Technology, Simplifying the User Experience

How do we make it easy to use?

In 2011 I had the great fortune to have been awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship. In 2012 I then took my research trip which went from the 11th May - 13th July. To say I had a ball is a vast understatement. But my trip was to research how we make technology easy to use and who is doing it and how are they doing it.
On my return I then needed to write up my report. If you are interested you can download it from the Churchill Memorial Site. But I thought I would put my executive summary and conclusion here.

Executive Summary

The impact of the complexity of technology is a major factor in the delivery of services to the Department for Child Protection. Currently we have a large and complex client records management system which is served from the desktop computers within the department. With the advent of the iPad and many other forms of mobile technology, the department is considering the possibility of using these types of devices in the field of child protection. Due to the size of many of these devices, the current style of design of many applications is not conducive to mobile devices. The biggest issue is the amount of screen space or territory that these mobile devices offer.

The main theme behind this project is to better understand the issues associated with usability and the reduction of complexity in the technology we use. A good example is with the current Apple iPads. If you talk to an owner of an iPad they will talk about what they do and create. Any mention about technology and complexity of the programs does not form any part of their conversation. Based on the view that if Apple can reduce complexity, then how can this be achieved with other technology? Can we reduce that complexity in the technology that the Department for Child Protection uses? How do we make technology facilitate the outcomes of our social workers?
This project took the perspective of four groups in the delivery of this technology. The groups were Users, Developers, Manufacturer’s and Business. From a user perspective the project was aiming an understanding what the user wants to achieve with their technology. What are the challenges and frustrations that users face when using technology?

As a developer, how did they come to their decisions in the development and delivery of products. The manufacturer’s was it based around sound user analysis and understanding the user’s needs? How did they align themselves with both their customers’ needs and the needs of their business? The Business or Government perspective was understanding why many don’t believe they are able to direct the outcomes.
During my research around the world I met many different companies, dealing with software and hardware; I visited Stanford and Harvard to meet with business departments and Human Computer Interaction (HCI) or Computer Human Interaction (CHI) to obtain an understanding how people in the field of usability and Human Factor Engineering (HFE) address these area of usability and interaction with technology.

The following report covers my journey and the interactions I had with the people and organisations that I met. I needed to understand the questions as well as look for answers. What I did learn was that as I gain more knowledge and information the less I knew and the more I needed to learn. I came across some really good questions and some better insights.

This trip and report is just the start of my journey and further education on this field of study. The experience has been priceless and set me on a solid foundation to better inform organisations on the topic of usability and to simplify the technology that we use.
 

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have found that the more I learn the less I know and the more I need to learn. The experience has given me a greater appreciation and insight into the area of usability, especially making technology easier to use. The use of anything new being it phone, TV or computer is one factor that is common to all and that is design. Design of the actual device and the design in how we use it to get the outcome we are looking to achieve.
I have met people in the areas of software development, manufacturing, business, educational institutions and usability instructors and consultants as well as authors who write on the topic and other areas that are influenced with and by usability. From these interactions, I have discovered that the issue of usability and addressing it is not new. The topic of Usability and Human Factor Engineering has been around for well over
60+ year and is a doctoral subject. However, many factors have led us to this point in time with our use of technology. The speed of the change in our technology has a big impact to its usability.

Steve Job’s at Apple saw this more than most, and the work that he has done in taking Apple from the brink of bankruptcy has been to his efforts in challenging the norm. He has done this by thinking differently to what has gone in the past. Using one of his famously quoted statement “Think Different” he looked at what people were wanting to achieve and doing that as simply as possible. This is designing for outcomes rather than just capturing data.

Computers started in the laboratories but then moved to the domestic market. From there, the technology grew organically and it was the realm of the nerds and geeks. Software was looked upon as magic by many in the domestic market. It was a toy for the geeks and nerds; and due to that fact it had a major influence as to how software and the applications were developed. Much of the learning in this space did not have too much structure and was the realm of trial and error. Skills were shared and learnt quickly but from the perspective of the geeks and nerds. They understood what could be done and had some idea of how they
were going to deliver the outcomes. Those outcomes were usually grounded in sound computer skills or programming structure and design.

