General
Microsoft Skinput – Engadget
via
Thanks to @mjeaton for this one. Very cool. Insert joke about touching oneself. 
“Death to WIMPs!” iPhone Case from Uncommon
WIMPs = Window, Icon, Menu, Pointer.
Ya, We know you want one!
We’ll announce when the artwork is approved at http://www.getuncommon.com and you can get yours.
Weatherunderground launches new, HOT weather UX, We approve!
www.fullscreenweather.com
The folks here at Tanagram get very excited when we see products exploring visualizations that truly utilize the advantages of current display technologies. We’ve always adored Weatherunderground for their approach to syndicating data, but today they get a vigorous hat tip for some nicely done User Experience (UX). Sure there could be a nicer font, or better color palette, but this experience is so much of an improvement over the state of the union, we don’t really care. Thanks guys for being great. We salute you.
See it here:
Touch.Codeplex.Com – Multi-Touch for everyone, now.
Tanagram is proud to announce the launch of Touch.Codeplex.com. Our exploration into the state of the Natural User Interface (NUI) connected us with folks at Microsoft and together we identified an adoption issue. While the technology to build Touch applications exists, it is currently cumbersome to implement. Marc Schweigert and James Chittenden had an idea to use Expression Behaviors (literally drag-and-drop onto any object) to act as a bridge. Together we launch this humble beginning with a bold vision. We hope you join us as we expand this library in the months to come.
Writeboard Panorama of calculation debugging.
Project Overview
The APIs in WPF4 plus the Surface Toolkit for Windows Touch make building common touch scenarios easy. However, implementing many of the same touch scenarios using WPF3.5SP1 or Silverlight 3/4 involves writing a fair bit more code. Furthermore, the touch APIs across WPF4, WPF3.5SP1, and Silverlight are different.
Project Goals
The goal of this project is to simplify building common touch scenarios when using WPF 3.5 SP1 or Silverlight 3/4 by using Expression Blend Behaviors to provide a consistent way to implement these scenarios across WPF & Silverlight. Expression Blend Behaviors can be used within Visual Studio without a dependency on Expression Blend by downloading the Expression Blend 3 SDK. You can also find more Expression Blend Behaviors at http://expressionblend.codeplex.com/ and http://tinyurl.com/ExpressionGalleryBehaviors.
Project Roadmap
- Beta Release of core Scroll and TranslateRotateScale behaviors to developer community. <– You are here
- Revised Scroll and TranslateRotateScale behaviors
- Gesture Behavior (repurpose awesome code from here)
- Erase (Back and Forth Gesture)
- Create (Single Finger Draw ‘+’)
- Delete (Single Finger ‘X’ Drawn Over Target)
- Select Lasso (Single Finger Draw Lasso)
- Split (Single Finger Diagonal Line)
- Hold Menu (Single Finger Touch & Hold Context Menu)
- Draw (Three Finger Pen Grasp)
- Clone (Two Finger Double Tap)
- Open / Edit (Single Finger Double Tap)
- Select (Single Finger Tap)
- Global Rotate (Five Finger Grab and Rotate of Application)
- Global Perspective Rotate (Five Finger Pressure to Rotate Application Perspective)
Hotness that inspires us!
After our last post starting our search for an addition Senior UX designer many people have come to us asking for examples of what type of work we think is “Hot.”
We won’t comment on the sites or the companies except to say thank you. You inspire us.
http://www.generationmovieproject.be/
ttp://www.famous.be
http://www.vobnedir.org/
http://www.igoa.in/
http://www.northkingdom.com/
http://www.lessrain.com/
http://www.juxtinteractive.com/
http://www.bigspaceship.com
http://www.akqa.com/
http://www.kinetic.com.sg
http://www.pokelondon.com
http://www.stardust.tv/
http://www.nakd.tv
If you can make like these guys can, send us an email to careers@tanagram.com. We need to talk.
Hello Rockstar! – Tanagram seeking Experienced UX Designer
Once again, Tanagram is growing. We are looking for a curious individual with a passion for the future of interaction and deep experience working with HTML, AS3, and XAML. Our newest member must also rock. This isn’t a confidence thing for you or us, we aren’t prima donna designers and don’t work well with individuals who can’t collaborate intensively. Rock to us means to be REALLY REALLY good at what you do. It means you understand the implications of aesthetics and beauty on complex functional design. It means you understand and are relevant with the “fashion” of design. It means you wake up in the morning thinking about visual and systemic gorgeousness and strive to create it. You must have a great portfolio that is relevant and shows you are actively pursuing the issues we are passionate about.
