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Software should convey a sense of calm

patrickjuchli.com

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Re: Software should convey a sense of calm

#31

Post by jrm4 »

ysavir wrote: post #21
jimmaswell wrote: post #9

> I want to find the same things in the same places How else will designers justify their jobs? I wonder if designer should be reworked to be a seasonal or consultancy job only, to only hire them when you're making a new product/big feature or there's a drastic need to change things but never otherwise. Having them as permanent staff leads to our present usability and accessability nightmare of everything constantly…

Assuming for the sake of argument that this is at all true, is the problem that designers are out to justify their jobs, and making changes as a consequence, or that designers are being put in a position where they have to justify their jobs, and are making changes to satisfy their managers? If anything, the problem in this scenario is that culturally we need everyone to be contributing all of the time, even for posi…

If this is the best argument one can come up with for not being critical here, for me it absolutely proves we need to be more critical here. Of course, I don't wish to see anyone suffer, but I'm seeing something like:

"Hey, we're paying a guy to dig holes and fill them back up with no value whatsoever, why are we doing that?"

"Hey, man, stop attacking hole-diggers, they're just trying to make a living."

Re: Software should convey a sense of calm

#33

Post by pc86 »

ysavir wrote: post #21
jimmaswell wrote: post #9

> I want to find the same things in the same places How else will designers justify their jobs? I wonder if designer should be reworked to be a seasonal or consultancy job only, to only hire them when you're making a new product/big feature or there's a drastic need to change things but never otherwise. Having them as permanent staff leads to our present usability and accessability nightmare of everything constantly…

Assuming for the sake of argument that this is at all true, is the problem that designers are out to justify their jobs, and making changes as a consequence, or that designers are being put in a position where they have to justify their jobs, and are making changes to satisfy their managers? If anything, the problem in this scenario is that culturally we need everyone to be contributing all of the time, even for posi…

Are you suggesting that designers keep getting paid for work they've already done?

Re: Software should convey a sense of calm

#35

Post by iamstupidsimple »

rustybolt wrote: post #24

I don't know if I'm old and bitter, or that software becomes harder to use, but so many software seems to degrade in user experience. HTTP is a relatively easy thing, let's replace it by an overengineered clusterfuck called HTTPS. Good luck implementing THAT on your homebrew OS. (don't get me wrong, it's good thing that it exists, I just don't see why all the sites have to use it) Well, git+github seems to work nicel…

> I just don't see why all the sites have to use it

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140908/07191228453/comca...

Re: Software should convey a sense of calm

#36

Post by kovek »

UweSchmidt wrote: post #34

I'd be glad to check out any examples of software that come close to this ideal.

iOS multi-tasking by dragging the “home-bottom-bar” is great. Manipulating “cards” of apps with ease and discarding them by swiping them up. It’s very nice, but could be better.

Re: Software should convey a sense of calm

#37

Post by jd3 »

discordance wrote: post #16

Going back a bit further, Mark Weiser came up some principals around 'calm computing' [0]. As we transitioned into the ubiquitous computing age, computers were supposed to disappear. I wish that were the case but we seemed to have designed them to need more attention than ever. 0: http://quicksilver.be.washington.edu/courses/arch498cre/2.Re...

"The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it."

Calm Technology is "that which informs but doesn't demand our focus or attention."

for those unfamiliar with Weiser/"Calm Technology":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calm_technology

http://web.archive.org/web/20180604010109/http://www.ubiq.co...

https://people.csail.mit.edu/rudolph/Teaching/weiser.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20141022035044/http://www.ubiq.c...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Weiser

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jwLWosmmjE

https://web.archive.org/web/20080905233018/http://www-sul.st...

https://www.microsoft.com/buxtoncollection/detail.aspx?id=51

Re: Software should convey a sense of calm

#38

Post by dTal »

handrous wrote: post #29
varikin wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've heard that Ghost of Tsushima does this well with the direction of the wind. But I don't have a PS4/5 to play. I've also heard about of platformers giving a couple pixels after walking off a platform to jump, like Celeste. It is very small thing to give better feel to the controls and make up lack of precise timing.

There's also the idea of the tutorial level masquerading as a regular level, so it doesn't feel like a tutorial. Earliest example I know of is Super Mario Brothers 1:1, but it may not be the first. It's distinct from simply ramping up difficulty, because it involves things like deliberately presenting challenges & opportunities in a certain order, and, at first, in isolation. [EDIT] incidentally, here (many) games ha…

Portal was designed so that nearly the entire game was "the tutorial level". The gradual introduction of novel elements such as beams, turrets, and more advanced movement challenges kept up the interest, but it also had the hidden agenda of preparing the user for the climactic finale which brought all of those elements together.

Re: Software should convey a sense of calm

#39

Post by Transfinity »

bitwize wrote: post #23
dtjb wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure there are designers making parallel arguments about developers :)

Indeed, this is how game developers work: hired in legion strength to push a game to release, then laid off once it's released.

I've heard that DLC has made this less of a problem in recent years. Since there's a stable, predictable revenue stream and delivery channel for new content, iit's much easier to justify keeping devs, designers and artists on full time. Presumably this varies by studio / publisher / genre, but my impression is it's much better than it was.

Re: Software should convey a sense of calm

#40

Post by tnzm »

pc86 wrote: post #33
ysavir wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Assuming for the sake of argument that this is at all true, is the problem that designers are out to justify their jobs, and making changes as a consequence, or that designers are being put in a position where they have to justify their jobs, and are making changes to satisfy their managers? If anything, the problem in this scenario is that culturally we need everyone to be contributing all of the time, even for posi…

Are you suggesting that designers keep getting paid for work they've already done?

Royalties, man, yeah.
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