Week of 2/9 Blog Post
Question: Meadows lists three principles of interaction (page 39). How do these three principles relate to the projects you're working on for class? Can you trace, for instance, oberservation > exploration > modification > reciprocal change (page 44) in your work?
The three principles of interaction according to Meadows are as follows:
He states, "The first principle, principle of Input/Output, says that input should create output and output should create input. It's the interaction cycle's ability to add information that defines the interaction's quality." Obviously, Meadows missed the part about not using the word that one is trying to define in the definition; however, it is clear that this interaction principle means that when the user/reader does something, makes a choice on the screen, follows a link, or comments on a blog post, the user/reader should get some kind of response, a change in the screen, navigation to the linked page, or appearance of their comment on the blog or even a reply by the blogger. For my homepage, I want the user to be able to choose from the menu at top to move between appropriate pages, to be able to click a links and follow it to my source or to a page with information that I found to be useful, and to make comments on my blog. I would also like to eventually incorporate mouse-over images and some type of animated sequence on the front page. I have an image in my head but I have yet to decide how this will work. For my artist's page, I would like to use mouse-over images of her art. The mouse-over would bring up a detailed image of the collection or differing collection images as the button is passed over. I am still thinking about that as well.
For Inside/Outside, Meadows states, "'Inside-outside' refers to the relationship of two sorts of interaction. I also call this 'inside-the-skull' and 'outside-the-skull' interactivity." He then goes on to define inside the skull interactivity as "a process of extending what the user already knows. It is the world of the reader's imagination." He defines outside-the-skull interactivity as an interaction "based on what we are experiencing on an empirical, or experiential, level." Meadows implies that the designer must have a balance between these components, focusing two narrowly on one or the other limits the design and the interaction. The physical components of a website are the appearance, the art, the moving bits and pieces, the links, etc. These are all outside-the-skull pieces, and these are the pieces that are easiest on which to focus. Inside-the-skull elements are more difficult to accomplish. They are metaphor and rely on the creator of the page understanding the audience, what the user will grasp, what will make them think, and what will create the subtle nuances desired. Both parts are difficult for me because I am not very well versed in website building, but I have to remember to not focus so strongly on the technical that I forget to include the emotional in my own page and in the artist's page. Weight loss is an emotional subject and a homepage dedicated to that theme must, by default, pull on that emotion. It cannot be sterile. Art is emotional; the buyer will buy a piece of art because that art speaks to them on an emotional level. To include that emotion, the artist will need to provide us with information about her reasons for creating that piece in that manner.
Meadows defines the third principle by stating, "The third principle, Open/Closed, says that the system should get better the more it's used." He also says, "Open systems are more complicated, less predictable, and more interesting than closed systems...But what remains the most unpredictable, independent, and captivating of all interactions is other people. There is no predicting the behavior with certainty, but there is almost always a context that defines the response." For my homepage, the open system will be accomplished by the blogs incorporated on my homepage and perhaps by a contact form for suggestions for additional content, although the second is still in the imagination phase and may never come to pass. For the artist's page, the open system may be more difficult to achieve and will depend on what our artist is willing to include. Would she be willing to have a blog, a contact form, something else? That is a question for the client. Some method of contacting the artist at least for purchasing information must be included on the page.
The three principles of interaction according to Meadows are as follows:
- Input/Output
- Inside/Outside
- Open/Closed
He states, "The first principle, principle of Input/Output, says that input should create output and output should create input. It's the interaction cycle's ability to add information that defines the interaction's quality." Obviously, Meadows missed the part about not using the word that one is trying to define in the definition; however, it is clear that this interaction principle means that when the user/reader does something, makes a choice on the screen, follows a link, or comments on a blog post, the user/reader should get some kind of response, a change in the screen, navigation to the linked page, or appearance of their comment on the blog or even a reply by the blogger. For my homepage, I want the user to be able to choose from the menu at top to move between appropriate pages, to be able to click a links and follow it to my source or to a page with information that I found to be useful, and to make comments on my blog. I would also like to eventually incorporate mouse-over images and some type of animated sequence on the front page. I have an image in my head but I have yet to decide how this will work. For my artist's page, I would like to use mouse-over images of her art. The mouse-over would bring up a detailed image of the collection or differing collection images as the button is passed over. I am still thinking about that as well.
