJ5YVLCigm4xC-YEKraZ7l44ZMxHhrmI704lyJtrw-bWOTpEeaFbBiOHYUj1sfu9u4/s1600/display-edge-gesture-notification.gif" height="320" width="243" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVVE_C_zsrd3X9yJldKurAKQIluw7qxF0nk0fT2vIFCMwpXhWXkHc-zNx3ae7xgnQ-a08HGlNC9-VSAfmnrQcco8228TrUoqJ_06Iisa5ioD1YNiAG_qCBkiZ0Eaoihdax1ALSL5tLk8/s1600/display-edge-gesture-toggle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVVE_C_zsrd3X9yJldKurAKQIluw7qxF0nk0fT2vIFCMwpXhWXkHc-zNx3ae7xgnQ-a08HGlNC9-VSAfmnrQcco8228TrUoqJ_06Iisa5ioD1YNiAG_qCBkiZ0Eaoihdax1ALSL5tLk8/s1600/display-edge-gesture-toggle.gif" height="320" width="243" /></a>This kind of edge indication can be used in several different ways to draw user attention to it. It can be indication of new content, or simply a reminder for a new user, that an edge gesture exist. The catch is that it doesn't introduce a tappable object on top of a keyboard or other interactive elements.<br />
<br />
Since user is not able to control when someone sends a message to them (or when the system decides to emit one), it's annoying when a banner appears on top of link, only milliseconds before user touches it.<br />
<br />
However, if the notification access is tied to the edge interaction, your tap will be registered by whatever it was intended for. The duration can also be shorter to avoid banners loitering on your screen for too long. You anyway know where to check those notifications.<br />
<br />
Finally, if you want your edge to function as a toggle, the edge indication should also behave as one. This means that subsequent swipes across that edge turn the edge indication "on" and "off" again. Just like tapping on a regular toggle switch would.<br />
<br />
The cool thing with edge toggles is in the effortless way to control it, compared to traditional notification panels. Those you need to close with the an opposite edge gesture, which require considerable thumb mobility to perform with a single hand.<br />
<br />
With these tips, you should be able to considerably increase edge gesture benefits, while avoiding the common gesture pitfalls that plague major operating systems and applications.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-28888124415194025102015-02-28T13:50:00.002-08:002015-02-28T13:50:37.035-08:00To evolve, or not to evolve?That's not even a question.<br />
<br />
Be it building shelters, gathering food or traveling long distances; people always had an innate desire to do things better and faster. It's been always possible to improve some part of an activity or a tool related to it. Even entire professions have been forgotten after becoming obsolete. Thanks to the increasing pace of technological advancements, our children won't anymore recognize objects their parents grew up with.<br />
<br />
Except when it comes to user interfaces.<br />
<br />
I grew up with computers around me, and my kids will grow up with even more computers around them. Over the years, they've gotten a lot smaller and immensely more powerful. What hasn't really changed, is the graphical user interface staring back at us. The desktop metaphor with windows, icons, menus and a pointer (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WIMP_%28computing%29" target="_blank">WIMP</a>) has stayed intact for over 40 years.<br />
<br />
The first mobile devices had no touch screens, and had to be navigated with either directional keys or a scroll wheel. It was logical to use the same approach for such a miniaturized desktop, but when touch screens became more popular, user could directly interact with things. This made controlling a pointer redundant.<br />
<br />
After the mouse pointer was removed and touchable things made a bit bigger for suitable finger operation, everything was ready for profit-making. Nobody seemed to question, whether an interface paradigm originally designed to be operated with a keyboard and mouse (WIMP), was really applicable for a mobile touch screen use:<br />
<br />
Unlike desktops, mobile devices<br />
<ul>
<li>are primarily used without a supporting surface (table or similar)</li>
<li>are used in dynamic environments with disruptions</li>
<li>can't assume user is constantly looking at the screen</li>
<li>can't assume both hands are available for a basic operation</li>
<li>can't assume equal amount of time is available to perform a task</li>
</ul>
<br />
Regardless, all mainstream mobile operating systems treat mobile use the same way as desktop use. The familiar button-based navigation model, dating back 40 years, does not really qualify for mobile use. It requires too much attention from it's user to be efficient. Too much precision to be comfortable. Too much time to be fast.<br />
<br />
Replacing mouse and keyboard with touch alone, just decreases the speed user can control the system, making it actually worse than the desktop. It's been a wobbly decade of mobile user interface infancy. The only way it's gotten any better, is through nicer visuals and smoother transitions. But that's just surface - a better hardware clad in finer clothes.<br />
<br />
At this rate, my grandchildren can still identify an Android phone, because baby steps were considered good enough. That's a valid strategy as long as everyone copies one another, and no alternatives exist: a family tree that looks like a ladder. It's an open invitation for smaller companies to deliver less inbred products, that are designed to adapt to your life, instead the other way around.<br />
<br />
If you still think those archaic desktop conventions are enough to keep your massive software business afloat today, you're not the first one. The bad news is, that the only way a dinosaur could avoid extinction, was to stop being one, and evolve into something else.<br />
<br />
