http://galorebot.com/blog/ transmissions from the galores en-us Nucleus CMS v3.32 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://galorebot.com/blog//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://galorebot.com/blog/ http://galorebot.com/blog/index.php?itemid=113 Our dear friend Kim Collmer recently asked Janet and me, and several other friends, what we thought about the state of the Internet and Interactive Design. Though Janet and I have been working in similar fields, we have very different perspectives on the Internet. Janet's work tends to emphasize content, while my work tends to emphasize systems. The following are several interview questions posed by Kim and our answers.


So I wanted to formally ask you some questions that I would present to my students because I find learning the web from one person and one approach is opposite of what the web is and also you are all smart and interesting. So, at your leisure, it would be of great help to me for you to answer these questions or rephase new ones if i missed something or something does not pertain to you since this is geared a bit more to the internet and inteactive stuff.....

Question: How long have you been involved in the computer industry?

Janet: About 12 years.
Edward: Since I was 17, 19 years ago!

Question: How long have you been working with the internet/interactive design?

Janet: About 9 years.
Edward: Since 1993, 13 years. I developed Web sites for Mosaic v 1.0, and developed content for Gopher and Lynx before that.

Question: What have been your different roles in relation to the internet/interactive design?

Janet: I did user interface design and game design for a virtual reality game and a few other computer games, was producer for a variety of computer games and PlayStation, have designed web sites as a freelancer, have done visual design for print, I’ve done a variety of streaming media and animation for the web, made interactive toys and greeting cards for the web in Flash, RealMedia, Director, SMILE, etc. For web entertainment, I’ve done pretty much end-to-end roles - concept, character design, storyboards, illustration, script writing, animation, technical implementation. I currently run a big corporate web site with over 80 million users worldwide. I’ve also done some art projects for the web, but mostly contained within a streaming media interface.

Edward:
Developer (coder, spec writer, project manager), Web site designer, site manager, video game designer (level design, art direction, historical research, that sort of thing), product manager/producer, information architect (taxonomy, content management).

Question: What do you see as the biggest success currently happening on the internet/interactive design?

Janet: #1 - The audience is finally here. 5-10 years ago, artists and designers wanted to create some amazing interactive experiences and streaming media. But the creative technology was a little ahead of its time. Broadband was not as ubiquitous, it was still pretty expensive (both for users and for the people hosting the content), and the compression technology was not very good. Now people are constantly on the net via mobile, wireless, or cable/DSL at home, and getting massive video and audio into your home from the net is pretty cheap and easy. That speed also improves latency, and so we don’t have to worry that cool interactions won’t load correctly or that people will have to wait too long. Users are also getting more used to being entertained and learning from their computers and mobile devices--it’s really not just for work anymore.

#2 - More talented designers and artists are picking up the technology and remixing it with traditional creative tools. So we are seeing a big improvement in the sophistication and quality of interactive design on the web.

Edward:
God, I'm the last person to ask. I just do this for a living. The Internet has always been a means to an end. I still think this whole Internet thing is a waste of time unless you're using it for academic research or collaboration. In 1994 I rued the commericalization of the Internet. I thought it would destroy the unique and elitist nature of the Internet. The barriers to access kept out the riffraff. Now anyone can use the Internet. As we know, commericalization made Amazon, eBay, and YouTube possible. Now we can buy anything on the Internet and watch the most inane, depraved, and creative videos in a really crappy, lowrez format. Is this progress? The numbers would suggest this is the case, but I'm unmoved.

Anyway, I'd say the Internet's ability create community for the housebound and socially maladjusted is perhaps it's greatest contribution.

My 63 y/o mother, who incidentally was a punch-card operator in the early 60's at Wang laboratories in Mass, loves playing games on her computer. Not the cutting edge games played by the 16-35 y/o, male demographic, but games like solitaire and bingo. She is retired and doesn't get out of the house as much as she used to. But, she plays Bingo online and chats with similar individuals while she's doing it. She loves it.

One might ask, why not play real bingo with real people in a real church basement? Perhaps that would be a better form of socializing for my mom, but she doesn't like real bingo. Online bingo does not replace the real thing, but in my mom's case and many others like her, it's better than not socializing at all. (And don't feel too bad for my mom, she get's out of the house everyday, and gets together with friends several times a week. Usually to go gambling at a casino. But still, it's socializing.)