The approach of developers was to capture the information or data, manipulate that data to produce the results that were being sought. This was usually by a set of business rules and algorithms. The resulting information was then reported to the screen and or printer. In the early days of application and the web everyone had their view on what worked. Over time standards were developed but they were from the perspective of the developers. There were early attempts to address usability and standards started to appear. Many of the early attempts at this area of computer use were based on the visual aesthetics and design elements. People like Jakob Nielsen based a lot of this work in conjunction with Don Norman on Human Computer Interaction science in which Jacob held a Ph.D. and Donald Norman who worked in the field of cognitive science, design and usability engineering. The Nielsen Group led much of the discussion and debate about website usability and the standards around building these sites.

Every so often, there would be software or hardware that came along that changed how we interacted with computers and software systems. The biggest of these was the introduction of the Apple MAC. Before then many worked at the command line with strange commands and sequences of letters, numbers and names. Windows came along making access to this technology a little easier but it was still not mainstream. In the early 90’s came the internet and from there grows daily our interactions and fascination of the technology.

It was not until Steve Jobs had returned to Apple in 1996 that things started to really change in design and interfaces within technology. When the iPad was released in January 2010, people started to see that the use of technology could be made easier. That influence of the iPad and iPhone has changed our understanding of the use of complex technology. These innovations have led to the raising of the expectations of users and the technology they use.

What Steve Jobs brought about was the consideration of outcomes based design. As Apple designed its products, the market started to understand that technology can be easy and intuitive to use, by designing products to function the way people think and work and not on the capabilities of the device. Interfaces of the past were more about the functions and features, while not much effort was place in the aesthetics. The issue was that unattractive, convoluted, or illogical interfaces would feel like a chore when using the application even if it was a great product. Use of these systems became the realm of the geek and nerds. With the advent of the iPad and iPhone, beautiful, intuitive, compelling user interfaces enhance the application’s functionality. It inspired a positive emotional attachment in users. This has increased to such an extent that these devices have now become personal; people place a large amount of emotional attachment to these devices. The devices are taken everywhere in their daily lives and events People cannot go to bed at night unless it is nearby.

My project was to get a better appreciation on the how’s and why’s of technology usability. In better understanding, this topic I could potentially apply this knowledge to how we go about developing products and services for our field staff. The experience of this trip has led me to discoveries that there is nothing special, there is no silver bullet or solution in getting this right other than our approach. We have the ability, the technology, the understanding and have always been aware of the issues. But I believe it is in our approach to development of devices and solutions that we need to consider.

In the past, we have concentrated on the capturing and the data. We have been worried that if we miss the data, we will not be able to carry out the task. In many systems and devices, this has been to the detriment of the user and their experience in working with these systems. As time went by we started to address usability but it has been treated as an afterthought. Most of the work in this area has been based around the aesthetics of the interface, system and or device. The problem was that by the end of the project when usability people were involved with the project, much of the work needed to be carried out could not as the product was about to leave the building. So usability was more based on aesthetic look and feel.

Steve Jobs turned that concept on its head by changing the focus and the point of engagement of the designer and engineers getting together at the start of the project and having a far greater involvement overall and on the outcomes of the product and services. The first Apple Computer led this. Where Steve Wosniak wanted to release the computer as a kit, Steve insisted that it be developed as a completed computer. By the time the first MAC computer came to market this concept had been developed to a far great level. The problem was a new company and not having the financial backing. Steve Jobs ended up being removed from the company. On his return, he was face with a company that was close to bankruptcy. He redefined what the company would develop. It was taken from a line of some 20 or 30 lines of products to four. Laptops for home and business and desktops for home and business. Company moral was raised over 100% and focus was towards building the best product.

What had changed was the perspective that was taken when developing both products and services. They asked simple questions as they were developing and designing. Was what was the end user trying to achieve? They gathered all the things that were believed to be needed. Then they concentrated on reducing elements until only the elements needed to achieve the outcome were left. Everything was centred on the end user experience and how the user was empowered to use the device. In my meetings and visits, I was researching how companies are starting to address the issue of outcomes based design. How are they implementing those perspectives and practices in to the production of their products and services? Is there something that was a mystery in what they are doing or how they are doing it? To what level are they embracing this approach and is it based on a solid foundation? Could I learn from their work and apply it to our work in Child Protection or any agency that dealt with the public? I was aiming to achieve an understand how technology and its solutions could become better enablers to the field of social work and not a barrier to carrying out their tasks.