Before it was too late.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"></span></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-40689047863743869632015-02-09T04:49:00.000-08:002015-02-09T04:51:44.623-08:00Breaking the application gridSome time ago, I wrote an article about the <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/11/what-comes-after-applications.html" target="_blank">role of applications</a> on a smartphone. This time, I want to burrow deeper both into their actual presentation and location, where apps are physically found from.<br />
<br />
Meet the app grid (launcher / app drawer). Before gunning everything down, let's find out the problem before fixing it. We should always try to live how we <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/solving-problem-before-defining-it-is.html" target="_blank">preach</a>, right. My top issues with multiple pages, filled with app icons in an neverending array, are:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Icon arrangement is the only way to personalize how the grid looks. It might work for some cases, but as it grows longer, it starts to be tedious to find anything from it.</li>
<li>Related to the above, an even grid does not offer enough cues to find things in it. It's slow to scan through a single row after another.</li>
<li>Moreover, icon folders/groups alone leave little room for building information hierarchies. Be it an app, contact or a link to a website, attaching them to your launcher makes everything one step closer to a mess you don't want to tread on. This is the point when Android home screens start to sound like a great idea.</li>
<li>Finally, and partially related, your app usage is traditionally divided between a task switcher (active apps) and a launcher (installed apps). If the app is not present in the task switcher, you have
to exit it, and go to the launcher instead. Even worse if you have to hunt through multiple home screens between the two.</li>
</ul>
<br />
While Sailfish OS already solves the last one by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1ZSYVlbz28&list=PLQgR2jhO_J0y8YSSvVd-Mg9LM88W0aIpD&index=11" target="_blank">combining app drawer and switcher</a>, to form a single location, the grid is still just a huge mass of identically spaced icon rows, with very little visual cues for our eyes to lock on. That's the gray part on the image below (click to enlarge).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Cg0imI3jmfhjnBpnj9SVPzcGdH45siSm_s-dVPWHWSVrK4mLghsBzVXn4WjB5-bCuRAB2XMraYCGmxTICrtby5hQgZBt1uv45Zf9itRRZIX-clvMPK1L1Z_KocNspKqScNIIWPd7AYA/s1600/breaking-app-grid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Cg0imI3jmfhjnBpnj9SVPzcGdH45siSm_s-dVPWHWSVrK4mLghsBzVXn4WjB5-bCuRAB2XMraYCGmxTICrtby5hQgZBt1uv45Zf9itRRZIX-clvMPK1L1Z_KocNspKqScNIIWPd7AYA/s1600/breaking-app-grid.png" height="260" width="400" /></a> </div>
<br />
The blue half of the image on the other hand, illustrates how user could arrange icons to support their personal use. Don't take it as a suggestion how to arrange anything, as it's just an illustration. Obviously, the problem exists also horizontally arranged pages, but the presented solution is a bit challenging to pull of in that direction.<br />
<br />
If you find the idea ugly or messy, it's easy to understand. From a visual point of view, a repeating pattern and a strict order is appealing to look at, even though they harm the long term usability of finding things from it, especially when the amount of icons increase. Don't worry, it's not the first time usability and aesthetics collide.<br />
<br />
It's also worth noting, that while most people might not concider the app grid a problem on their Android devices, they still like to pin app icons and other stuff on their home screens. It clearly tells that the grid quickly becomes unwieldly to browse. <br />
<br />
Now, I would like to entertain a thought: what if the app grid would've been fixed to support more dynamic layout for people to personalize. As a part of the software, the launcher already exists. Why not make it more customizable, instead of building Home screens on top to hide the issue?<br />
<br />
Would Android still have multiple home screens? Nobody knows.<br />
<br />
Would it be simpler? Absolutely.<br />
<br />
Would it break the Android UX? Nope, just that archaic <b>app grid</b>.<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-17108886738972763552014-12-15T12:39:00.000-08:002014-12-15T12:39:04.396-08:00What if game controllers were designed like smartphonesSometimes, we find products that are carefully designed with human body limitations in mind. And sometimes products go to market with utter disregard to <b>how and where people use them</b>.<br />
<br />
I started wondering how would it look if, for example, a game controller would be designed without actually thinking how our hands interact with it. Here is an existing smartphone, next to a made-up game controller:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgiwL13-4fpJNalp376YCml4y1kj0lxaEYRA-6V_QAq0axRKqUBmz928nMF8w5kx709AQ8HxpHuWN3YJw3VfBIr3SarbdqTG-_8kTEaxpEXpMFXZLs7IPIbw7qP1rizmwo8eH2mWPn9Q/s1600/bad-ergonomy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgiwL13-4fpJNalp376YCml4y1kj0lxaEYRA-6V_QAq0axRKqUBmz928nMF8w5kx709AQ8HxpHuWN3YJw3VfBIr3SarbdqTG-_8kTEaxpEXpMFXZLs7IPIbw7qP1rizmwo8eH2mWPn9Q/s1600/bad-ergonomy.png" height="211" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Obviously, that wouldn't really work out for any gamer, since your thumbs would be functioning on their movement range limits most of the time. It would be painful in two ways: one, your hands would be killing you even after a short session. Two, in an online game, everyone else would too. As a gamer, I'm glad we don't have such controllers, but sadly we have phones that are painful to use with one hand. And <b>that's</b> killing me.