Question: What do you see as the biggest problem currently facing the internet/interactive design?

Janet: I don’t see a single big problem or challenge - there are a bunch of smaller ones such as dealing with multiple formats and form factors (creating something that works from HDTV to iPod or Nokia). Another is convincing the people with the money that we should move away from outdated communication and design concepts like doing something flashy that gets in your face in order to get a customer excited. We should be thinking more about trust, relationships, and enabling the user to do what they want. We also need to design more for interconnectedness (see more below).

Edward: Intellectual property law is a huge obstacle. I can see both sides of the problem. Content wants to be free. At least, people will liberate content whether it wants to be free or not. People shouldn't have to buy a new copy of an album for each audio appliance they own. I've given up on audio download sites because it isn't worth it to me to download lo-fi audio onto my computer only to not be able to burn it to CD or play it on my MP3 player. At the same time, creators of intellectual property, musicians, artists, film makers, actors, etc., all deserve to be compensated for their work. This does not, however, give companies like Sony the right to surreptitiously install licensing software on my computer whenever I play one of their CD's.

Speaking of Sony, Janet just bought be a classical music CD published by Sony, the Bach: The Goldberg Variations
performed by Glenn Gould. I was very excited to open the CD because I have wanted it for a long time. We brought it with us and put it in the car stereo and it wouldn't play. Turns out that this is a new "Super CD" format. Without a Sony Super CD player, our new purchase is a couple ounces of worthless plastic. Presumably the Super CD format prohibits copying of the CD.This just hardens my resolve to avoid buying anything made by Sony. Presumably the Super CD format prohibits copying of the CD. However, if I had a Super CD player, we could still make a high quality copy. Perhaps not has high-quality as the Super CD itself, but damned close. High enough quality that most people, myself included, wouldn't be able to hear the difference.

Question: What do you see as the biggest changes that have been happening over the past couple of years?

Janet: Search finally works. So the audience is freed from treating the net like a book or a TV show with hyperlinks here and there. Google is like a command line interface to the world. Type in anything, even a command (like “define”) and you will get your answer. Other search engines will do this too, but the barrier of having to hunt and peck through menus, getting to something you don’t want, hitting the back button has been broken. And the net is now a mass medium. We are finally starting to implement designs that are informed primarily by the net as a medium, rather than basing designs on print or television. New rules of interaction are evolving and we are just starting to turn the corner. It’s VERY COOL.

Edward: Broadband--It's rather mundane, networking stuff, but it makes all the sexy stuff possible. Broadband is now available to the masses. This means that content creators no longer must obsess about producing lo-rez, tiny images for 56k modem users. This is hugely liberating for anyone producing content whether it be animations or B2B web sites.

Even with increased bandwidth, I'm annoyed by the trend towards lower fidelity in media. A generation of kids is growing up without a clue as to how good a high quality recording can sound on a decent stereo system. A computer and a lousy, $100 pair of speakers is their sound system. Fidelity is sacrificed for the sake of compression. I'm impatient for the day when hi-fi audio-visual is ubiquitous. Imagine if YouTube could be watched at 1440 x 900 or higher? Then we'd be talking about a revolution.

Question: What changes do you predict for the next few years?

Janet: Any user experience you create on a web page is now part of a neural network, and we should start designing that way. Look at YouTube - they could have tried to keep people on their own web site, and only let you view the videos there. But they made it SUPER EASY to link to and even embed videos anywhere you want. YouTube serves over 100 million videos a day, and that’s because they are everywhere, not just one place. The sense of place or destination is changing on the web. The digital universe is becoming more CONTENT based instead of author or destination based. How many times lately have you actually been to the New York Times homepage? But how many times have you read something from that paper? Probably a lot more--you just didn’t come through the front door.

The other changes we will see is more content on more devices (always connected), and more blurring of the lines between playing games and real life.

EdwardThere will be an increasing merging of media channels. Verizon now offers the equivalent of cable television, home phone service, and broadband Internet, just to pick one former Ma Bell company. With this technological integration comes content integration. I will be able to watch something on my computer as easily as on the cable box and vice versa.

