Keynote for World IA Day, answering the question "When, Where and How does Understanding occur?" Specifically, this talk discussed (1) interactions (and embodiement) (2) how new technology is changing the "information environments" we design for, and (3) a bit about perceptions and cognition.

1. WO R L D I A DA Y C HI C A GO
T HE ARCHIT EC TU R E
O F U NDERS TA N DI N G
presented by
Stephen P. Anderson
t
@stephenanderson | #WIADChi #WIAD

2. Strategy
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3. Strategy
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4. Strategy
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Stephen P.
Anderson
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5. What is the purpose of a map?

6. What is the purpose of a map?
Navigation
Orientation
Discovery
Definition
How do I get to...?
Where am I? Where
can I go from here
What is nearby?
What can I do from
here?
Where are the edges?
What are the
boundaries?
-paths and core
-iPhone navigation example

7. What was the purpose of this map?

8. …or this map?
By studying the similarities and differences between human genes and those of other
organisms, researchers can discover the functions of particular genes and identify
which genes are critical for life.

9. …or this map?
abigail.smith » Skill Progress

10. …or this map?

11. What is the purpose of a map?
Navigation
Orientation
Discovery
Definition
How do I get to...?
Where am I? Where
can I go from here
What is nearby?
What can I do from
here?
Where are the edges?
What are the
boundaries?
-paths and core
-iPhone navigation example

12. What is the purpose of a map?
Navigation
Orientation
Discovery
Definition
Understanding
How do I get to...?
Where am I? Where
can I go from here
What is nearby?
What can I do from
here?
Where are the edges?
What are the
boundaries?
What patterns do I
see? How do things
relate? What can I
infer from this?
-paths and core
-iPhone navigation example

13. DESIGN FOR
UNDERSTANDING
Navigation
Orientation
Discovery
Definition
Understanding
How do I get to...?
Where am I? Where
can I go from here
What is nearby?
What can I do from
here?
Where are the edges?
What are the
boundaries?
What patterns do I
see? How do things
relate? What can I
infer from this?
-paths and core
-iPhone navigation example
Learning through playful,
visual interactions.

14. How do we design for understanding?

15. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?

16. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?

17. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?
through interactions
directly with information
that help reveal patterns

18. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?
through interactions
directly with information
that help reveal patterns
Interactions

19. http://vimeo.com/36579366

22. “The approach to teaching without
words that I’m proposing makes heavy
use of interactivity and instant
informative feedback.”
STMath
http://www.creativitypost.com/education/teaching_without_words

23. Interactions reveal
previously unseen patterns.

24. Interactions reveal
previously unseen patterns.

25. from “Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Role of Interaction in Information Visualization”

26. Name
User Intent
Select
mark something as interesting
Explore
show me something else
Reconfigure
show me a different arrangement
Encode
show me a different
representation
Abstract/Elaborate
show me more or less detail
Filter
show me something
conditionally
Connect
show me related items
from “Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Role of Interaction in Information Visualization”

27. from “Interaction and the epistemic potential of digital libraries”

28. 3 Basic Interactions:
Conversing
conveying intended actions to a VR through language
(i.e., the mouth and talking).
Manipulating
touching, grasping, or handling visually perceptible
aspectsofaVR(i.e.,thehandsandhandling)
Navigating
moving from one location or piece of information in a
VR to another (i.e., the feet and walking).
from “Interaction and the epistemic potential of digital libraries”

29. 3 Basic Interactions:
Conversing
conveying intended actions to a VR through language
(i.e., the mouth and talking).
Manipulating
touching, grasping, or handling visually perceptible
13 Task-Based Interactions:
aspectsofaVR(i.e.,thehandsandhandling)
Navigating
Animating
Composing
moving from one initiatingor piece of information in a creating a new VR by putting
location and, optionally,
VR to another (i.e., the feet and walking).
controlling motion in a VR.
together independent visual
elements.
Annotating
placing informative marks, or
Cutting
meta-information, on or around a
removing extraneous elements
VR.
from a VR.
Chunking
grouping independent, but related,
visual elements into a unified
visual structure.
Cloning
creating an identical copy of a VR,
in whole or in part.
Filtering
exposing, concealing, or
transforming elements of a VR
that possess certain characteristics
or match certain criteria.
Fragmenting
dismantling aVR into its
component parts.
Collecting
gathering visual elements for
future use.
from “Interaction and the epistemic potential of digital libraries”
Probing
acquiring more detailed
information from a VR.
Rearranging
altering the spatial position and/or
the orientation of a VR, or the
components within it.
Repicturing
displaying a VR in a new or
different way
Searching
looking for, or ascertaining the
position of, specific features,
elements or structures in a VR.

30. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?
through interactions
directly with information
that help reveal patterns
Interactions

31. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?
through interactions
directly with information
that help reveal patterns
Embodied Interactions

33. Everything your brain knows, it knows
because of your body (your senses)

35. Saying words like "lick, pick, and kick" activates the
corresponding brain regions associated with the mouth,
hand, and foot, respectively.

39. Thinking, then doing.

40. Thinking, then doing.
Thinking through doing.

41. PRAGMATIC
(Actions performed to bring one physically closer to a goal)
VS
EPISTEMIC ACTIONS
(Actions that use the world to improve cognition)
Thinking, then doing.
Thinking through doing.
from “Interaction and the epistemic potential of digital libraries”

42. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?
through interactions
directly with information
that help reveal patterns
Embodied Interactions

43. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?
through interactions
Embodied Interactions
directly with information
Information Environments
that help reveal patterns

44. “the structural design of information environments”

45. “the structural design of information environments”

46. !
“the structural design of information environments”

52. May 1955

54. !
“the structural design of information environments”

55. !
“the structural design of information environments”

56. TOOLS / OBJECTS
!
OTHER
PEOPLE
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENTS
“the structural design of information environments”

57. “The “polar bear book” as it came to be known helped a
generation of information architects and user experience
designers make sense of the Web through structure,
organization, navigation, and search. Today, much of what
we wrote remains relevant, and yet new questions arise as
the world and the Web intertwingle…
How do we rise to the new challenges of creating paths and
places that bridge physical, digital, and cognitive spaces?”
TOOLS / OBJECTS
–P E T E R M O RV I L L E
!
OTHER
PEOPLE
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENTS
(from the foreward to Pervasive Information Architecture)
“the structural design of information environments”

59. Line between Digital and Physical is blurring

60. Line between Digital and Physical is blurring
The world is becoming our information environment

61. Line between Digital and Physical is blurring
The world is becoming our information environment
Interactions will be much richer (and complex)

62. Line between Digital and Physical is blurring
The world is becoming our information environment
Interactions will be much richer (and complex)
#EXCITING!!

63. http://vitaminsdesign.com/projects/lego-calendar/

64. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/863853574/touch-board-interactivity-everywhere

65. Everything your brain knows, it knows
because of your body (your senses)

66. 10 distinct sensory modalities:
1. Visual (seeing)
2. Auditory (hearing)
3. Olfactory (smelling)
4. Gustatory (tasting)
5. Vestibular (sense of balance and body movement)
Everything your brain knows, it knows
because of your body (your senses)
6. Tactile (touching)
7. Thermoreceptive (feeling temperature)
8. Proprioceptive (positioning and movement of the extremities)
9. Introceptive (body condition and organ activity)
10. Nocioceptive (feeling pain)
(from Michael Haverkamp)

67. Senseg

68. GameDesk
ht t ps :/ / www.yout ube.com / wat ch? feat ure= player_ em bedded& v= CCp_ 9 3 04 j3 Q

69. www.leapmotion.com

71. The really far out stuff…

73. http://vimeo.com/tangiblemedia

74. http://leejinha.com/ZeroN

75. Dan Rubin
@Dan_Rubin_NY
Enchanted objects are incredibly purpose built - and you won't
need nav or a ui #enchantobj #SXSW

76. Dan Rubin
@Dan_Rubin_NY
Enchanted objects are incredibly purpose built - and you won't
need nav or a ui #enchantobj #SXSW
“From Human-Computer Interaction
to Human-Information Interaction”

77. http://pinterest.com/stephenpa/smart-objects/

78. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?
through interactions
Embodied Interactions
directly with information
Information Environments
that help reveal patterns

79. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?
through interactions
Embodied Interactions
directly with information
Spatial-Visual
Information Environments
that help reveal patterns

80. http://archive.org/details/AlanKeyD1987?start=1439.5

81. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?
through interactions
Embodied Interactions
directly with information
Spatial-Visual
Information Environments
that help reveal patterns

82. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?
through interactions
Embodied Interactions
directly with information
Spatial-Visual
Information Environments
that help reveal patterns
Internal Representations

83. TOOLS / OBJECTS
!
OTHER
PEOPLE
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENTS
“the structural design of information environments”

84. !
TOOLS / OBJECTS
OTHER
PEOPLE
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENTS
“the structural design of information environments”

85. TOOLS / OBJECTS
OTHER
PEOPLE
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENTS
“the structural design of information environments”

86. HEARING
TASTE
SMELL
TOUCH
VISION
(THE WORLD OUT THERE)
STIMULUS
(THE WORLD YOU PERCEIVE)
SENSORY ORGANS
PERCEPTUAL ORGAN
ICONIC
MEMORY
SHORT-TERM
MEMORY
BALANCE
Reality
PAIN
TIME
TEMPERATURE
AND
MORE!
Simulation
LONG-TERM
MEMORY