What I had started to discover was that companies are starting to take this seriously and it was due to the financial survival, that the end users were becoming more vocal. Comments such as “make it like the iPad”, it is easy to use and “you don’t need much training” is having an impact on the adoption of the different technologies, software and services. The users have a taste of technology that is enabling them to do what they have not been able to carry out in the past; they are feeling more in control. My experience to date has shown that the approach that Apple had started is having an effect on what people are looking to achieve
with their technology. In addition, they are asking the question “why can’t they work like the iPad?” This raised the question. Why all technology can’t be designed in the same manner as the Apple products.

I now know that I need to address this issue of technology complexity. It was in a single line in a recent TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference video. Reduce the complexity and simplify and….

“Design for Outcomes and the Experience”

Can Developers of Application Systems, Develop for Mobile Devices

52 days, 11 hours, 18 minutes and 3 seconds

till my Churchill Trip - 11th May - 13th July 2012

So what does it take to design a mobile application. Personally I believe that the thought process behind designing a mobile app requires a different skill set. I am not talking about programming per say, but the through process in designing a mobile app that is intuitive and does not require a major training manual or instruction.

Recently I was in a presentation held by an Apple representative on a case study of theirs. It was not so much that they insisted that the Apple environment is a better solution but the process that they articulated about the designing of a mobile app. The case study was based on Mount Sinai Hospital and the monster of systems they had, they looked ugly and they looked as though you would require a masters of some sort to be able to use the systems.

By the way there were some 60+ systems which had been developed in a window environment. I was not so much about the environment that it had been designed in but the style which is all to common. Tabs everywhere with buttons for everything. I dare say it captured all that they needed but like so many applications it was designed to capture data and forgot who actually provided the data. The other part was how they captured that data and the process they went through.

It reminded me of a system I once had to assess for a local government client. While reviewing a process within this applications I traced the screens and click that were needed to register a dog. I took 72 screen going backwards and forwards through the system to register one dog. It was incredible for two reasons. One that anyone would design such a system and two that anyone would buy the system and not challenge the process. It just highlights that IT and developers have had is so good that they could sell such software.  

Going back on the Mount Sinai Hospital example the process they followed was to identify from the users the key processes they used. Working with them then streamlining those processes to reach an agreed end result. From there then replicating those processes within an application on a mobile device. As the process was a current process of practice the replication on the device just meant that there was a position of reference so instruction was not required to the level with some of the systems that are developed. Using the user centric idea just showed the simplicity and beauty of the whole process and end user experience.

The issue and challenge I know have is how do I change the way that business works with developers and understand that they need to own the space of usability. You don't have to be a techs geek you just need to know your processes and then find a solution that can closely replicate them.

Understanding Your Research Goal, Before Doing Your Research.

226 days, 13 hours, 26 minutes and 31 seconds
until my Churchill Trip - 11th May - 13th July 2012
Perth>SF>Seattle>Austin>NY>Boston>London> Heidelberg >Salzburg>Vienna>Singapore>Perth

I have been listening to several HBR (Harvard Business Review) Idea Cast and it has raised many ideas. One of the main themes that have been coming out of several the Podcasts was that knowing the objective you are looking to achieve in what you do. As you may have guested this is the areas I am recording my journey in my research overseas for my Churchill Research Project.

The information I placed in my application for the 2011 Churchill Fellowship was:

"New Frontiers in Technology for Child Protection

This project will explore how breakthroughs in mobile technology can help social workers in the field, and providing an improved child protection service. It will examine how to remove usability barriers imposed by the complexity of unwieldy applications and devices. It will try to remove, or moderate, the impersonal use of technology in meetings, with clients, where a high degree of empathy and emotional intelligence are needed. Working with experts in child protection this project will seek ways to record and process information captured in the field using a new generation of smart devices and innovative software applications. Key goals will be in a drop in staff workload, improved access to information for colleagues, and a rich interaction with clients strengthened by the removal of technology barriers. A decreased in computer training can be achieved due to better understanding of usability and human interfaces into these devices. This will allow staff more time to focus on relationships with clients."

During my time since being awarded the scholarship I have been thinking more about my topic in this research. Working to better understand what it is I hope to communicate in my final paper.  Trying to better understand how my trip better arm me with the necessary information to address my topic. But to understand what I will need, I need to better explain exactly what I am trying to achieve. In other words my objectives and why I am going where I am going as well as why am I meeting the companies and people that I have identified so far.