Question: Explain the challenges you see within your field?

Janet: The technical limitations are starting to fall away, but now the design challenges are growing because of this move from designing for one experience vs. designing for re-use and experience somewhere other than what you originally thought. And I still think the people with the money to fund great design and interactive experiences don’t get the changes yet.

Edward: Designing user interfaces in the corporate world I continue to battle with developers, marketers, and other decision makers who fail to see the importance of user centered design and usability testing. They pay lip service but diminish the value of usability.

Question: Do you find clear information on how to work within your field? Do you feel like you are inventing the wheel as you work?

Janet: Part of what is cool about the connected revolution is that there are so many serious communities of people who share information on the web. And it’s pretty easy to find them. If you are trying to figure out how to solve a problem (design, technical, etc.) you can reach out and find someone else who’s thinking about it, too. So I don’t feel like I’m reinventing the wheel - just inventing new wheels with a bunch of other people. I don’t read books any more to learn about new trends--I just enter a few words into a search box. I also look at the blogs of designers and artists I admire. BoingBoing and Neatorama are two favorites.

Edward: Definitely inventing the wheel as I go along. I think all of us are learning as we go. Software is different than other forms of engineering. The principles of building bridges remain essentially unchanged since Roman times. We now have 20 centuries of experience building bridges. We have less than 50 years experience making software, and even less experience designing interactive systems. At least the tools for building bridges remain pretty much a constant, the tools for making software change every few years.

Question: Do you feel there is a strong industry understanding or centrifying force within the industry? If so, what would that be? If not, why do you think this is?

Janet: I’m not sure the “industry” is that well defined. I’m really on a Web 2.0 kick--the force is the masses, it’s content, information. It’s the experts and taste makers, as determined by the community. “Enabling” companies like Adobe, Microsoft, Blizzard, the cable companies, the mobile companies -- these guys just capitalize on what the audience wants to do and then enable the next few steps.

Edward: Industry is beginning to recognize that no matter what we are selling or providing, the total user experience is important. When we shop at Amazon, it is more than just a transaction. Like its brick and mortar equivalent, customers return for the experience which is constituted by the value of the purchase, the ease of finding what we're looking for, the ability to browse, and delivery. It's easy to talk about experience when we describe a movie, but all interaction is experience.


Question: What research is being done in your field? Any books to recommend or websites?

Janet: Yow. Type in anything you can imagine into a search box and you will find someone researching it. I do think it’s important to understand the technology and trends of the net in order to create fantastic designs and experiences. So I’ll list a few blogs that help me keep up. And then there are few designers, artists, and musicians or magazines that I check in on.

http://boingboing.net - many new posts each day, every one inspiring or helpful

http://neatorama.net - similar to boingboing

http://www.res.com/ - RES magazine - cutting edge digital filmmaking and arts

http://flickr.com/explore/ - guaranteed to kick you out of any creative slump

http://giantrobot.com - Asian pop culture in the US, artists too

http://www.pingmag.jp/ - Tokyo based mag on design and making things

http://www.adcritic.com/ - good for keeping up on mainstream advertising trends

http://www.digital-web.com/ - Digital Web magazine - great for web design, etc.

http://www.flashkit.com/ - a great community of Flash designers and programmers

http://www.flashsupport.com/forum/ - by robert reinhardt and snow dowd

Edward: There is appallingly little hard science around Web site usability, at least there is little that is publicly available. I'm involved in research which is taking baby steps towards providing hard data about user behavior:
http://depts.washington.edu/intres/ On this site you can find a lot journal articles on the subject.

A very practical guide for PHP: is http://us3.php.net/manual/en/preface.php

I spend very little time browsing the Web, so have little more to contribute.

Question: If you have advice to give to someone just starting out in internet/interactive design, what would it be?

Janet: Spend a little time learning foundations and tools (HTML, design, visuals, Flash), then learn by DOING. A critical foundation is project management - how do schedule, budget, make milestones, and ship. Even for personal art projects, this is key to actually doing something others will see! And don’t start looking for a job until you have a portfolio with work you’re proud of. Don’t just go through the motions.

