David Farkas gave a presentation on interaction design through mixology at the August 2012 IxDA DC conference. He discussed how mixology, like interaction design, involves experimenting with ingredients and processes to create new recipes/experiences. Farkas presented several original cocktail recipes he developed through an iterative process involving education on techniques and ingredients, experimentation, and user testing to refine flavors that were pleasing but masked the taste of alcohol. He argued that interaction designers can apply similar approaches used in mixology to their work.
1. Interaction Design
Through Mixology
David Farkas
Bresslergroup, Philadelphia PA
@dafark8
#DTDD
August 28, 2012 IxDA DC
@dafark8 #DTDD August 2012
2. What is Mixology?
Mixology is the study and practice
of mixing alcoholic beverages;
experimenting and creating new
cocktail recipes similar to the way
a chef creates a new dish
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_mixology
@dafark8 #DTDD August 2012
21. Mixology is IxD
http://survivingtheworld.net/Lesson1225.html
@dafark8 #DTDD August 2012 20
22. Mixology is IxD
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cqjAhdk4iTQ/TwuNv22thtI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/QYbBEwmk-ko/s1600/Table%252Bof%252BAlcohol.png
@dafark8 #DTDD August 2012 21
23. Resources
• My Recipes: http://bit.ly/DTDD_MUX
• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dafark8/mixology/
• Liqurious: http://liqurious.notcot.org/
• Home Bar Basics: http://www.homebarbasics.com/?cat=5
@dafark8 #DTDD August 2012 22
24. Interaction Design
Through Mixology
David Farkas
Bresslergroup, Philadelphia PA
dafark8@gmail.com
@dafark8
#DTDD
August 28, 2012 IxDA DC
@dafark8 #DTDD August 2012
Hinweis der Redaktion
Here at MWUX? This time there are drinks!\n\nPoll of what people drink\n
There are many definitions of mixology and there is a veil of mystery over what bartenders do\nAt its core, mixology is the study and exploration of creating drinks\nThis is similar to the core of what we as designers do - experiment and create interactions\nThis is the core link between mixology and design\nThis is my link... FIND YOUR LINK\n
I wanted to homebrew and didnt have the space\n Difficult not impossible with electric\nStarted infusing own liquors as an alternative\nVery quickly recognized similarities to work\n\n
This list looks familiar, right? \nIt’s not a list of the UX process. \nThese are the questions I found myself asking about bar tending when I first got started\nLet’s discuss how each of these relates to not only our hobbies but our work\n
Yes, I have a star wars history book in my design library. And an original Gameboy and Nintendo. I also have books from Cooper, Nielsen, and the other more ‘traditional’ design literature\nI have a formal background in UX\n\nMy bartending is self-taught. Through blogs, discussions and trial and error - trial and error, I went out and explored ways to create drinks and solicited independent feedback\n
degree in political science/international affairs\n\na class in bartending is not the same as multi year schooling in design but both teach fundamentals and both should have an end goal\n\nmojito - how make it? what to do, worked with a friend who went to bartending class\n\n
initiative, perseverence/drive/motivation\nanyone can read a book on design or bartending \ncomes down to trial and error, wanting to achieve something and not giving up\nwhat are you looking to get out of the education - \nsoft skills are key.\n\n\n
Traditional materials - shakers, jiggers, stirrers and ice (discuss/describe)\n Traditional drinks are made by combining known elements into an understood compound\n standard interaction models - drop downs, spinners and date selectors and presenting streamlined workflows\nModern technology - liquid nitrogen, molds, infusions\n Modern technology explore new interaction models. \n Break the mold of traditional interaction patterns and develop for new processes\n The result is still an enhanced workflow, faster training, and reduced frustration, but the tool is different\n
\n Mason Jars: 12 for $9 at local hardware store\n Pickle Jar: $140+ on amazon\n\nDisposable - not a precious tool scared to lose or break but gets the job done and does it well\n\nJohn Daly - how to crush ginger and extract juices - timing of infusion\n\n\n\n\n
In mixology, the process and materials used are only as important as the end result\n In interaction design, we need to focus on the result and less on the tool used to get there.\n axure, illustrator, indesign, balsamiq, paper prototyping/sketching \n Is the end experience successful? Was the desired story communicated?\n \n Process differs but process matters - OBX experience and Penske\n
No drink came out right the first try\n watermelon salsa story - jalapeno, watermelon, onion, cilantro\nOur process as designers is about iteration - it is about failure\nFailure - no because the direction was wrong but to help uncover business needs, challenges and opportunities\n\nWhen mixing drinks, or cooking, designing a building or painting - anything, it is all about practice\n
Story: No one gets it right the first time, even something as basic as the gin and tonic - proportions, type of soda, garnish\n Jalapeno tequila story - type of juice - OJ/grapefruit - heat of infusion\n \n \n
Prototyping is key\n We as designers don’t sketch a solution and go directly into production\n We prototype, we iterate\n failure is a key part of the design process - learn from failure\n many timelines we work in are accelerated and we are expected to get the right solution just out of the gate - we need to impress the need/value of iteration and the value of exploring multiple avenues early and often\n Same in mixology I work at two scales - I have the test kitchen bottles and the production size bottles\n \n Blog of failures early on and how that was lost - need to embrace failure - pitch IxD13 talk\n
Say it with me “The user is not like me”\nThe classic UX mantra, relearned the hard way with mixology\nWho knows what the pickleback is? not for everyone\n“Just had my first pickleback thanks to a friend who is familiar with them. Brilliant!”\nwhile others go in for the kill (cue video)\n
not everyone likes everything, or the thought of everything\nThe morning melon story and adding or not adding simple syrup\n
Be transparant\nDesigning in a vacuum leads to feedback too little too late\nCreating drinks in a secret leads to unreasonably scaled feedback. Share what you do and invite critique early and often\nadam connor and aaron izary shout out - good critique is selfless, good critique is targeted to a specific area - a drink is too sweet or too strong, not a drink is bad. \nSimilarly, a design could use more contrast or the workflow is challenging, not something feels ‘off’\n
Good design goes unnoticed and is seamlessly integrated\nGood drinks aren’t overwhelming with alcohol (long islands, 3-wise men, jungle juice aside)\nTie back to story of ceramic jars/mason jars - about the result not the tools\n
Story: Blueberry vodka and tonic - “It tastes like cranberry and tonic, you don’t taste the alcohol at all, I love it”\nWe drink and get drunk but more often than not we drink with our friends. We dont drink in order to be slapped across the face. It is a medium in social constructs. It should not be the main player dominating the show (famous last words, find me an an hour)\n
Design to be integrated into your user’s life, don’t obstruct it (unless thats what youre going for)\nBefore I discussed Iteration, this is when we can mention moderation - a good cocktail you want to enjoy and not get wasted the same with design - don’t hit them over the head to oblivious with it\n
See a trend growing here?\nOne of our biggest challenges as designers is thinking our road blocks are unique\nThey occur in every profession and every hobby\nMixology feeds back to IxD - reminded me a lot of these challenges\nEarlier Lauren discussed plain language content needs - we need to demystify design for ourselves as much as our clients\n
We need to embrace the similarities in challenges, embrace the variations in process, education, and approach\nWe need to remember to iterate and validate\nWe need moderation and humility\n\n
a list of resources around mixolgy - different recipes and collection\nencourage everyone to try making one based on the instructions and then to make their own\nnotice the difference\nnotice the flaws\nand try again\nContinued on blog posts\n
Time for QA, find me at the bar, twitter, elsewhere\n