I am looking to address my topic from four aspects. They are:

1.    Technology - The actual device be it a tablet, laptop, ultra- laptop and desktop computer

2.    Software – The design of the software and the usability aspects of that software

3.    Business – How do we re-engage business to usability? To be involved in the discussion before the product or services is developed

4.    Usability – In general how do we go about addressing usability both in design of specific technology and then the interfaces into the systems that are used on this technology?

To address these questions I am working to meet with several different people, companies and organisations involved in technologies. In meeting with these organisations I am hoping to better understand the questions that need to be asked and considered where building, developing and using technology. Other organisations I hope to meet and talk with are organisations which use technology and understanding how they have addressed these questions and do they have some of the answers.

My first stop will be San Francisco (SF) where I have made contact with Stanford University where I will be meeting Professor Terry Winograd. He is a professor of computer science and is involved with the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Department. He has invited me to visit and to be involved in any of the workshops that might be running at that time. Here I hope to find out about the study of human computer interaction and what is studied.

While in SF I am also arranging to meet representations at Cisco, Facebook, Google and Apple. But as it still is sometime before I head off I am waiting to make contact early in the New Year. I am fortunate to have a close friend, Jack & Lucy who now lives in SF and works for Cisco.

Following SF I then head to Seattle to meet with Microsoft. I am hoping to see their futures laboratories but this is to be confirmed. I have made contact with the Child Protection Agency in Seattle but still waiting on a response. I will follow this up in the New Year. From Seattle I then head to Austin Texas where I will be visiting Motion Computing a manufacturer of tablet computers. Looking at their work with tablets and how they go about design their product. While in Austin I am hoping to catch up with the Department for Child Protection who did a case study on their use of tablet computers in the field. And finally I have received confirmation from Craig Tomlin to meet and discuss his work in Usability. I came across Craig on a blog discussing his views about usability and it was a re-buttle to a response to his article from Charles Mauro of Mauro New Media. I then head to New York to actually me up with Charles.

In New York I have confirmed meetings with Charles Mauro, Adam Greenfield of urbanscale LLC | Design. Adam I came across in a book he wrote called "Everyware" - The dawning age of ubiquitous computing. After reading this book I then started to research Adam and found him in New York and approached him to see if he would meet to discuss some of his idea. He has agreed and is another of my interviews. I have also arrange meetings with the Chief Software Architect of Epicenter Consulting. As well as a number of other contact if I get the time. One of the other locations I am hoping to visit is the IBM futures laboratories just outside of NY but this is still being worked on.

I then head off to Boston to visit MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This has been one of the locations I have dreamt about and the opportunity presented itself. I have made contact with a professor involved in HCI and Usability and will be meeting. I am still trying to find a contact at Harvard to see if I could discuss the business angle with this research project. From Boston I then head to London, UK.

In London I am still working on my contacts. Child Protection in the UK comes under Health but is managed in the shires and Burroughs. I am fortunate in that I have a contact in the Department here in WA who has worked in the UK in the area and working on a contact there. From London I then head to Heidelberg to visit SAP.

SAP recently purchased a company called Sybase and they have a technology which is used in the production and deployment of mobile solutions. At this point in time I don't have much more information. I will be flying into Frankfurt and then taking a train to Heidelberg. From Heidelberg I then catch a train to Salzburg.

In Salzburg I will be visiting  the university of Salzburg and their HCI department. Again I have made contact with one of the professors their and this discussion is to be further developed. I am there as with most places for a week so I am leaving this opportunity open to see what I can achieve. From Salzburg I then catch a train to Vienna.

In Vienna I will be visiting C.U.R.E. the Centre for Usability Research and Engineering. I have has some initial discussions with one of the staff at this centre and this will get further developed early next year. Finally after eights weeks I then head to Singapore via London.

Singapore is 4-5hrs from Perth and will be where I was going to take a break. But I just can't help myself and have already found a connection there. I have made contact with MicroUsability one of the largest usability organisations in the world which is based out of Mumbai. Again I have a confirmed contact and will be corresponding in the New Year to fix dates and times. 