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Naturally, I'll just go ahead and flip that around. Here you can see the same focus to ergonomics that's applied to existing game controllers, going into a smartphone interface design. To most of you, it looks <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/pushing-touch-interface-to-next-level.html" target="_blank">familiar</a>:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_Gg5KbJfYLv3ySx-6f3cBhezGf7msAkYEOeDWpXcQUv49cCyqYcfMgDqlcIQYH7UHgfDI0WRIDJEcavPcrFNuvlpeaTf7w9v06AJee_RSalnr1uB1LPgw_ELzIxAYH6_hYQH4oLESbo/s1600/good-ergonomy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_Gg5KbJfYLv3ySx-6f3cBhezGf7msAkYEOeDWpXcQUv49cCyqYcfMgDqlcIQYH7UHgfDI0WRIDJEcavPcrFNuvlpeaTf7w9v06AJee_RSalnr1uB1LPgw_ELzIxAYH6_hYQH4oLESbo/s1600/good-ergonomy.png" height="211" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Just like that, we can play games and use smartphones as much as we like without collateral thumb damage. And trust me when I say this, we clock in some impressive amounts per day on both. Something that smartphone interface designers in the past didn't take into consideration.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Or <b>chose </b>to ignore.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-59820957410012642152014-12-13T06:48:00.000-08:002014-12-13T06:48:30.410-08:00Follow-up: Why the status bar has to goMy <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/11/why-status-bar-has-to-go.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a>, about calling a <b>persistent </b>status bar a ghost of desktop days, got somewhat mixed reception. I was mainly talking about individual details, and forgot to summarize the big picture.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'd like to take another swing at the topic from a less technical angle, by asking <b>why do we own smartphones</b>?<br />
<br />
Everyone uses them to communicate with people important to them. We use them to consume content through any channels available. We all have slightly different ways we use them. Others take things further, while the rest settle for less. But everyone has one thing in common; we all do it on the go.<br />
<br />
We pay money to carry a piece of technology around all day, to do all these things when we want to. The value comes from the device <b>enabling </b>communication, access to information and entertainment. It exists so that we don't have to be tethered to <a href="http://legitreviews.com/images/reviews/news/900dseb_480.png" target="_blank">our grampa's box</a> all the time.<br />
<br />
I don't understand <b>why are we required to babysit</b> our devices all day, using that small bar at the top of the screen?<br />
<br />
When facing a critical error, all smartphones have that "I just soiled my pants" -look of a small child on their faces. But children are much easier to debug, because all issues are local. With cellular reception woes, the catastrophe can occur in places you don't even know that exists. You're only left with the stink.<br />
<br />
We must stop traveling a road, where you have to keep one eye on the status bar and one on the content. We can't live under a constant fear of our devices jumping off a cliff the moment we're not able to see the status bar. It's a UX shot so wide, that you could park Jupiter with its moons between it, and the "smartphone" target you we're aiming at.<br />
<br />
Making better products and better software is not easy, and will only happen gradually. Nobody makes software that <b>behaves badly on purpose</b>. It's bad because we, as users, are holding on to certain things extremely tight. We're constantly demanding more features on top of the old ones, without understanding the complexity it invites. Complexity in the software is the same for bugs, what blood in the water is for sharks. An open invitation to ruin your pool party.<br />
<br />
That's why rebooting the smartphone value domain is important to see <b>what is really needed</b>.<br />
<br />
Look at <a href="http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-8-1-preview-developers/274574-developer-preview-8-1-bugs-defects-thread.html" target="_blank">any</a>, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2014/11/21/apple-news-digest-bugs-io8-usb-lightning-free-apps/" target="_blank">big</a>, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30116319" target="_blank">companies</a>, that are throwing thousands after thousands of developers and testers at their software products, to keep the quality on an acceptable level. <b>Even they struggle</b> to keep the water safe for swimming. They're not bad at software, but their products are simply unwieldy.<br />
<br />
And they're complex <b>because we demand</b> them to be. So make sure you demand only what you really need, because it will affect with who you're sharing your swimming pool?<br />
<br />
Is it with <b>people important to you</b>? Or with bunch of <b>f*cking sharks</b>?<br />
<br />
The decision is yours.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-47263239360280179602014-12-12T10:03:00.000-08:002014-12-12T10:03:08.207-08:00Ambience: the story behind Sailfish OS looks, part 2In the <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/12/ambience-story-behind-sailfish-os-looks.html" target="_blank">previous part</a>, I went through the reason to not follow what other mobile operating systems do, and <b>stay away from a static interface style</b>. The main problem with themes, is that they just alleviate the real problem of interfaces being static, because someone wanted it to look the same for everyone.<br />
<br />