Here at Tanagram we actively look for ways to escape the world of WIMP interaction and I’m proud to say we are very very close to realizing it. We design complex interactive experiences, systems that make most designers cringe. Systems that allow users to touch and manipulate data with hands not abstractions. We abhor refresh-encumbered interaction and enjoy individuals who understand that there is a better place.
While we can’t share project specifics, our current assignments include redefining geospatial hyperlocal media planning as a SaaS product*, inventing the the future of Augmented Reality interaction (no it’s not a silly iPhone app, think heads-up display technology and daily wear), and creating / refining online communities that are meaningful and truly help people. Our clients work with us to help them create the future and we are steadfast that our future is a better one.
In our process the UX designer’s role begins at project inception. She participates in client discussions gathering information and providing references to current and leading edge design approaches (visual, haptic, etc) that may benefit the client’s requirements. She references new trends, hot topics, and examples used by like and non-like competitors. Once requirements are gathered, she works with the project team as an artist, innovator, and strategist representing concepts and prototypes that are desired by her target audiences. Design aesthetics are always as important as simplicity and relevance. Our newest member must be a communicator, actively seeking and spreading inspiration. She is constantly challenging herself and the status quo.
Experience working with Industrial Design is a plus.
If you feel like she could be you and have 10+ years of experience please send your resume and portfolio to careers@tanagram.com and we can start the discussion.
We look forward to meeting you.
* apologies for the buzzword attack.
Nike+ teaches us how to deploy application updates elegantly
Deploying a new or revised application can be a scary process. Are you confident your user-centered inquiry captured all of the needs? Are you certain your customers will like the new system better?
Typically, we’ve found the more expert the user—meaning the greater the amount of time they have invested in understanding your application’s complexities—the more likely they will be averse to change.
We’ve developed application UX for military pilots and there are few people who have spent more time learning an application (think thousands and thousands of hours). The good news is there are ways to insure your new release is a success.
Make sure your updates reflect real user improvements
Changing to a different platform is NOT a good reason to ask the customers to use a new application interface. You must learn how and plan to better serve them. Observation is your best tool: watch your customers work and look for opportunities to improve their workload efficiency (we call this workload assist), their decision-making efficiency (we call this cognitive assist), and provide them tools to forecast and measure the impacts of their decisions (we call this real-time performance assessment). Having used the above techniques with our cranky pilot user groups, we saw very positive results.
Enhancing your site is a marketing event. Be prepared to sell it
For your upcoming deployment plan on having a number of communication channels open to educate and engage your customers. Your goal is to solicit feedback, and develop trust. Nike+’s new “beta” site is a perfect example of the power of conversation.
Here is a shot of their existing site (not authenticated):
Notice the strong “hero” content talking about the value propositions of the new beta version. They even provide a link to the new version immediately below. It’s important to convey to your customers what they will be getting in this change and how it will impact them. Nike+ has done an excellent job with this.
Here is a shot of the new Nike+ beta site (also not authenticated):
The new site picks up where the old site left off explaining value and benefit for users. We won’t go into the specific benefits of the new site; suffice it to say they spent the time and learned what the users needed.
Teach the value to authenticated users
Once your customers authenticate into your system, you have enough data to be able to show them how your new system will better serve them. Take this opportunity seriously: Show them.
Here is a screen of the old Nike+ interface (authenticated):
Note the link-callout stating “see your runs in the new Nike+ beta.” This link provides a direct comparison of the dashboard pages and exposes the customer to a real-time comparison of the applications. It is also a “vote” button.
“Crowdsource” the vote
This is a good time to mention one of the strongest tenants in this approach: NEVER TAKE AWAY THE OLD SYSTEM. You have to wait like an observant parent for the child to discard the item before you can make it disappear. This is because the old system is their safety net. The really exciting part of this approach is that we can measure the users who have opted to use the new interface moving forward and those are SOLID conversion rates. If, after you deploy a new app using this technique and you don’t get many people willingly converting to the new application (voting that it’s better for them), call us. You more than likely missed a real need in your redesign or aren’t clearly communicating the improvements to your customers.