When I arrive in Singapore I will be meeting up with my wife after the initial 8 week for a bit of a break. Before heading back to Perth and work on the 16th July after leaving on the 11th May I would have travelled over 29,000 miles and meet many different people and hopefully be in a better position of understanding to be able to offer some insights into better designs for usability aspect in the area of Child Protection.

Stay tuned for more information as it come to hand. 

Leg No 10: - Singapore - 7th - 13th July

238 days, 15 hours, 27 minutes, 38 seconds
until my Churchill Trip - 11th May - 13th July 2012
Perth>SF>Seattle>Austin>NY>Boston>London> Heidelberg >Salzburg>Vienna>Singapore>Perth

The final leg of this trip is to Singapore. To date I don't have anyone lined up. This is still being worked on and is not part of my official trip. I have added 1 week of my own leave to relax and will be meeting up with my wife as I would have been away for 8 weeks. But, as they say while I am here I will take any opportunity that presents itself.

To that end I am looking to find information about any company or organisation in the field of UX (User Experience) or manufacturing mobile technology to see. I will also be looking to see if there is any alignment with any government body as well.


More details will follow as I make contacts in Singapore.

Leg No. 8 - Salzburg, Austria - 22-29 June 2012

254 days, 06 hours, 10 minutes, 03 seconds
until my Churchill Trip - 11th May - 13th July 2012
Perth>SF>Seattle>Austin>NY>Boston>London> Heidelberg >Salzburg>Vienna>Singapore>Perth

The next part of my trip will be to Salzburg. I will be travelling via train which is expected to take an hour. My reason for visiting Salzburg is to meetup with some of the lecturers and professors at the university. In my research to date I had come across C.U.R.E (Center for Usability, Research and Engineering) and in discussion with one of their representatives they had indicated the strength of knowledge at the university. 

Salzburg

In light of that I then have been emailing the university and its HCI (Human Computer Interaction) department to meet up and discuss issue with respect to usability and how this study is carried out. I have outlined the areas of interest and issues face by our department but in general most users. I wanted to get a better understanding of how I would go about understanding this science and how it can be applied to my project. 
To date I have receive a couple of offers to catch up and explore these and other issue I discover in my travels.

Leg No. 6 - London - 8th - 15th June 2012

263 days, 01 hours, 40 minutes, 1 second

until my Churchill Trip - 11th May - 13th July 2012
Perth>SF>Seattle>Austin>NY>Boston>London> Heidelberg >Salzburg>Vienna>Singapore>Perth

The next leg will be to London from Boston. In London I hope to be visiting agencies that are using mobile technology in the field. I am looking to see what they have done and if and how they have addressed the usability aspects of taking on that technology.


what have been the considerations they needed to consider. What environments and situations will the end users find themselves and how have they found the value of the technology.

St Paul's Cathedral from the Banks of the Thames
©Marc Dimmick 2011

London Bridge from the banks of the Thames©Marc Dimmick 2011

These were photos, I took this year in London.


Travel arrangements have now been locked in so now I am finalising all the accommodation locations. Just about have all bar New York, and Salzburg. I am using airbnb.com for a lot of the locations and some really great locations and prices.

Leg No: 4 - New York - May 25th / June 1st 2012

277 days, 4 hours, 23 minutes

Well I get back to the big apple yet again. :) This will be my third time and I really love it. The architecture, the environment, the contrast. 

My Visit to New York is meet up with a number of specialist in the field of Usability. I looking to meet with a number of Usability Experts.

Usability Expert: Charlies Mauro of Mauro New Media,

Adam Greenfield of Urbanscale and author of a very interesting book called "Everyware" which is about "The Dawning Age of Ubiquitous Computing".  The book is about the form that computing will take in the next few years. Its about the vision of distributed processing power that basically computers will disappear in the way we know of them today. That computers will be so integrated into our lives that we will not see or think of them as computers. We will just engage within our environments and over time will not even be aware of where the line between carrying out a task and our engagement with using a computer. 

Norman Vincent Peel

Someone who has had a big impact in my life on perspective. Wrote a very good book call the "Power of Positive Thinking". You should read it.

The Empire State Building

The first time I was here I got to 34th Street which is where the Empire State Building was situated. I looked around and I could not see the building. It was 10pm at night and the building across from me was only half light up. anyway I asked the Police Office where I could find the Empire State Building, he looked at me and said "you're not from around here are you?" no was my answer. He then proceeded to pointed over his left shoulder to the a building and said "that's it, there". I looked again "it's not that tall". He then advised me to check-it out in daylight. 