Instead doing small things here and there, we wanted to build the personalization story around a <b>single strong feature</b>. The most used way to customize a device yourself, is to change the wallpaper. But we didn't want to stop there - we wanted the wallpaper to signify how the device currently works.<br />
<br />
To do that, it should affect also to how individual applications look. This naturally allows the image to carry more meaning to its owner than meets the eye of an outsider. The feature was named as <i><b>Ambience</b></i>, which means atmosphere, surrounding, mood or environment of a given place.<br />
<br />
Here's some examples. These are screenshots of my lock screen, home screen and calculator app (click to enlarge them). In the first set, I have created an Ambience out of Orion nebula photo, and set the device to not emit any sounds when that Ambience is active. You can see the selected image being visible <b>throughout the interface</b>, from lock screen to the calculator.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0de1SjJFR53a_UxRjtph5fJ9jRqN8m9pEPS7-tc8DhfgUNg_6a5OIXpW06o2InTxkLBTWofbHqwyXziK9AvEwMkIKTr4ewwisUxUo9oHpLX-r9TPSyXqo2IZhM-Lf2QcsffOY4GTY7I/s1600/20141028165417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0de1SjJFR53a_UxRjtph5fJ9jRqN8m9pEPS7-tc8DhfgUNg_6a5OIXpW06o2InTxkLBTWofbHqwyXziK9AvEwMkIKTr4ewwisUxUo9oHpLX-r9TPSyXqo2IZhM-Lf2QcsffOY4GTY7I/s1600/20141028165417.jpg" height="200" width="111" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZJP39C6wjKWV1aWFrgxdrnx7UJLkDtQCw2KJjTUONOUhLcU_n63Nqs2W4rd0WRF_-6Is8Qz7NaIQ232f-pbmMF-RJNKqmM7t4eH5eL2PP_UGoxp49KBqQUPq2-LYXAWwf3WvHN0ItGY/s1600/20141028165021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZJP39C6wjKWV1aWFrgxdrnx7UJLkDtQCw2KJjTUONOUhLcU_n63Nqs2W4rd0WRF_-6Is8Qz7NaIQ232f-pbmMF-RJNKqmM7t4eH5eL2PP_UGoxp49KBqQUPq2-LYXAWwf3WvHN0ItGY/s1600/20141028165021.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRPNdbc5cMICsDF2UtdY2-t-3uGU3pVw5vYMYFZRcIyWn4G4XvozxVisJhUJczTDiWrjUqAzloUKpp4n3kEEA7Izf4lGrFCBBba3nW2TupT40lDQhKItvR1z23fC7hcx5xd7ZHI5xK2c/s1600/20141028170511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRPNdbc5cMICsDF2UtdY2-t-3uGU3pVw5vYMYFZRcIyWn4G4XvozxVisJhUJczTDiWrjUqAzloUKpp4n3kEEA7Izf4lGrFCBBba3nW2TupT40lDQhKItvR1z23fC7hcx5xd7ZHI5xK2c/s1600/20141028170511.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
<br />
Alright, unto the next set. This time I have selected an image that shows a circuit board as Ambience motif. More discrete ringtones and notification sounds are defined to fit my working mood and prevent disturbing others. It's easy for me to tell apart green and red interface as they carry added significance for me (both photos are <b>personally relevant for me</b>, and I have defined the behavior for each Ambience). Red is silent, green is discrete. No need to squint at <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/11/why-status-bar-has-to-go.html" target="_blank">tiny status bar icons</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3mx5JLZo9WfK8CekYnY22THqYyqFU0wGz7FL7YzhDyb5G9lIqXhHFQkq_Z6D6ZH5z3f-Lb2jhwmcPawDwGjdoC61Sc499JCVFKLV7I5nv4pBvTlv_aruyNFMK6yI0OzBH_P9jQ8BYps/s1600/20141028165547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3mx5JLZo9WfK8CekYnY22THqYyqFU0wGz7FL7YzhDyb5G9lIqXhHFQkq_Z6D6ZH5z3f-Lb2jhwmcPawDwGjdoC61Sc499JCVFKLV7I5nv4pBvTlv_aruyNFMK6yI0OzBH_P9jQ8BYps/s1600/20141028165547.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tycZDPbBO4TUU_exMVuftJ5e-wRQVSuPB7R3HNYRtW6b59dgXB7WamTMbnQPJdFwZXPSGUplnmVVDjdFHWsc8t0E0iXA0B1xyYjJB_vug0hHKVSUDFVkQmO-vokERGER1qz5ohoFo50/s1600/20141028165033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tycZDPbBO4TUU_exMVuftJ5e-wRQVSuPB7R3HNYRtW6b59dgXB7WamTMbnQPJdFwZXPSGUplnmVVDjdFHWsc8t0E0iXA0B1xyYjJB_vug0hHKVSUDFVkQmO-vokERGER1qz5ohoFo50/s1600/20141028165033.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6HGkICQTX9cKc6boeLMDA3kctTR93aj3IVs9BgVix51S3jJ5BgmRu8dpgingRNVbDpoY606YU5SGtEyszGsaz-YU5IHqSx22wIYVGrShxiNAu5pjE6G_KkgxhCUhUwMXNhYa-cpOUGE/s1600/20141028170454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6HGkICQTX9cKc6boeLMDA3kctTR93aj3IVs9BgVix51S3jJ5BgmRu8dpgingRNVbDpoY606YU5SGtEyszGsaz-YU5IHqSx22wIYVGrShxiNAu5pjE6G_KkgxhCUhUwMXNhYa-cpOUGE/s1600/20141028170454.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
<br />
Moving on to the third set, where I used an abstract macro photo to create my casual Ambience. When activated, ringtones and volumes reflect my preferences for events, going out with friends, or just idling at home. Again, it's trivial for the <b>owner </b>of the device to understand the device behavior through meaningful images and colors instead of minuscule status icons.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0Ci_rnTTeNTGgti6x47aa6w52jtz0W1Nymklp0nlYVYUNadXTjkIwQaLIDbytMjs15c-4-GL2dMg6i3wacdAojupJQHIqXVOJVvfEtfSXNT2q7K43ZmAqtQC8KYgN7hFtDOekllfuu0/s1600/20141028165630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0Ci_rnTTeNTGgti6x47aa6w52jtz0W1Nymklp0nlYVYUNadXTjkIwQaLIDbytMjs15c-4-GL2dMg6i3wacdAojupJQHIqXVOJVvfEtfSXNT2q7K43ZmAqtQC8KYgN7hFtDOekllfuu0/s1600/20141028165630.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1ZeRPLh5P7B8ExTvK9lYf-XXa88x8YcMfdbupjg9fr3N0VmmSB5aBh8QNf5iLqRxunzny3vonuEJhQwLtzP-i5BVWq73pmFRc5Kx0oD5KCMTSWXVhMkt6FownFWoks2ABHub5h69BnM/s1600/20141028165108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1ZeRPLh5P7B8ExTvK9lYf-XXa88x8YcMfdbupjg9fr3N0VmmSB5aBh8QNf5iLqRxunzny3vonuEJhQwLtzP-i5BVWq73pmFRc5Kx0oD5KCMTSWXVhMkt6FownFWoks2ABHub5h69BnM/s1600/20141028165108.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMXslFjb6IYgL1Q77NlVJYlxjpquqaMzjZ4LVnVs3eC7IodXWFLEMLIo9fDPDbYQN8zzj5VmRg9y65HKHbV3M4my7or1Bg3irlDmSGGx2xu8pl5ysPCl3O0zeeye85GSz1W-Z5Js3sJc/s1600/20141028170346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMXslFjb6IYgL1Q77NlVJYlxjpquqaMzjZ4LVnVs3eC7IodXWFLEMLIo9fDPDbYQN8zzj5VmRg9y65HKHbV3M4my7or1Bg3irlDmSGGx2xu8pl5ysPCl3O0zeeye85GSz1W-Z5Js3sJc/s1600/20141028170346.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
