Comments on: Web 2.0 Talk – Leveraging the Network http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2006/02/21/web-20-talk-leveraging-the-network/ UIE\'s latest insights on the world of design Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:11:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Juan Lanus http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2006/02/21/web-20-talk-leveraging-the-network/comment-page-1/#comment-1962 Juan Lanus Thu, 09 Mar 2006 23:41:51 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/?p=190#comment-1962 "Users want control." "The best software models human behavior." IMHO these are both the same thing. Together maybe with "Each feature added ..." The web is every day more about tasks, as opposed to the original design oriented at displaying documents. This brings an important difference: when somebody publishes a document, or gives a speech, it's all about his thinking and the audience is willing to listen. Afterwards they can do what they want, it's not usual that they stand up and walk over the speaker. The "users" are in a pasive attitude. But when the user is supposed to be active, because he is performing a task, then he wants control, wants the thing to behave properly, read on. First, control belongs to the user, period. By 1998 when "webmasters" talked about "eyeball counts" and "not leting the user leave the site" they were inmersed in control fantasies that seemed the outcome of massive caffeine overdoses. Users responded leaving the internet (against all pronostics) and provoking a crisis. But what kind of control? Software developers imagined that users wanted to set their favorite colors and the like: "personalization". This is not giving control to the user. It's comparable to a marriage where the husband chooses and sets the home and gives "control" to the wife by letting her choose the color of the curtains. It's a hoax. Control means that the user wants things done "his way". Here is when "... human behaviour" enters. As you know better than me, he user has built a "conceptual model" for the task he's going to perform. On the other hand, the develpoers have published a "manifest model" for the user to operate, mainly thru the UI (it's appearance but most important, it's dynamic behaviour). Well, if the manifest model is not designed in conformance with the user's conceptual model there is a clash. See this picture: http://www.elearningtoys.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/sm_plan_shapesort150.jpg manifest model that does not conform to the appropriate conceptual model is like trying to introduce a shape in the wrong hole. Because the user is expecting the thing to behave the way he thinks, and the thing behaves in a different way which is not evident. That's the relation between user in control and modeling human behaviour: the user will feel he is in control as long as the software behaves the way he is used to think. No matter the font or background colors. “Users want control.”
“The best software models human behavior.”
IMHO these are both the same thing. Together maybe with “Each feature added …”

The web is every day more about tasks, as opposed to the original design oriented at displaying documents.

This brings an important difference: when somebody publishes a document, or gives a speech, it’s all about his thinking and the audience is willing to listen. Afterwards they can do what they want, it’s not usual that they stand up and walk over the speaker. The “users” are in a pasive attitude.

But when the user is supposed to be active, because he is performing a task, then he wants control, wants the thing to behave properly, read on.

First, control belongs to the user, period. By 1998 when “webmasters” talked about “eyeball counts” and “not leting the user leave the site” they were inmersed in control fantasies that seemed the outcome of massive caffeine overdoses. Users responded leaving the internet (against all pronostics) and provoking a crisis.

But what kind of control? Software developers imagined that users wanted to set their favorite colors and the like: “personalization”. This is not giving control to the user. It’s comparable to a marriage where the husband chooses and sets the home and gives “control” to the wife by letting her choose the color of the curtains. It’s a hoax.

Control means that the user wants things done “his way”. Here is when “… human behaviour” enters.
As you know better than me, he user has built a “conceptual model” for the task he’s going to perform.
On the other hand, the develpoers have published a “manifest model” for the user to operate, mainly thru the UI (it’s appearance but most important, it’s dynamic behaviour).
Well, if the manifest model is not designed in conformance with the user’s conceptual model there is a clash.
See this picture:
http://www.elearningtoys.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/sm_plan_shapesort150.jpg
manifest model that does not conform to the appropriate conceptual model is like trying to introduce a shape in the wrong hole.
Because the user is expecting the thing to behave the way he thinks, and the thing behaves in a different way which is not evident.

That’s the relation between user in control and modeling human behaviour: the user will feel he is in control as long as the software behaves the way he is used to think. No matter the font or background colors.

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