Second Hand Rose
(Owned by Friend of Mine's Father)

This place is where a lot of movies are filmed in when they are looking for a street scene in New York. My friends dad specialise in Antique Wall Paper. The shop is very interesting inside, wall to floor antiques.

The Wedge
First Skyscraper in New York

I have a picture of this building over my bed and always wanted to see it for real, well I got the photo and I dare say I will try again as the weather last time was not to good.

IBM Research: The other areas I am hoping to get to is IBM's Research Laboratories. This I am still working on and when I have firmed up details I will post to the site. IBM also has research locations in Cambridge, Boston and there is my next leg within this trip.

Again accommodation has been arranged via airbnb.com. 

Leg No. 2 - Seattle - 19th / 23rd May 2012

287 days, 1 hours, 57 minutes and 54 seconds

**UPDATE: Change of Date - 19 - 23rd  from 16-20th (Still 5 days)


My second leg of my trip is to Seattle the home of the Space Needle and Microsoft.

 

While I am in Seattle I am looking to catch up with Microsoft to see what is happening in the area of Windows 8 which fingers crossed would have been release by the time I travel. The other is to catch up with one of the Child Protection agencies in Seattle. 

Microsoft has a Research and Develop section and with some of my contacts I am hoping to see that area. I am wanting to gain an understanding of how they go about looking the user understanding and experience. At the Department Microsoft is predominantly used so having an understanding of the factors that are considered by this organisation can only give me a better understanding and appreciation of this whole environment. 

Seattle Children's Hospital, Research, Foundation - This was another location I found and have written to asking if I could meet to discuss areas of my project. I was hoping to see if and how they have implemented technology solutions and what considerations they have taken in the consideration of the End User Experience (UX)

In my search of what else is happening in Seattle I also found that they have a Science Fiction Museum and I can get to have a seat in the chair of Captain James Tiberius Kirk, my childhood hero, this sound really cool. :)

Experience Music Project / Science Fiction Museum

Seattle is overseen by Mount Rainier which is about 3 hours for the capital. 

 

The short period of time I am in Seattle I don't think I will get a chance to see this, which look quite increadable.

My next leg is to Austin to visit the Department for Child Protection and Motion Computing a manufacturer of tablet computers.

First Location after Leaving Australia - 11th / 19th May 2012

288 days, 4 hours, 29 minutes and 37 seconds

**UPDATE: Due to some further contacts I have decided to extend the SF stay. 11th - 19th instead of 11-16th May. Responses from Stanford and other opportunities show that I can get far more for SF.




The first stop is San Francisco (SF). Flying East is really great after 14-16 hours of flying I arrive an hour after I have left on the same day. So this will be a very long day to kick of this trip. While I am in SF there are a number of things I hope to achieve. Dependent on the time and day I arrive I will have a couple of days to acclimatise and prepare for my visits.

I would like to see some of the sites of SF, these are the classic locations with Alcatraz, the trams, Golden Gate and finally the skyline over the city. Being a hobbiest photographer I would love to get some good photos. 

Main Reason for Being in San Francisco

The main reason for picking SF was Silicon Valley and seeing some of the major companies that have a great influence on what we use our technology for and how we use it. These are Apple, Google and Facebook. I am looking to meet with representatives from these companies and to hopefully get a better understanding of how they address usability and interface design or what is referred to as User Experience (UX).

Apple, I believe has achieved a remarkable feat with making a piece of technology in to something we consume. The work that has been done with the iPad has been increadable feet of both marketing and functionality. I use the iPad as an example with respect that people will talk more about what they do with the iPad rather than the technology. You will see and hear people talk about their pictures or videos, with pride they just present the iPad with the images and talk about the images and their content. Its not about the technology and the CPU and how much memory the device has, but more of what and how they interact with that technology. So I would like to find out a little more on how and what goes into that thought process. At the moment still trying to get in to see them.

Google has achieve a lot with how we find information and our interactions in carrying out that task. Google the work itself has become an adjective with in our language. Don't quote me on it as grammar is not my forte, but people use it within conversation "have you googled that yet?". 