87. (THE WORLD YOU PERCEIVE)
(THE WORLD OUT THERE)
Reality
Simulation

88. PERCEPTION IS YOUR (NEURAL) MAP OF REALITY

89. PERCEPTION IS YOUR (NEURAL) MAP OF REALITY

92. Your brain constructs (an experience) of reality.

93. Food is influenced through interaction with and between our senses.
- Bernard Lahousse
https://vimeo.com/86171854

94. http://www.happyplace.com/10999/incredibly-ill-conceived-headline-photo-pairings

95. http://www.happyplace.com/10999/incredibly-ill-conceived-headline-photo-pairings

96. http://www.happyplace.com/10999/incredibly-ill-conceived-headline-photo-pairings

97. http://www.happyplace.com/10999/incredibly-ill-conceived-headline-photo-pairings

98. http://www.happyplace.com/10999/incredibly-ill-conceived-headline-photo-pairings

99. http://www.happyplace.com/10999/incredibly-ill-conceived-headline-photo-pairings

100. Your brain constructs (an experience) of reality.

101. Your brain constructs (an experience) of reality.
Perception is not a process of active
absorption but of active construction based
on prior experiences and memories.

102. Why do we know these are all the letter A?
A A A
A
A A A A
A AA A

103. http://imjustcreative.com/unevolvedbrands/

104. http://imjustcreative.com/unevolvedbrands/

105. http://imjustcreative.com/unevolvedbrands/

106. http://imjustcreative.com/unevolvedbrands/

107. http://imjustcreative.com/unevolvedbrands/

108. http://imjustcreative.com/unevolvedbrands/

111. “Message of Love from the Dolpins”
(Message d’Amour des Dauphins)
If you look at the vase you’ll probably agree
that it depicts a man holding and kissing a
woman from behind. What if I told you that
the image in fact depicts a number of
dolphins?
In fact it depicts both - it’s all a matter of how
your brain interprets it. Kids, who are
“inexperienced” tend to see the dolphins.
Grownups tend to see the loving couple, Some
grownups can’t even see the dolphins if they
try really hard.
It’s all about what the brain expects and
knows. If you know how to see a certain
pattern, you’re more likely to see that pattern.

112. “Message of Love from the Dolpins”
(Message d’Amour des Dauphins)
If you look at the vase you’ll probably agree
that it depicts a man holding and kissing a
woman from behind. What if I told you that
the image in fact depicts a number of
dolphins?
In fact it depicts both - it’s all a matter of how
your brain interprets it. Kids, who are
“inexperienced” tend to see the dolphins.
Grownups tend to see the loving couple, Some
grownups can’t even see the dolphins if they
try really hard.
It’s all about what the brain expects and
knows. If you know how to see a certain
pattern, you’re more likely to see that pattern.

113. Changing the label on wine
bottles changes the taste
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brainstorm/200803/is-5000-prostitute-worth-the-price

114. brain scans confirmed that
people don't just think the
more expensive (but identical)
wine tasted better—it actually
really did taste better…
Changing the label on wine
bottles changes the taste
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brainstorm/200803/is-5000-prostitute-worth-the-price

116. “How fast was the car going when
it hit the other car?”
“How fast was the car going when
it smashed into the other car?”

117. “How fast was the car going when
it hit the other car?”
“How fast was the car going when
it smashed into the other car?”

118. When, Where and How does
Understanding occur?
through interactions
Embodied Interactions
directly with information
Spatial-Visual
Information Environments
that help reveal patterns
Internal Representations

119. Change the way you do UX/IA work.

120. Change the way you do UX/IA work.
Change the way you think about
doing UX/IA work.

121. A map of this talk…

122. MACHINES TALKING TO MACHINES
INFORMATION ENVIRONMENTS
…and that whole
“pervasive IA” thing
Wearables
Digital
Things
Digital
Environments
PEOPLE
TOOLS / OBJECTS
Connected Media /
Devices
The World “Outside”
INTERACTIONS
The World “Inside”
REPRESENTATIONS
Perception & Cognition
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENTS

123. We need new maps.

124. We need new maps.
Maps that help us, as practictioners,
architect exciting new information systems.

125. We need new maps.
Maps that help us, as practictioners,
architect exciting new information systems.
Maps that celebrate and amplify
human ingenuity.

126. We need new maps.
Maps that help us, as practictioners,
architect exciting new information systems.
Maps that celebrate and amplify
human ingenuity.
Maps that help us to understand
what is unknown.

127. Thank you!
Design for
Understanding
getmentalnotes.com
Stephen P. Anderson
@stephenanderson
www.poetpainter.com | www.slideshare.net/stephenpa