Edward:Internet/interactive design encompasses a number of fields, so my main advice would be to specialize in a particular field whether it be graphic design, usability, entertainment, or information systems

Question: What role could a new designer expect to fill within this industry?

Janet: Web producer (building web pages or doing basic visual design), project manager, prepping content to go on the web, doing some basic motion graphics, perhaps copy writing, designing pieces of a bigger web site, pieces of UI, buttons, etc. You have to put in the time and build your credibility before you get to do anything that’s really creative. But that’s only if you want to make money being creative. You can always do your own work on the side, and you should. That way you can take what you learn at your job, and use it to achieve your own creative vision on your own time. And add it to your portfolio!

Edward: I don't know, there are so many. Practically any field (white color field anyway) that existed before the Web has a Web component today. What are you passionate about? Do that on the Web. Or, if you're me, what are your competencies? Exploit those with the Web.

Question: Do you find knowing current programs important or do you look more for employees who understand concepts and theories more? If they should know certain programs, what do you think these are? How do you see this changing over the next years? (this is one of those things i really feel like is changing, and i have a hard time knowing what programs are most helpful for them in a real job situation. some just do layouts in ps and give them to a programmer, some need some dreamweaver tools, some need php, does anyone use javascript anymore??)

Janet: I look for both knowledge of technology / software, and the basics. But I don’t just want understanding of the concepts and theories - I need to see evidence that they’ve used those somehow. Hopefully that will show up in the portfolio or resume, even just student projects are fine (doesn’t have to be industry experience). Doing an internship somewhere is very helpful to show you not only have the training, but you can do something with it. You also need the soft skills of how to explain your approach, defend it when questioned (without taking it personally), and to negotiate with other people.

Relevant software/tech: HTML and XML/schemas/transforms, CSS, AJAX, Flash, streaming media and video, project management, Dreamweaver and/or HomeSite, Photoshop, Illustrator, Visio (for wireframes and layouts), basic Office programs and good communication / presentation skills.

Edward: It isn't important which applications a potential employee is proficient in as long as they have comparable experience. For example, if my organization develops Web sites using PHP, I would rather hire someone with 5 years of experience using VBScript than someone with less than 1 year experience who is proficient with PHP.
]]> general http://galorebot.com/blog/index.php?itemid=113 Mon, 23 Oct 2006 23:44:31 -0700 http://galorebot.com/blog/index.php?itemid=84 general http://galorebot.com/blog/index.php?itemid=84 Mon, 12 Dec 2005 20:34:42 -0800 http://galorebot.com/blog/index.php?itemid=74 ]]> general http://galorebot.com/blog/index.php?itemid=74 Tue, 4 Oct 2005 10:31:01 -0700 http://galorebot.com/blog/index.php?itemid=65
If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break, [X2]
When The Levee Breaks I'll have no place to stay.

Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan, [X2]
Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home,
Oh, well, oh, well, oh, well.

Don't it make you feel bad
When you're tryin' to find your way home,
You don't know which way to go?
If you're goin' down South
They go no work to do,
If you don't know about Chicago.

Cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
Now, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.

All last night sat on the levee and moaned, [X2]
Thinkin' about me baby and my happy home.
Going, going to Chicago... Going to Chicago... Sorry but I can't take you...
Going down... going down now... going down....
]]> general http://galorebot.com/blog/index.php?itemid=65 Sat, 3 Sep 2005 22:59:26 -0700 http://galorebot.com/blog/index.php?itemid=63
Thesis ideas

• "Freedom isn't free, but Haliburton is getting one hell of a deal."


• "Dungeons & Dragons and Christianity: creating the mundane from myth."

T-shirts

• "What do you think about Bush now, you stupid fuck?"
  
• Front of T-shirt:
  "Fantasy: Str 20 Dex 16 Con 18 Int 18 Wis 17 Cha 18"
  Back of T-shirt:
  "Reality: Str 12 Dex 9 Con 12 Int 13 Wis 13 Cha 7"
  
  

Band names

• No Lefts on Denny
  
• Monstrous Denali
  
• Hippy Big Buckle [real band name]
  
• Bad Feng Shui
  
• The Assless Chaps
  
• Wafting Patchouli

]]> general http://galorebot.com/blog/index.php?itemid=63 Thu, 1 Sep 2005 08:11:00 -0700