<br />
To create a new Ambience, <b>all you need</b> is a large enough image. Download one from web, use camera to capture something nice, or create a unique piece with your favorite illustration software. With a little bit of testing, <b>anyone can do it</b>. Results will often surprise you. It's an invitation to explore how different kind of images work and shape the appearance of your device. Use images relevant to you, don't follow but pave your own style. <b>Be playful and try different things</b>. Delete the bad ones and enjoy keepers.<br />
<br />
Sailfish OS Ambience journey has just barely started and currently only includes partial sound settings. To get some idea what could be done with it in the future, take a look at what our community has already <a href="https://together.jolla.com/questions/scope:all/sort:activity-desc/tags:ambience,ambience/page:1/" target="_blank">proposed</a>. In short, it's like a <b>visual umbrella</b> for grouping any kind of behavior you might frequently need to change based on context.<br />
<br />
How you make use of it, is up to you. After all, it's your <b>personal </b>device. And this time around, it really means it. The way your phone looks like, is not shared by anyone else.<br />
<br />
Each Sailfish OS device is unique in that sense. Reflecting their users.<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="color: #999999; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-34240539115274859602014-12-10T14:15:00.004-08:002014-12-12T10:30:49.375-08:00Ambience: the story behind Sailfish OS looks, part 1As a part of our <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/thoughts-about-doing-impossible.html" target="_blank">daunting task</a> of creating a new mobile operating system, a visual story (theme) for the user interface was needed. What that usually meant in the past projects, was a ton of work containing:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>appearance for system UI (things that's part of the OS itself like home, lock etc.)</li>
<li>appearance for each application UI building block (buttons, sliders and switches etc.)</li>
<li>launcher icon style (how app icons stand out and represent the app itself)</li>
<li>generic icon style (iconography used across the OS and apps) </li>
<li>creating graphical assets for actual implementation of system interface and application UI building blocks</li>
<li>document how everything is implemented correctly (fonts, colors, geometry, transitions, interaction feedback etc..)</li>
<li>continuously work on the documentation to fix mistakes, partial details and oversight</li>
<li>add new features and update existing ones in your documentation</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In most cases, one or two design teams are working on this huge pile of things. Team compositions are usually something like this:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>few chiefs for planning, leading, reviewing and managing the work</li>
<li>some seniors for heading key areas</li>
<li>a lot of designers to execute the design and deliver it to be implemented. Usually one per application. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That easily means work for 15-25 people. At the time when we started, <b>we had 2</b>. We couldn't really continue the <a href="http://img.gfx.no/858/858522/nokia_n9_01.jpg" target="_blank">Nokia N9 style</a>, due to both the amount of work required (see above) and it was still part of Nokia's brand. Same restriction applied for going for <a href="http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/samsung.jpg" target="_blank">Android</a> or <a href="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/41123853dbc83595fcd107708d9bd0/200218629/ios8-960.jpg" target="_blank">iOS</a> -copycat style. Too much to do. The amount of work needed to define, implement and maintain such an UI style, would've burnt us up in no time. Not to mention delivering something like that, understaffed, with a competitive quality. We went the opposite way, <b>do as little design as possible</b>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoMAXgW6GL6wr_tmePUnc55dVbmYi2jbQD5vm5OzMe_1ZKKxMYYOVlk9mhoZ8PMvToiyO6YmbhNxozgLhGdQZEoiaC5QC8aBGmGr_SpN_vRK0H4MRTE6fiFKsigDaKmi8C63kUW2jeQ0/s1600/20141028165045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoMAXgW6GL6wr_tmePUnc55dVbmYi2jbQD5vm5OzMe_1ZKKxMYYOVlk9mhoZ8PMvToiyO6YmbhNxozgLhGdQZEoiaC5QC8aBGmGr_SpN_vRK0H4MRTE6fiFKsigDaKmi8C63kUW2jeQ0/s1600/20141028165045.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
The current Sailfish OS visual appearance was born out from the idea, that it's not the interface that matters, <b>but what's around it</b>; starting from the user. The more we could capture that, the less visual design would be required.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Let me open that up a bit more. The less a designer dictates how an interface looks like, the more one leaves room for personal expression. The less you try to control everything, the more the interface can become adaptive, and to resemble its owner.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We didn't want to control everything in Sailfish OS. That's not what personal is about. We wanted to make it adaptive, so that every device would look unique through portraying something that's dear to the user. As a designer, you cannot decide what that something is. You need to let go and trust the user.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>And we did</b>. We didn't end up defining everything like the competition. We almost completely eliminated documentation overhead (we're not shipping that, but a product), and instead worked with the actual software. We crafted a rule-set for adaptive interface, and continue improving and developing our own personal story.