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Ziya Oz | 3 Jan 2007 09:16
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[Sigia-l] Salt in Sugar?

I had posted about the Sugar UI of the upcoming $150 OLPC machine destined
for 100 million kids in developing countries. Someone emailed me off-list
over the holidays and asked if I had any info on usability studies done on
the UI, which is neither Windows nor Mac (or like any other existing WIMP
for that matter).

Now, I had read that it was done at Red Hat, which has no consumer-level OS
UI design experience, let alone one targeting children. But I assumed a
completely new and unconventional OS design would be done with extensive
user testing. Then I read this:

Wayan Vota, who launched the OLPCNews.com blog to monitor the project's
development because he is skeptical it can achieve its aims, called Sugar
"amazing ‹ a beautiful redesign."

"It doesn't feel like Linux. It doesn't feel like Windows. It doesn't feel
like Apple," said Vota, who is director of Geekcorps, an organization that
facilitates technology volunteers in developing countries. He emphasized
that his opinions were his own and not on behalf of Geekcorps.

"I'm just impressed they built a new (user interface) that is different and
hopefully better than anything we have today," he said. But he added:
"Granted, I'm not a child. I don't know if it's going to be intuitive to
children."

Indeed, the XO machines are still being tweaked, and SUGAR ISN'T EXPECTED TO
BE TESTED BY ANY KIDS UNTIL FEBRUARY. By July or so, several million are
expected to reach Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan,
Thailand and the Palestinian territory...
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Will Parker | 3 Jan 2007 10:51

Re: [Sigia-l] Salt in Sugar?

On Jan 3, 2007, at 12:16 AM, Ziya Oz wrote:
> I had posted about the Sugar UI of the upcoming $150 OLPC machine  
> destined
> for 100 million kids in developing countries. Someone emailed me  
> off-list
> over the holidays and asked if I had any info on usability studies  
> done on
> the UI, which is neither Windows nor Mac (or like any other  
> existing WIMP
> for that matter).
>
> Now, I had read that it was done at Red Hat, which has no consumer- 
> level OS
> UI design experience, let alone one targeting children. But I  
> assumed a
> completely new and unconventional OS design would be done with  
> extensive
> user testing.

Risking the wrath of the OSS folks, I have to ask the question:

	When has version 1.0 of *any* open source design received extensive  
user testing?

I would actually would like to know if and when there has been an OSS  
project that has started from the premise that the people in the  
target audience might know a thing or two that the people on the  
development team might not know yet.

If so, I regret my lack of faith, hallelujah, and where do I sign up?
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Davezilla | 3 Jan 2007 13:09
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Re: [Sigia-l] Salt in Sugar?

On 1/3/07, Will Parker <wparker <at> channelingdesign.com> wrote:
> On Jan 3, 2007, at 12:16 AM, Ziya Oz wrote:

>         When has version 1.0 of *any* open source design received extensive
> user testing?

I'd have to agree. Open Source projects rely on beta testers and bug
reports to refine their projects, not usability tests. Last time I
checked, children wrote less than ideal documentation. ;^)

-- 
Color me gone,
Dave Linabury (Davezilla)
<http://davezilla.com>
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Melvin Jay Kumar | 3 Jan 2007 14:00
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[Sigia-l] JOB: Perm Information Architect wanted for MNC - Singapore / Malaysia/ Taiwan - Urgently

Hi, 
 
Looking for an Information Architect who is either based in Singapore /
Malaysia / Taiwan.
 
Please email me if you would like to know more. 
 
Thank You.
 
 
Specifications are as follows: 
 
 
 
•  Working with functional teams to understand the business model and goals,
and helping to define the strategy, content, structure , Interface /
Interaction Design with a primary focus on usability.
•  Defining site architecture and navigation that serves as a blueprint (for
the site), upon which all other aspects (e.g., features and functionality)
are built.
•  Creating wireframes/comps, site maps, schematics, process maps, mockups,
visual layouts, prototypes and other artifacts to describe the intended user
experience.
•  Documenting UI standards and interaction specifications.
Requirements:

• UI design experience for  web sites / Intranets / Portal / or relevant
software applications 
• Excellent and demonstrable web UI design skills, and ability to show
relevant work.
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Paula Maloney | 3 Jan 2007 17:15
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[Sigia-l] Contract Information Architect Opening (MA)

Information Architect - Contract (3-4 months)

Our Client in Framingham, MA is seeking an Information Architect for an on-site contract position (3-4
months).  The right candidate has experience at the mid-junior level and can work proactively.

The IA will work on browser-based and traditional graphical user interfaces.  

