Interaction criticism

Bardzell, J., Bolter, J., & Löwgren, J. 2010. “Interaction criticism: three readings of an interaction design, and what they get us”. In Interactions. 17:2. 32–37.

02.05.2022

Notes:

• Through criticism you can gain important information for improving your design
• Criticism as a skilled practice, closely tied to interaction design
• Maeve is a tabletop display that connects and visualizes architecture database projects. The user can create an organic, flexible network of people, projects, and concepts by using little cards. As this interactive show is projected live onto a wall, he is also a performer.
• The word “user” can be understood in two very different ways (the kind of person that uses this application (speculative)” and “an actual person who uses this application)

Usability evaluation considered harmful

Greenberg, S., & Buxton, B. 2008. “Usability evaluation considered harmful (some of the time)”. In Proceedings of CHI ’08.

Notes

• evaluation can be ineffective and even harmful if naively done ‘by rule’ rather than ‘by thought’. If done during early stage design, it can mute creative ideas that do not conformto current interface norms.
• The choice of evaluation methodology – if any – must arise from and be appropriate for the actual problem or research question under consideration.
• evaluation helps us “assess our designs and test our systems to ensure that they actually behave as we expect and meet the requirements of the user” to measure how effective it would be.
• It does not guarantee user-centered design. It does not always lead to a scientific outcome.

1. must undergo some type of usability evaluation if they are to be considered part of a successful user-centered process.
2. problems can arise by describing a variety of situations where usability evaluation is considered harmful