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The <b>Ambience</b> story.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/12/ambience-story-behind-sailfish-os-looks_12.html" target="_blank">next part</a>, I'll dive deeper into how the visual style works (with example pictures).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-18460070513983897152014-11-25T02:28:00.000-08:002014-11-25T02:28:05.163-08:00Why the status bar has to go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The small black stripe at the top of the smartphone of your choice. Home for various tiny icons. Through subtle changes in them, we can decipher what's going on under the hood.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChULNEHme3vcph1yigKplO4i-TS_VS-4gaOU9EnY4miRSPvfJ9xIpSvbpbecP40dmd0HWmTwM0IrHl9OvXct7u78GFF_SNCRT23X-_ZmAaDjqwNUACmgU1Mr9Hd44m5ftD7J32p4i9io/s1600/persistent-statusbar-crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChULNEHme3vcph1yigKplO4i-TS_VS-4gaOU9EnY4miRSPvfJ9xIpSvbpbecP40dmd0HWmTwM0IrHl9OvXct7u78GFF_SNCRT23X-_ZmAaDjqwNUACmgU1Mr9Hd44m5ftD7J32p4i9io/s1600/persistent-statusbar-crop.png" /></a></div>
<br />
To better understand the status bar we have today, we must look at the desktop computing environment where the convention came from. The following image illustrates how different common desktop environments have solved the status bar. Top or bottom, (left or right. Always visible by default.<br />
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokgeFeYbK8vA73zxDN4QE0t2OJigJHinf0f85y5Se3TpW6ifz7_FuSdN7Rk6-qKNQWBJq1JyMMvhcju5KnbxRaAmGGCz0i-nvAiNk8oYDSHO2sj3V9r8u2PG-eqNdWunJYnH5XTDCQgI/s1600/statusbar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokgeFeYbK8vA73zxDN4QE0t2OJigJHinf0f85y5Se3TpW6ifz7_FuSdN7Rk6-qKNQWBJq1JyMMvhcju5KnbxRaAmGGCz0i-nvAiNk8oYDSHO2sj3V9r8u2PG-eqNdWunJYnH5XTDCQgI/s1600/statusbar.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
That design somehow felt like the only possible solution that anyone could ever come up with. Whenever someone started to design an operating system, they first drew that familiar bar across one of the display edges. Just like small kids default drawing the sun into one of the <a href="http://www.emreptilefamily.com/assets/KidDrawing.jpg" target="_blank">top paper corners</a>. Only with the difference that kids move on, discovering other possibilities for sun placement.<br />
<br />
Then came the advent of smartphones. Everything we got used to in the desktop environment, had to be crammed down to a smaller screen. <i>So that we wouldn't mistake it as something else than a desktop </sarcasm></i>. A ceremonial bar was again crafted across the top screen edge, to give permanent residence for status icons. And after repeating that design pattern countless times, we should realize that the advent is now gone. It's no more, and here's some further incentive:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>As a digital medium, software is dynamic in nature. A fixed or static layout is more a design decision, not a requirement. Displays also exist for dynamic content, and suffer from static one. If you haven't yet heard about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_burn-in" target="_blank">screen burn-in</a>, well now you have.</li>
<li>A small bar is a compromise in legibility. To not waste screen space, the bar height is kept tiny. This results in uncomfortably tiny icons. Some have made the bar automatically hide, to not distract user, but have still kept the bar and icons tiny. <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=picard+facepalm&rlz=1C1LENP_enFI491FI491&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Dzl0VPHxK6PjywO2q4K4Aw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=871&bih=901&dpr=0.9" target="_blank">Sigh</a>.</li>
<li>Lack of structure and meaning. On a small bar, all icons compete with each other for user attention. Since everything is visible all the time, a subtle change in one icon is easy to miss. All icons appear visually equal in importance, even if they rarely are.</li>
<li>Technical overhead. This concerns mostly app developers, but they're users as well. No discrimination, please. Better developer experiences are needed as well. Controlling <a href="https://developer.android.com/training/system-ui/status.html" target="_blank">status bar visibility and behavior</a> is yet another thing to be mindful when creating your application. Also the OS owner has to maintain such complexity. Both sides lose.</li>
<li>Lost screen estate. Even if little, it all adds up. It's not really a full screen if something is reserving a slice of what would otherwise belong to your app. There is a dedicated <a href="https://developer.android.com/training/system-ui/immersive.html" target="_blank">full-screen mode</a> in Android, further increasing the technical overhead and complexity, for both app developers and system maintainers.</li>
<li>Information overload and "over-notifying". We're bad at focusing on multiple things at the same time. Status bar at the top is screaming for attention and every time you take a glimpse at it, you need to refocus back to the whatever you did before. It's important information no doubt, but user decides when.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
Even if mobile devices are almost identical to desktops as computer systems, smartphones are used in completely different way, than stationary desktops and laptops. Smartphone use is mainly happening in occasional brief bursts, instead of long sessions (desktop). User unlocks the device, goes into an app, locks it again and repeats.<br /><ul>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgNr6wUY5c7Ra2z__EHxjAmAsza0W8Z-nPn0WrikyN1zmkGV69_EWHHHe-nA7an8RNja2rd3CVbhgNckUBJlnVXfHkK3jKGvYacf4ITlWWX_O5ud4E_ZkuAcjbcqN8jHrcR_d-M5XrR0/s1600/gesture-based-navigation-home.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgNr6wUY5c7Ra2z__EHxjAmAsza0W8Z-nPn0WrikyN1zmkGV69_EWHHHe-nA7an8RNja2rd3CVbhgNckUBJlnVXfHkK3jKGvYacf4ITlWWX_O5ud4E_ZkuAcjbcqN8jHrcR_d-M5XrR0/s1600/gesture-based-navigation-home.png" height="320" width="242" /></a></div>
