Here, I will note some of the interesting ideas and comments I have come across and share my thoughts on the concepts being suggested.
INTRODUCTION
This first chapter expresses how computers and technology have been ruining our lives by making everyday activities much more frustrating and difficult than they need to be. Despite everyone realising how impossible some of today's technology can be, nobody takes another option as we are so completely dependent on modern technology.
I think this is a very true statement to make. We all just accept the difficulties and complexity of technology as "just the way it is". I think we believe that because it's new technology, it must be great. It does all of these amazing things that we could never do before, but maybe it's all just more trouble than it's worth?
We should all consider the stametment Cooper makes;
"Human's designed the interfaces we hate."
Sometimes I think we forget that behind every new piece of technology is an engineer or programmer who designed it. The way a certain piece of technology is today, is not the only way it can be. Anything can be utilised in a more effective and productive way. It is not the touch screens or computers we hate. But it's the way in which they work with human interaction that we hate. And this human interaction is a product of it's human creators. Designers and consumers must realise that things can be better and we have the option to make them better.
AN INDUSTRY IN DENIAL
Engineers believe that the only way to improve user experience and to make things easier is through new technology.
I think this is most definitely the wrong approach. This is like covering up problems with even more problems. Simply adding more technology will only add to the complexity and confusion. I think that it is not until the first element of technology is completely understood and usable that further technology can be added to compliment and work with the existing features.
"Programmers and engineers have been put in charge, so their hard-to-use engineering culture dominates."
The creators of these electronic products thrive off the the amazing technology and power that they have produced and this is their utmost primary concern and focus. In doing this, they overlook important usability and interactive issues that present themselves after they have been bought. Sometimes these issues are so extreme that Cooper even wrote that certain technology;
"...diminishes and degrades the people who must use it in their everyday lives."
TECHNO-RAGE
It's interesting how a video spread all of the internet could have some personal understanding and connection with so many people who watched it. It shows how common this frustration with technology and computers really is. I think it is something that almost everyone these day would have experienced in some scale. The movie and it's response really shows the extent of technological based frustration.
DESIGN IS A BIG WORD
This chapter talks about how the ideal design process should go, in an interactive design situation. The programmers would still be required to make important design based decisions during the process. However, they should not be the ones reliable for design and decision making based on the user experience, interaction or usability. This side of the design should be left to industrial designers, psychologists or others who are experts in usability and human interactions.
Design not affecting the final user= Program Designer
Design affecting the final user= Industrial Designer or other specialised design professions
Must consider the differences of HUMAN vs. TECHNICAL
The principles and approaches which are used for technical applications are much too different to be understood or used in the same way for human situations.
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