The other area I am interested in finding out more about is their work in the Android area. I have had a smart phone for a number of years and have seen and used this OS from and early stage. I now have an Android tablet and while I was on the earlier versions of Android I considered it a geek device. I installed thing and uninstalled and experimented but it was not really a consumable device. Since I have installed Android Honey Comb the story has changed. It is now becoming a very functional device. The material I have seen for what is coming in Android 4 or "Ice Cream Sandwich" are very exciting. So having the opportunity to see what is happening in this area will be great. Still working on this contact.

Facebook, a friend of mine suggested this and at first I was not sure but the more I thought about it the more I could see the value. Facebook has become the social space where everyone around the world is coming together I now see businesses on TV with ads that include Facebook references. So understanding their views on social interaction and working with their software. What work is done on the understanding of the user and their experience. At time I have read damming articles talking about the lack of this as a consideration. Having an better insight into their processes would be good.


Stanford University - this is somewhere I would have loved to had the opportunity to study and learn. This is just a small way of achieving this and getting some insights into this specialty area of HCI (Human Computer Interface/Interaction, not use yet on the 'I'). In some information that I received from a contact in New York the field of HCI and usability has been around since the end of the Second World War. It is a specialise area of study and research and I will hopefully be catching up with Charles Mauro of Mauro New Media in New York to discuss further into my trip.


I have started to send out the emails to Stanford University to see if I could catch up with the HCI department or people working and studying in this area. As I gain appointments I will update my blog as to where and whom I will be catching up with. This blog will become my record of the trip and help towards the writing of my paper.


So this leg of the trip is a short leg and I hope to cover and see all of these organisation and contacts in 5 days I am there. My next location will be Seattle and Microsoft.

The Planning Starts - :)

289 days, 0 hours, 48 minutes and 42 seconds

I have finally worked out my dates and the locations I am hoping to visit. One of the first things was to get a start on the Blog. I am hoping to log my experiences both in the planning and the actual trip. This gets more exciting each days as I look forward to reading my email to see who else I am able to line up to meet with and discuss my project.

At the top of each entry I will be entering my count down until I leave and this is based on leaving on the Friday 11th May 2012 at 3pm. That is based on my last trip overseas where we fly out of Perth at 3pm. That was a great trip, it was to celebrate our 20th Anniversary check it out. My wife Frances and I blogged the entire trip. I took photos and made basic entries and she wrote the majority on the trip.

So far for the trip I have created a google map as my details are firmed up I will attempt to maintain and update this map. The other part that I am doing is to maintain my documentation within the cloud. Google is very helpful with that as it is a part of their gmail account system. Now on with what I have done to date.

The goal is to leave on the 11th May 2012. I will be flying to the following locations over 9 weeks. The last week being some leave time and meeting up with my wife.

2012
Leave 11 May    -  Perth > Sydney > San Francisco (Via LA or Dallas?)
            16 May    -  Fly to Seattle
            20 May    -  Fly to Austin
            25 May    -  Fly to New York
               1 June  -  Train to Boston
               8 June  -  Train to New York > Fly to London
             15 June  -  Fly to Heidelberg
             22 June  -  Train/ Fly to Salzburg
             29 June  -  Train/Fly to Vienna
                6 July   -  Fly to London > Fly to Singapore
              13 July  -   Fly to Perth
              16 July -   Back At Work

So as you can see I will be packing in a lot of places. The model I am using though allows for time to rest and write up my notes and see a little of where I am visiting. I have tried where possible to fly on Friday's, have the weekend off to collect my thoughts and prepare for the week ahead. I have 10 stop offs for my trip over the next few days and weeks I will update the blog with each of the stops and who and what I hope to see and do.

Stay tuned. :) 

2011 Churchill Fellowship

Time before I head off on my trip and work on my project

(294 Days, 5 Hours, 59 Minutes and 11 seconds, but who's counting)

Guest what, I have been awarded the 2011 Churchill Fellowship. Yahoo... (That's and expression for the website). Yes, I want to blow my trumpet,because I am excited about this opportunity.

It all started with an email that was sent around to all staff that they should consider applying for the Churchill Fellowship. At first I was going to just delete it but then thought to check it out and see what it was about. After reading it I decided to give it a go. Basically it was anyone over the age of 18, Australian and who had an idea that they would like to research. You did not require any formal education just a passion and at the end of the experience to produce a paper. That paper needed a title, index, introduction an executive summary explanation of the programme, main body and conclusions and recommendation.  