For Inside/Outside, Meadows states, "'Inside-outside' refers to the relationship of two sorts of interaction. I also call this 'inside-the-skull' and 'outside-the-skull' interactivity." He then goes on to define inside the skull interactivity as "a process of extending what the user already knows. It is the world of the reader's imagination." He defines outside-the-skull interactivity as an interaction "based on what we are experiencing on an empirical, or experiential, level." Meadows implies that the designer must have a balance between these components, focusing two narrowly on one or the other limits the design and the interaction. The physical components of a website are the appearance, the art, the moving bits and pieces, the links, etc. These are all outside-the-skull pieces, and these are the pieces that are easiest on which to focus. Inside-the-skull elements are more difficult to accomplish. They are metaphor and rely on the creator of the page understanding the audience, what the user will grasp, what will make them think, and what will create the subtle nuances desired. Both parts are difficult for me because I am not very well versed in website building, but I have to remember to not focus so strongly on the technical that I forget to include the emotional in my own page and in the artist's page. Weight loss is an emotional subject and a homepage dedicated to that theme must, by default, pull on that emotion. It cannot be sterile. Art is emotional; the buyer will buy a piece of art because that art speaks to them on an emotional level. To include that emotion, the artist will need to provide us with information about her reasons for creating that piece in that manner.
Meadows defines the third principle by stating, "The third principle, Open/Closed, says that the system should get better the more it's used." He also says, "Open systems are more complicated, less predictable, and more interesting than closed systems...But what remains the most unpredictable, independent, and captivating of all interactions is other people. There is no predicting the behavior with certainty, but there is almost always a context that defines the response." For my homepage, the open system will be accomplished by the blogs incorporated on my homepage and perhaps by a contact form for suggestions for additional content, although the second is still in the imagination phase and may never come to pass. For the artist's page, the open system may be more difficult to achieve and will depend on what our artist is willing to include. Would she be willing to have a blog, a contact form, something else? That is a question for the client. Some method of contacting the artist at least for purchasing information must be included on the page.
posted by Jessica Badger at
12:44 PM
5 Comments:
Jessica,
I thought your blog was well written this week and I appreciate your examples and ideas for incorporating these three principles into your pages.
One of the webpages we visited last week used your idea: "The mouse-over would bring up a detailed image of the collection or differing collection images as the button is passed over." I've thought of this too--perhaps because then the user gets a taste of what's in store if he/she chooses that particular button/link. (Dr. Rice doesn't like buttons, so I'm adding link there for his benefit!)
I also wonder if the artist wants a way to "converse" with her audience. That requires that she dedicate work to words rather than art, so I think that's a question I want to ask the artist.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jessica,
As Carrie has already said, you tackled the blog prompt wonderfully in your blog.The examples were great. On my part, I did have a fair amount of difficulty translating Meadows' principles into concrete design ideas. This is partly because I am "technically challenged." However, you have come up with very viable schemes in your post. For instance,
I too have considered using an image-mouseover in my website. This can be easily accomplished in Dreamweaver. You just need to browse to the relevant image files and DW writes down the javascript for you. The other two ideas (blog link, comment box) are also great. But I am yet to make up my mind about incorporating those. I don't blog regularly. Also, my blog is of a purely academic nature. It may not fit into my present webpage. As far as the comment box goes, I am anticipating technical issues. Anyway, let's wait and see.
Jessica,
I've become a fan of the mouse-over image as well, from watching my classmates' homepages develop and from the videos presented as favorites. I want to incorporate use regions of an altered photograph on my homepage.
I also appreciate your practical applications of the prompt to your pages, particularly your attention to your decision to allow for and address the pathos discourse that's going to be generated from your homepage, as opposed to only paying attention to the technical (ethos?) aspect of the site. Although in this case, making space for pathos seems like ethos to me.
I really do like the inside/outside phenomenon. I don't know that we can predict all the inner reactions people will have to what we create, and certainly we can't control it. Leaving space to discover those inner reactions others have in the form of a blog seems like a good way to generate some good inner reactions of your own.
I'm enjoying following your blog. You have elements of technicality and elements of personality that, as a reader, I find to be enriching.
Thank you.
Jessica,
I think your web site offers a lot of great opportunities for being an open system, most of which we already discussed in class, but I'll talk about some of them anyway. Your site has great potential to be an inspiration to others, especially if you choose to add before/after pictures, stories from others who have succeded, etc. There's a good opportunity to pick up regular followers to the site, and if you add a guestbook, people can regularly share their own experiences and tell you how the site affected them. It's great that you're willing to share your personal story with others like this.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home