It's important to understand that there's a reason for the user to do that. The device is not the center of your life, and is put aside all the time, just to be pulled out again when required.<br />
<br />
And before the user reaches that app (or notification drawer/view), several opportunities present themselves to expose user to the system status without the need to make it persistently shown. Like making it part of the natural flow of things.<br />
<br />
That is exactly what <a href="https://sailfishos.org/" target="_blank">Sailfish OS</a> does. It solves the aforementioned problem by showing important system information as part of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9YGtW274GI&list=PLQgR2jhO_J0y8YSSvVd-Mg9LM88W0aIpD&index=1" target="_blank">home screen content</a>, resulting in:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Dynamic screen usage, behavior designed for displays</li>
<li>Superior legibility due to larger icons</li>
<li>More meaningful icons are emphasized, more layout possibilities</li>
<li>Less coding leads to faster app development</li>
<li>Single behavior is simpler to maintain from the OS side</li>
<li>All apps are full-screen by default</li>
<li>Less clutter, information is showed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9YGtW274GI&list=PLQgR2jhO_J0y8YSSvVd-Mg9LM88W0aIpD&index=1" target="_blank">on demand</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br />
Don't blindly embrace a legacy design as an absolute truth. Make sure you <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/solving-problem-before-defining-it-is.html" target="_blank">define first what is the problem</a> it solves. Rapid advancements in both software technology and mobile context understanding, can provide you great insight in finding alternatives that didn't exist back then.<br />
<br />
And keeping in mind that <b>mobile != desktop</b> will alone carry you a long way. Remember that natural interaction in mobile context needs solutions that desktop didn't have to solve. Use your head.<br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-59968339811660930932014-11-11T03:04:00.000-08:002014-11-11T03:13:10.093-08:00Why do people get into fights with computers?The internet is full of stories about the volatile relationship between people and computers. It's because by nature, both sides are <b>completely foreign to each other</b>, only separated by a thin layer called a user interface. It communicates the state the software is in, and provides methods for the user to control both software and hardware features of the computer.<br />
<br />
To put the role and importance of user interface into a perspective, I'll compare it to an intergalactic interpreter. <b>It's job is to prevent </b><b>miscommunication </b><b>and when possible, recover from situations caused by it.</b> It works between two species that have nothing in common with each other. A misunderstanding between such parties can escalate quickly and have irreversible consequences. And naturally there are good and bad interfaces when it comes to doing interpreting. The former takes pride in focusing on <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/lets-talk-about-multitasking-as-feature.html" target="_blank">efficiently getting the message across</a> as authentic as possible, while the latter focuses on performing party tricks.<br />
<br />
I personally value getting the message across. For example, we use a smartphone so many times throughout the day, that it's frustrating if an interpreter doesn't understand you, or <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/pushing-touch-interface-to-next-level.html" target="_blank">treats your hand as something it's not</a>. <b>A good interpreter is in tune with you</b>. It knows what you're about to do, understands differences in your tone of voice and body language. A bad one requires constant focus from you, because it doesn't fully understand you or isn't compatible with the way you function. That means neither side can really function efficiently, and mistakes are bound to happen.<br />
<br />
And at the end of the day, when machines finally turn against us, I'm confident in pinning the blame for that on the interface between the two. <b>The user didn't understand why the machine wasn't doing anything, and the machine didn't understand why user was anyway doing something</b>. The interpreter was most likely putting on some lipstick when all of that happened, and the resulting nuclear winter allows our kids to make glow-in-the-dark snowmen all year around.<br />
<br />
To delay the inevitable, let's focus on both <b>prioritizing and improving the interpreter qualities of user interfaces</b> we build to communicate with machines. These two species so alien to each other absolutely require it. Because with the current rate of technological advancements, the smartphone of tomorrow will be capable of horrors far beyond running a Facebook client.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5841610225865274585.post-36587710439834854842014-11-05T09:30:00.000-08:002014-11-05T09:30:38.605-08:00What comes after applicationsOver the past few years, there's been a lot of discussion over mobile apps: should there be apps or not? Obviously the question itself is an opinion divider. One side has faith in apps, while the opposition doesn't. <a href="http://blog.intercom.io/the-end-of-apps-as-we-know-them/" target="_blank">This piece</a> by Paul Adams from Intercom, was the latest manifestation I enjoyed. A good read for anyone interested about mobile computing.<br />
