One of the frustrating things about this project is the fact that are so many directions in which I could develop the mapping interface. More Functions,More Interactions, More Behaviors or Better Graphics each has its benefits and each could takes a while to develop to the point where I am satisfied enough to publish the application to my website.
Development can be a slow process so when your on a roll, you run with it. Unless of course you have to get back to work on other things. In my case I have to continue producing content for my site. So for I have decided to publish the first prototype of the mapping software "as is" and use it as my research piece. The other developments I have chalked out will have to wait until after June.
Ill post a link to the maps when I have finished compiling the xml lists for flash and Dreamweaver. I'm goning to name it "Ziggy 1.0".
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7 comments:
Paul L.
You put together a well-thought out TIP proposal. The topic is important and fascinating to me. I’m very curious about how people experience and navigate pages of information on the web. I suspect there’s a lot going on that might surprise us. My question to you: you’ve got a number of good ways of collecting data through tracking and surveys. Do you plan to get first-hand data from users? In other words, can you observe and talk to a few users? I think the important aspects of the user experience are really subtle and may require a careful observer and interviewer to reveal them. What do you think? David W.
Paul,
You have a very thoughtful proposal. I would like to know more about the participants. Who are they? Are they your students? Also, I hope you could say something about the content, which will help readers to understand your inquiry project?
Gaoming Z.
Paul,
What you are doing looks amazing, I can't really even imagine the complexity of the work (hence making it difficult really to make comment on what you are doing).
I look forward to more postings on your succeses as you go through the process.
Mike
Hello mate.
The more I think about this project, the more intriguing it seems. When it comes to GUI's and information, I read that Google are searching for new ideas via their "labs", where they are asking people to trial new interfaces, also I look with interest at the GUI that the $100 laptop project are using and in many ways I think the new iphone is all about the GUI and how to access info.
Good luck, if you strike the right balance, you could be well on you way to your first million.
all the best, mike Harris
@Harrismmsu
The balance is going to be a real hard thing to put my finger on. There are so many areas to consider and so many ways i could build the GUI.
The two things I try to keep in mind are making it easy for developers to build on and intuitve for users to navigate and interact with. If I can pull that off the rest I believe will fall into place.
Youre right good interface design is becoming more an more critical these days. It can make or break a product as shown my the iphone. But more importantly the way people interact with computers in general is going through a huge shift. You may have heard of this system.
http://www.perceptivepixel.com/
it going to change the world of computing.Ive been following the technology for years and now it seems its coming of age.
@ David & Gaoming
The problem of collecting meaningful data has kept me awake at night for a while now.
Its not particularly easy for me to get users to fill out detailed forms and ill most likely never meet most of the people who use the application.
I dont teach in the traditionla sense as i used to in the classroom. My position now as a web developer @ quantunet.com means that my "students' are the users they can be adults,middle school, high school, university or other professionals. So far it seems to be a mix of everyone and all cross-sections.
As it stands now my primaruy method for asessing usability is analyzing page stats with google analytics and reading feeback from online posts/comments and emails.
One thing that I have begun to ecplore is the possibilty of videoing a select group of first time users (friends and family) using the interface and recording thier comments, frustrations, suggestions. This would be the best way I can think of to address the subtlties that you quite rightly pointed out will be crucial to understanding user preferences/instincts.
I can't even imagine the pressure you must be under with trying to be sure to publish the best work, with something that still is really in its progress stages. I think that I am a bit lucky as a teacher, because one of the nice things about this project is that I can make adaptations and work out the gliches as I go, without feeling like it needs to be 100% accurate in its detailed presentaiton. But I am then still able to focus on my teahing goals and am able to adapt the project and goals towards teaching as I move along.
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