Recently i had a discussion with one student on her project related to maps for travelers. We had thought of an idea of having panoramic view of the street instead of using conventional maps. If we see Indian scenario, then very few people use maps, instead they would prefer asking some one about the place. Perhaps a new way of navigation could encourage them to use that application. As an extension of that discussion, we came across Google Redefines GPS Navigation Landscape: Google Maps Navigation For Android 2.0 which i feel has some interesting features. The most interesting i found is, street navigation through street view only, instead of conventional maps view. I feel, looking at the actual street view will encourage users to use this application, because people can relate it very well. There are other features also, which can be viewed here in the video.

So, designer community relies very much on sketching their concept and developing it. Personally as a designer, i also agree with it. Sketching elaborates your thinking, helps you to visualize your concept and improve upon it. But if we talk specifically about interaction design, there is another term which is perhaps much more important than a normal sketching, is “sketching hardware/sketching electronics”. If we see projects/case studies, interaction design deals very much with the technology (or my opinion is, interaction design can not be imagined without technology). In recent years, prototyping/sketching hardware/sketching electronics has become a very important part of interaction design process. For interaction designers, i feel sketching hardware is essential to prototype concept and evaluate it. It is said that “thinking too much can be more damaging than building too much”. If we see companies like IDEO, Frog Design, Droog Design etc. they have specifically hired people for prototyping, which is very much essential to learn for interaction design students also. Recently i read an article on core77 about sketching hardware, which is worth sharing here.

image courtesy: mediamatic lab, amsterdam

Imagine yourself in a completely unknown place and you are looking for someone to meet. You take out your mobile phone, start GPS.. but GPS does not work because of not being into open place. Then you start your browser, wait for network to select, type in “google maps.com” but unfortunately network signal is weak, that option is also gone. Imagine the same situation becoming worst, when your phone does not even have GPS/internet facility to run google maps, what to do..where to go?

Here we are.. “2D barcode based information and navigation system”

Not only navigation but also information system using 2D barcode (like QR code, semacode, maxicode etc) designed and prototyped by Keyur Sorathia(Interaction Designer) & Dhairya Dand(Computer Science Expert). A research project exploring new possibilities on contextual navigation & information using almost any camera mobile phone and with just 50 paise print out.

Here, the scenario tries to explain every aspect of it, still we are mentioning some important points needs to be considered.

If we explain the process in simple steps:

start reader >> triggers your camera >> automatically fetches the data & shows on mobile screen

Some more points that are not mentioned in the scenario:

• Technology is designed in such a way that, unlimited data can be stored and displayed
• Detailed contextual information is displayed which never happens in GPS / google maps
• Information can be displayed using all media of videos, images and text.
• The system can be placed and used in any place
• It requires only step interaction to call, send SMS, view website & mail

Currently we have a low fidelity prototype using Nokia N95 and looking forward to make a working prototype using other mobile phones.

Waiting for the comments

Recently i was called to review a module of interaction design students of Industrial Design Center (IDC), on developing iphone games on several themes using iphone’s gesture based features like accelerometer, touch, multi touch etc. One of the groups worked on a theme “sustainability – save world”, name given for the game was “ECO-TRASH” which focused on keywords;

• fun and rich media interaction
• awareness
• learning for children
• recycling

This image shows a neatly designed logo for “eco-trash”.

First image shows 4 trash representing metal, plastic, organic and glass. Tunnel shown on the top throws a trash, which is to be thrown in related trashbin using spring on the bottom.

Second image describes the condition when a player has thrown trash into wrong trashbin, which results in a new born worm, which slowly eats the spring.

Continuous mistakes leads to new born worm, resulting “game over”. If player does not do mistakes, he will end up growing a good looking tree and shown in second image.

At a concept level, it is a nice start and con be improved more. This concept was developed by Ishneet & Samiksha.

Since a long i was thinking to launch my website, which finally happened. I have launched my website www.towardsbetterinteraction.com showing some of my work, my interest areas, my hobbies, about my activities of what i am reading, which project i am looking at, my del.icio.us and my social network. Currently it is still in construction, but most of the part is working.

It would be interesting to see your feedback and some sugesstions.

Bill Moggridge received lifetime achievement award this year on 10th National Design Awards. I have not been to all his work, but i appreciate some of his work specially first laptop computer and for sure which interaction designer have not read Designing Interactions.

“Bill Moggridge is a co-founder of IDEO, a global design consultancy, creating impact through design. A Royal Designer for Industry, Moggridge designed the world’s first laptop computer. He pioneered interaction design and is one of the first people to integrate human factors into the design of software and hardware. He has been a trustee of the Design Museum; visiting professor in interaction design at the Royal College of Art in London, lecturer in Design at the London Business School and a member of the Steering Committee for the Interaction Design Institute in Ivrea, Italy. He is currently consulting associate professor in the design program at Stanford University. His book, DVD and Web site “Designing Interactions” tell the story of how interaction design is transforming our daily lives. “

HTC launched their new phone HTC Hero. The most interesting part what i feel here is a vision to look at personalized device where user can personlize their applications & menu according to their need. Hero has an interface which allows user to add, group, organize & delete application according to their need. Also, which i am always looking forward is location aware system which Hero has looked forward to. Hero changes it weather, clock/time etc. according to the location you are in. During the launch they mentioned a new way of looking multi touch, specially for the website viewing, but unfortunately i did not understand what they meant. But really a nice effort.

During my masters, course focused on several interesting design domains like designing for the quality of experience, physical computing, interactive installation & new modes of interaction. I was looking at some projects i did during my masters, so thought it would be good idea to show project name “come fly with us” which i did with Shadi Lahham & Soey.

It is a bunch of several car & bike games which were focused on new ways to interact. A gesture based game allowed people to move their cares & bikes on right side by moving right & left side by moving left. As more you jump, the car or bike gets accelerated. In addition to this, google earth was also installed which helped to navigate through google earth in an interactive way. TO move right on google earth, widen up your right hand, to zoom in-move it down, to zoom out-move it up. Similar way for left side.

Comments please!!

Today morning as i opened my gmail, it opened up with a new message saying ” drag & drop to give labels to your mails”. For me, drag & drop feature is always interesting & intuitive interaction (for sure, in some context it might not work). I wonder why gmail took a long time to come with this feature. Though it is a starting point, but i am sure they must be looking forward to come up something more interesting (something like wave)

Going through bank account details, it is easy to know big memorable purchases made, but it’s hard to determine how the little purchases have added up to such a figure. Here comes little spender, this year’s MEX winner.

“Little Spender has been designed with people like Xavier in mind, allowing him to add his expenses through micro experiences on his mobile device. Little Spender’s goal is to enable even the most casual of Little Spenders to see where exactly their hard-earned cash goes every month. Along with a bit of fun and simplicity along the way, they’ll hopefully save a little money too”

I guess, video will give more idea.