The scope of the work consists of creating IA deliverables such as sitemaps and page flows based on
understanding gleaned from existing systems, prototypes, requirement sessions and ongoing
ethnographic user research. Other assets like low-fidelity wire frames, HTML prototypes and content
maps/labeling systems will be created in accordance with in-house standards.

Facilitation of user interface definition sessions by leading teams through white boarding exercises
and discussions might also be needed.

These IA deliverables are widely used by the business and IS departments as means of communication and form
a part of our client's development methodology.  

The ideal candidate for this position must have a thorough grounding in interaction design. The candidate
must be able to produce and refine ideas that work with existing solutions and be able to communicate these
ideas easily.

Candidates must also be comfortable working in teams and quickly adapt working style to add value to
diverse projects.

To apply: please send Word Documented resumes to:paula.maloney <at> infocurrent.com

Paula Maloney
InfoCurrent
Information Management Staffing
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Skot Nelson | 3 Jan 2007 18:28

[Sigia-l] Tag Clouds in Print

Interesting, today's Vancouver Sun uses what can only really be 
described as a Tag Cloud on their front page to display the relative 
increase in property assessment values. Communities that had larger 
increases are printed in larger text.

Interestingly, they haven't duplicated this online.

Is this common? Has the Tag Cloud arrive as a mainstream form of 
information display?
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Ziya Oz | 3 Jan 2007 20:14
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Re: [Sigia-l] Salt in Sugar?

Davezilla:

> Open Source projects rely on beta testers and bug
> reports to refine their projects, not usability tests.

And if this was some, uhm, wi-fi router modification app, nobody would
really care much. ;-)

But this projects aims to pretty much redefine low-end PC hardware
configuration AND a brand-new, unconventional operating system AND a new set
of base-functionality online apps AND a new business model/pricing structure
AND a new distribution scheme AND in virgin territories AND for 100 million
new users AND mostly children...all at the same time.

This isn't some wi-fi router mod app. :-) If it's even half-way successful,
we all have to deal with it, sooner or later. Some of you may remember
having to include stuff like WebTV in your design considerations at one
time, well, here comes Suga': the world's largest geek experiment on live
children.

Ziya
Nullius in Verba 

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Will Parker | 3 Jan 2007 21:09

[Sigia-l] Writing vs. Documentation

On Jan 3, 2007, at 4:09 AM, Davezilla wrote:

> Last time I checked, children wrote less than ideal documentation. ;^)

To be fair to the kids, *almost everyone* writes less-than-ideal  
documentation -- including most technical writers. Writing complex  
documentation requires fundamental IA skills, which are generally not  
taught in English classes.

- Will
Will Parker
wparker <at> ChannelingDesign.com

"The only people who value your specialist knowledge are the ones who  
already have it." - William Tozier

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Ziya Oz | 3 Jan 2007 23:31
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Re: [Sigia-l] Salt in Sugar?

Will Parker:

> In very short order, the OLPC and the Sugar UI is likely to become
> the only accessible computational option for the world's poor.

Not to mention, after Windows, the second largest computing platform, larger
than Mac and all *nix combined.

What I find interesting is that a *commercial* entity would never take such
risks on all hardware, software, integration and distribution fronts all at
the same time. If OLPC is willing to experiment on 100 million kids without
bothering to test, what does it say about them? Is it a matter of
unprecedented genius unfolding? Or boneheaded hubris?

Now, two people emailed off-list with interesting questions. One said, "Your
favorite company Apple does this all the time, why not OLPC?" Well, I don't
agree with the notion that Apple doesn't test. They don't test as publicly
as say Microsoft, but they do test. More importantly, design has been baked
into Apple's DNA from its birth. They *have* popularized the GUI and created
a number of very successful OSes, hardware platforms and myriad apps. What
has Red Hat done to warrant such confidence?

Also, another person asked if, as a designer, I felt "threatened"? I am as
threatened by it as I was of WebTV.

Am I royally pissed off that a bunch of geeks think design is something you
tack on *after* you ship the product to millions of captive users? You bet.

Ziya
Nullius in Verba
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Ziya Oz | 3 Jan 2007 21:46
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Re: [Sigia-l] Writing vs. Documentation

Will Parker:

> Writing complex  documentation

I'm sure there are *some* apps where *complex* documentation is needed, but
for the vast majority of apps there's often an inverse relationship between
the "complexity" of the documentation and the inherent usability of the app
itself. Of course, there are other ways of providing "documentation" without
having to "write" (prose).

Ziya
Nullius in Verba 

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Gmane