Final project: decision-making with virtual teams

Well, I finished my final project this evening, after days of wrangling with technical difficulties. When I presented in class a couple of weeks ago about how my group's thoughts had changed regarding Web 2.0, I cautioned about the dangers of letting the technological learning curve get in the way of learning the content. I guess I've been living that myself the last couple of weeks. I've spent more time trying to figure out how to capture an online consensus decision-making exercise than I did designing the instruction itself.

Much of this I brought on myself by deciding to use a software program I didn't know (Camtasia) which, like most rapid e-learning tools, runs only on a PC, and then trying to edit the results in iMovie. Let me warn you kids, don't try this at home. Without going into the gory details, I ended up with a sub-par movie (a .swf actually) of the actual consensus demonstration -- which was to be the heart and soul of my training program. Still, I did prove to myself that even using a program like Elluminate, which wasn't meant for the purpose to which I was putting it, it is possible to facilitate an online, virtual process in much the same way one would a face-to-face session. Of course, of the two, I'd choose face-to-face anytime, but that's not the point. A virtual team is just that-- a team that rarely sees one another. And I was trying to find a way to have them work together meaningfully.

In the end, I was somewhat successful. I just wish I had all those hours back I spent in technological limbo.

Second Life Interface Critique

Information Design

Who are the users?
· Anyone interested in a virtual experience: social users, educational users, merchants, thrill-seekers, escapists.

Information chunk (gestalt principle, amount information)
· Probably because of their audience, the introductory pages are very busy, with high-resolution graphics and lots of attention grabbing text. Once you are inside the game itself, the experience is very much like any video game. There's a great deal of stimulation, activity, and interactivity.

Relevance (graphics, content, reading level, text)
· The graphics and content are highly relevant to the audience. Second Life users expect a videogame like experience, and that's what they receive.

Labeling (visual with text)
· Because much of the virtual world itself is designed by users, there's a wide variety of styles and approaches for labeling. The only text, per se, is on signs and notices posted on buildings, etc. It is possible to speak to other avatars using text, the font of which is very small and, depending on the background colors, can be difficult to read.

Consistency (visual, text)
· See the above point. Areas are designed for different uses and put together by different designers, and thus display a variety of styles. Although this makes for an inconsistent feel at times, it also suits the nature of people seeking a virtual existence, by maximizing the variety of experience available.

Detail (too much on one page or one screen)
· On the introductory screens, before one enters the game, there is a lot of information, but it is well laid out and intuitively understandable. This I think suits the audience, which is comprised of people accustomed to being bombarded by information.

Interactivity

Orientation (Can you find the path, and know your way around?)
· The introductory screens are very well laid out. However it takes a while, once inside the game, to learn the navigational protocol. This is part of the attraction, and mimics the videogame experience.

Navigation (Branching)
· There really isn't branching, as such. Avatars move around inside the game according to their interests.

Functionality (Does it work?)
· It certainly works, as evidenced by the popularity of the site. It provides an experience pretty much as advertised.

Information access (Multiple entry and exit? Logical path?)
· You just go to the site, and log on. It couldn't be easier.

Screen Design

Attractive (first impression)
The introductory screens are well laid out and attractive. The experience, once inside the game itself, can be a little intimidating. This is mitigated by the inclusion of instructional videos, which give a good sense of how the game works.

Resolution and Color
Very colorful, good resolution.

Design of not-so-everyday toilets

Some toilet designs, from Toilets of the World, by Morna Gregory & Sian James
(inspired by cj's blog on toilet paper).

P.S. I chose to share only non-gross ones.

Design of everyday things

Consider the lowly banana. Its original designer is disputed (nature or Creator, take your pick) but, regardless, it is a study in simplicity of design. Let's analyze it using Norman's criteria:

First of all, it is very visible (Norman: "the correct parts must be visible, and they must convey the correct message"). A ripe banana is bright yellow; what could be more visible than that? And as it hangs from trees, as do many fruits, its message is fairly obvious: I am something you should eat. Norman says affordance "refers to the perceived and actual properties of the thing, primarily those fundamental properties that determine just how the thing could possibly be used." The fundamental properties of bananas are perceived as soft, tasty fruit, and that is exactly what they turn out to be. They can be eaten raw or cooked; even the peel is edible.

An effective conceptual model allows us to predict the effect of our actions. We predict that if we eat a banana it will taste good, and we will be less hungry. And in practice that is our experience. The same could be said about Norman's use of the term feedback. We know we are using a banana correctly when we eat it and our stomach is pleased by the result.

Ah, the banana. If only my new cell phone were half as beautifully designed, I'd be a happy man.

Thursday nite's class a success

I have to say the distance class that Joshua ran Thursday night was a resounding success. I was particularly interested in seeing the use of the whiteboard for brainstorming, and the hand raising function for voting. I can see applications for both of these for my project in 830. It was a pleasure to see how each group was able to use the technology effectively, something I had originally been very skeptical about. So I guess even though Elluminate has been denigrated by itec students in general, it can be made to work.

One further note: I've been thinking about Kim's comments regarding putting time into something worthwhile. I don't know where this will lead me, probably not to the Third World, but I am wondering about becoming engaged in more socially responsible activities.

A Bad Pair

Locative Media and the Virtual Tour of Auschwitz

One of the places I've promised myself I will visit is the concentration camp at Auschwitz in Poland. They have a virtual tour, which I highly recommend, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum has exhibits which tell the story of the camp.

From what I understand, a visit to Auschwitz is an amazingly moving experience. But imagine how powerful the addition of a locative media presentation would be, with video commentaries by survivors and liberators (it's largely too late to shoot such video now, although there is probably extant footage that could be used) placed at various places throughout the camp. There may even be funding dollars available if someone wanted to write the grant proposal.