The important part was successful applicants then were sponsored to travel oversea to further that research. That sponsorship was from 4-12 weeks which was funded. So as with everything in life never know unless you try.

I proceeded to downloaded the application and to fill in the details. Personal Details, Education, Employment and then it started. I had to come up with a project title and then in a small area articulate my project. I had to get my point across clearly so that a non-technical person would understand. That has been the hardest part as you only have enough space for about 6-8 sentences.

After many trials and tribulations and with considerable assistance from one of my associates Gary, I achieved that goal.

"This project will explore how breakthroughs in mobile technology can help social workers in the field provide an improved child protection servcie. It will examine how to eliminate usability barriers imposed by the complexity of unwieldy applications and devices. It will try to eliminate, or moderate, the impersonal use of technology in meetings, with clients, where a high degress of empathy and emotional intelligence are required. By working with experts in child protection, technology, usability and communications, this project will seek ways to record and process information captured in the filed using a new generation of smart devices and innovative software applications. Key goals will be a reduction in staff workload, improved access to information for colleagues, and a rich interaction with clients enchanced by the removal of technology barriers. A further, substatial, benefit will be a decreased need for computer training, due to a better understanding of usability and human interfaces into these devices, allowing staff more time to focus on relationships with clients."    

The next section wanted to know what new knowledge do I hope to gain from my project, my response was:

"I hope to demonstrate better designs in the tablet and mobile technology markets that will lead to new opportunities in social work settings. What I learn will lead to a better understanding as to how to better design, build and use the next generation of mobile applications for use in social work. This hopefully will lead to breakthroughs in the natural way that social worker and clients will interact with minimal thought of the technology at hand. Providing information instantly, ensuring maximum accuracy and without need for re-entry and data being available to other staff."

Why do I need to travel overseas to obtain this knowledge?

"I need to travel overseas to observe the practical operations and the research in the area of advance interface design. These companies and Government agencies are addressing this field of study where we are just getting use to the idea of the technology will have a bearing on how we work. As we are only just starting to catch up with the software side of the technology, the mobile technology is over taking our understanding and usage within Government. I believe that interface is the missing component for maximising the use of this technology."

What experience do I have to undertake this project?

"I am a very experienced technology professional with over 25 years' experience. I previously judged in this area of interface design for industry awards. I have experience being involved in both functional workflow and end user design, having been a designer of interfaces for systems for the City of Greater Dandenong. Currently I am leading a project which uses mobile technology for Childcare licencing. The project will inform the exploration of the potential for better user design and adoption of newer mobile technology providing a better level service to our clients." 

How will my project benefit the Australian community?

"Chage is one of the biggest challenges for everyone. That change and speed of change in mobile technology is enormous. Understanding how to apply good interface design to reduce the learning curve, increase productivity and speed up the transfer of information is paramount. To adopt that mobile technology and use it to its maximum benefit will only build a bigger and bright future for Australians in general. Australia is currently building a super highway for information transaction for the future, with the National Broadband Network (NBN). The NBN is laying a foundation that will allow unprecedented opportunities for mobile users in all industries. Much of our work takes place in the field, using mobile devices will enable users to gather or lookup information on the spot. The expansion of world class broadband to new areas of the country means that it can be used on remote towns, farms and schools. The design of devices, forms and applications will determin the success of this undertaking and whether Australia will achieve the full potential of its investment in broadband internet. My project will form the foundation to building those better interfaces. My current project will add to that body of knowledge on the topic of good interface design."

Other than my Fellowship Report how will I inform the Australian community of my experience and knowledge gained?

"I have the opportunity to disseminate and engagement in conversation about interface design with many departments. That conversation has already been going on with Police, Justice and Work Place Training. I have had involvement with AIIA and AIMIA in the past and these are just a couple of the forums that I would look to engage and present through. With my current project with Childcare Licensing I will be writing a white paper for whole of goverment on our experience. I would hope my Fellowship report would also be distributed through the government channels."

So this was my application responses as well as two references. Over the following year I will be posting information about how I am going and what I am planning for my trip. Then when I go on the Trip I will then post pictures and information about the entire experience.