<br />
This phenomenon is a result of people getting tired of eating the same app pill for every issue they have. The five year old marketing punchline "There's an app for that" really explains the dominant mentality. And with enough repetition, it was rooted deep into our minds. The emerged "app evolution" debate is just an indication, that people have finally become aware of the indoctrination. This post is my contribution to the topic.<br />
<br />
Naturally, there's a gray area in between both extremes of the debate. To me, an application is just one of many ways to solve a user problem. When smartphones really kicked off the mobile app business, everyone wanted a piece of that pie. As a result, it became difficult to jump out from the app bandwagon. In addition to the "me too" factor, what makes an app so attractive option, is the degrees of freedom it offers to both the user and developer. However, it comes with a price tag.<br />
<br />
Mobile operating systems have grown a lot since those days. They offer much wider range of tools to build engaging experiences. The common mistake is to think you need to implement everything yourself. Below, is my rough categorization of different methods a user problem can be solved; and how "less control" can in some cases increase the value compared to "more control". It's a matter of <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/solving-problem-before-defining-it-is.html" target="_blank">identifying the problem</a> before finding a fitting solution for it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlmiUVaidx0_WMqoFmHfljEdg2UCa9dmJRKIaKp5CAnEO9CGFS0QR0OFPpcRrSe_NVFbBQqNrDYSmI3HnEgs-d2dhu3pBdrHiVeF5mOeCxOjIuPAaEv84eo4OBOfGf5VPOo2CJv7PZpI/s1600/smartness.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlmiUVaidx0_WMqoFmHfljEdg2UCa9dmJRKIaKp5CAnEO9CGFS0QR0OFPpcRrSe_NVFbBQqNrDYSmI3HnEgs-d2dhu3pBdrHiVeF5mOeCxOjIuPAaEv84eo4OBOfGf5VPOo2CJv7PZpI/s1600/smartness.png" height="180" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>A background process</b></span> takes care of performing the task in behalf of the user. It makes the solution feel like magic because user didn't do anything. As this requires an intimate knowledge of the lower software layers and contextual awareness, it's not really trivial to do. Not to mention being forbidden in many systems.<br /></li>
<li><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>A notification</b></span> uses existing mechanisms in an operating system to promote a functionality or a piece of information based on its relevancy. This can result in genius solutions, since the needed functionality can be conveniently offered regardless of the context user is in. Even if there's not much interface work involved, a reliable context engine is hard to get right.<br /></li>
<li><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>A system integration</b></span> takes a frequently used functionality and makes it an integral part of the operating system. This makes interacting with such a features much faster compared to an application counterpart. The result is a smarter and more holistic experience. However, this either requires rooting or OS ownership to do, so it's not an option for many.<br /></li>
<li><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>An application</b></span> is the last step in the scale. Almost everything is possible here. It's very powerful and can be tailored to fit very specific tasks. Using an application as a solution easily adds more steps to achieving a desired result. Repeating these steps frequently to do something feels dumb. Due to the amount freedom it gives, and the amount of work is needed, the application experience is the most vulnerable to mistakes. Everyone can make an app, and it shows.</li>
</ul>
<br />
At the end of the day, it's about thoughtfully choosing and combining methods available to you. It's the next step in building mobile experiences. All these methods have their places in our daily <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/09/lets-talk-about-multitasking-as-feature.html" target="_blank">throughput of tasks</a>. So, even if apps are important, sticking with just them is a sure way to forfeit the experience game. Same goes for denying the application as a viable solution. Having a meaningful combination of variety is the key.<br />
<br />
Because people are not binary by nature, so therefore solutions we use to respond to their needs must reflect that. There's no silver bullet, or a size that fits all. Using interaction variety in your user experience will make it more natural and approachable. Transitioning from app-focused model to user-focused model will give a reliable foothold in the <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/10/together-tomorrow.html" target="_blank">market strongly profiled by features, hardware specifications and price competition</a>. Finding other ways to create value is essential to differentiate and stay competitive.<br />
<br />
The more you <a href="http://jaakkoroppola.blogspot.fi/2014/10/whats-sand-in-your-sandbox.html" target="_blank">understand the platform</a> you're designing for, the easier it is to deliver more natural and smarter experiences for its users.<br />
<br />
Apps alone will definitely not be enough.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Thanks for reading and see you in the next post.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> In the meantime, agree or disagree, debate or shout. Bring it on and spread the word.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350925349952231463noreply@blogger.com5