Provide feedback mechanism
The following three images really just show various views throughout the site, but notice two elements that remain consistent. The “feedback” tab on the right of every page (the last image shows an expanded view of the features) and the “Beta” flag in the upper right corner. Feedback is extremely powerful. Enable it, respond rapidly to the feedback and build trust that you are serving the customers’ best interest. Also, don’t disqualify this input channel just because it’s qualitative in nature. While accuracy of submissions will vary, bug notifications tend to be pretty accurate (something they can react to) and feature requests tend to be lofty but always worth validation. Our favorite part of this approach is the customers’ ability to send congratulations to those who developed the site. As developers/designers/strategists/etc, we need to realize we are part of the application ecosystem too. Kudos go a long way for both parties in building trust and respect.
Note the “return to classic” link on this page. Always provide an escape hatch for those who aren’t quite ready to convert.
This image illustrates the feedback toolset. It’s a third party app and very well done.
Measure measure measure
You can see at the bottom of each screenshot that my browser is reporting NO CP for all of the pages. This may be because Nike+ is using a beacon free traffic analysis tool, or more likely have forgotten to add analytics to their ecology. It’s important that the systems we design capture as much data about the use of the system (and its data) as it does capturing its core data (the data it was designed to share/collect). What we’re saying is the movement between data points by users is as valuable if not even more than the datapoint itself. These measurements can be formed into insights that can help you build a stronger relationship with your customer. That’s something the competition cannot steal.
Our must have apps for the iPhone!
We love iPhone applications. Heck we may even be making one of our own, but here are a few of our absolute favorites. Most are free – some are fee – all are worthy. (we are not).
- GeoPedia – GeoPedia is basically a location-based Wikipedia interface for your iPhone.
- AmazonMobile – The note/snapshot feature is still pretty cool!
- iTransitBuddy – a robust, easy to use public transportation schedule application. Multiple cities including Chicago.
- enCamp – BaseCamp application for the iPhone. Best of breed so far.
- Facebook – We hate and love this app. Mostly love it.
- GuitarToolKit – Guitar players this has chords, an accurate microphone-based tuner, metronome and more. Very cool.
- Kindle for the iPhone – You don’t carry your Kindle everywhere but you carry your phone. The UI is super easy and readable.
- NowPlaying – Movie listings, ratings and more.
- OmniFocus – It’s expensive but nothing does GTD better.
- PhoneFlix – Netflix client for iPhone. Very useful when a movie idea hits you on the train.
- Skype – VOIP for your iPhone. We eagerly await SMS capabilities in the upcoming releases.
- SpeedTest – Cuz we’re paranoid that our bandwidth is less than it should be. This app tests WIFI and EDGE/3G bandwidth speeds.
- Tweetie – Absolutely the category killer for twitter clients. Worth the money.
- Weatherbug – The best weather information we’ve seen to date.
- Wordpress – If you’ve got a blog post that needs to be up now. This is the app for you.
- FSS Hockey: Because when you’re waiting for half an hour to be seated at a restaurant, it’s time for a few games of air hockey.
- ICanHasCheezBurger: Lolcats and LOL generation optimized for the iPhone.
- Labyrinth – the most beautifully designed game application. This person knows physics.
- Remote – if you have wifi, this app works with keynote.
- CTABusTracker – really a web page, but use it alot and is very accurate.
- Shazam – this music analyzer works surprisingly.
- New York Times – they have made it more sophisticated, but it is also more unreliable.
- Pandora – use it every day and very easy to use.
- WunderRadio – great streaming radio application.
- Units – the best designed measurement application
- Bejewelled 2 - It’s addictive like crack.
- Ocarina. $.99 turns your iPhone into a flutelike musical instrument.
Honorable mention (not quite applications)
- TrafficGauge – Very easy to digest traffic info for your favorite major metropolitan areas. I use this web app EVERY day.
- Meebo – use it every day
Do you have favorite apps that you can’t live without? Do share!
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Welcome to the spill. The overflow buffer for the passion we have for interaction.
Spill is the blog from Tanagram, Inc. a user experience (UX) innovation and design firm based in Chicago, Illinois.
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