affordance list_rough_version

Tagging applications

Mac applications for tagging.

• Tag Folders: http://web.me.com/jonstovell/Tag_Folders/Tag_Folders_Home.html
• Punakea: http://www.nudgenudge.eu/punakea
• TagBot: http://bigrobotsoftware.com/
• Tags: http://gravityapps.com/tags/overview/
• Leap: http://www.ironicsoftware.com/leap/

Info about tagging

• CommonTag – a new standard for tagging that includes metadata and semantic organization for tags

Chris’ Affordance List (Ongoing)

These are the affordance themes I culled from Phil’s original list.

Portability

Tactility
Size
Weight
Value
Location
Participatory
Duplicability
Juxtapose
Speed
Accuracy
Intent
Range (input/output)
Personality (mediation, organic distortion)
Isolation
Editability
Viewability
Simultanaity
Divisibility
Modality
Immersiveness
Inspirational
Educational
Friction
Action

list of affordances (Hyun)

Excerpt from Productive Interaction Paper

Excerpt from Phil’s Productive Interaction paper. Original Paper: productive_interaction.pdf

Principles and techniques

Productive interaction requires a different approach to design, and a different view of the audience. To help frame these differences, we can look at the development of productive interaction systems through four major vectors:

• Content: Information, narrative elements, meanings and sensations as communicated in text, image, video, sound, tactile and other modes.
• Context: The integrated presentation of content in form, decoration, attitude, organization, selection, values, and experiences.
• Affordance: The handles that enable the audience to work with and manipulate the content and context.
• Audience: The users as integral elements of the total system, who operate it through the affordances, and who create the final expressions.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hunter’s Affordance List Edits

Location/scale

• handheld and can be easily moved
  • portability
  • think with hands
  • vary location
  • enable social interaction, collaboration
  • enables multiples for crit, comparison, juxtaposition in small field of view
• fixed in space, not easily moved
  • it’s a place to go to – exists in space (and in the head)
  • enables people to come together without planning
  • site specificity – relation to culture, objects, context
• various scales
  • pixel scale, – scale of objects on a page or screen. Allows for manipulation and juxtaposition of intangible objects.
  • hand scale, 4″ – intimate, fine use of hands
  • book scale, 8″ – good for writing and reading, narrow field of view enables single focus
  • arm’s length scale, 3′-4′ – enables simultaneity, broad gestures, fills field of view
  • human scale, 5′-8′ – evokes emotion, enables standing, full body sensation
  • car scale, 12′ – requires movement to see entire,
  • building scale, 20′ – evokes shelter, social, modulates light
• defines and visualize a physical or imaginary location in space – enables spatial mental representation & manipulation
• sit/stand
• can spread-out work

Sketching

• little prep
• rough work easy
• lots of ideas quickly
• low cost materials means little censoring
• tangible output to assist in metaphor, reflection, ???
• helps brainstorm, idea generation
• spontaneity and serendipity

Refined, precise, detailed

• engages fingers, hands in gestures
• learning curve enables fine, controlled motor skills
• wide range of expression possible
• allows for manipulation of fragile materials
  

Broad, large, expressive

• big gestures
• enables use of arms, other parts of body
• wide field of vision

Tools

• evocative, tool has character
  • specific, narrow-range, idiosyncratic, rich, evocative
  • general, adjustable, wide-range
• learning curve
  • learning curve minimal, fast to use
  • learning curve maximal, lots of nuance to expression
  • both are possible in some, but not always
• tools for making tools – custom for the designer’s practice, or specific project
• tools for making processes - custom for the designer’s practice, or specific project

Code

• create sequences, interactions, behaviors
• create tools both digital and tangible
• handle complex data
• works independent of human engagement

Research

• comprehend an existing body of knowledge
• add to bucket of inspiration
• understand existing constraints and opportunities
• re-factor and formulate individual stance
• can initiate deep thinking
• learn from others instead of repeating the process

Reflection

• juxtaposition – see ideas in comparison to each other
• isolation – of person, or of content
  • focus, eliminates context, losing yourself in it, flow
• viewable outside the mind – tangible, in the world, sensible
• evokes ideas in the mind
• editable

Collaboration

• social interaction
  • group can see the same thing, shared experience
  • each can communicate with others
  • each can manipulate thing
  • “eye-contact”
• pin-up
• synchronous and asynchronous discussion
• divide into parts for individual work
• scale of collaboration requires some different approaches

Idea generation

• visualization of ideas
• externalize & organize
• think by writing
• think by sketching
• think by making
• serendipity
• inspiration
• define principles/constraints
• enables complete absorption/flow
• disrupt flow/absorption

Learning/design process

• test ideas
• experiment with multiple approaches
• learn medium in context of project
• learn materials in context of project
• organize
• make a mess
• reorganize/refactor
• sequence
• breakdown into tasks

Manipulating Psychological State

• ability to change modes through the day
• concentration
• distraction
• entry into “flow”/absorption/focus
• contemplation
• daydreaming
• discharge nervous energy
• create nervous energy
• enable thinking/analysis by moving around (physically/mentally)

First proposal for affordance list

Here is a first rough attempt at a list of affordances. These don’t always get to the afforded activity – needs fleshing out and re-working. This is kind of brain-dump and so the list is not consistent in tone or approach.

Read the rest of this entry »

Human Affordance and Ideation

We have come, again, to the need to decide the extend by which our taxonomy will include human affordances or be limited to the affordances of objects and tools.

Our outlined a flow chart “Hand>Tool>Content>Format” as a process to generate meaning raises a question: Are we assuming the human element in creating this meaning or are we overlooking it? The answer to this question leads to another important decision, that is to what extent to we immerse ourselves in the psychology of the human affordance and the complications associated with it.

Determining our interest in human affordance is particularly important as we explore the making of ideas. Mainly because there is so much variability in the act of making ideas. For example, there is at least two types of idea making: Ideas which lead to concept and ideas which assist in production. These two actions alone beg for two separate research agendas. Additionally, there are affordances that have a great impact on ideation and must be considered when developing tools and spaces for idea making. For example, I believe the affordance of time has the greatest influence on the resulting idea.

I have included a simple diagram depicting some of these thoughts: