Earlier today, I watched Objectified, a great documentary about industrial design.  It reminded me of how permanently-built and unsustainable many material things are, and how easy it is for us to form emotional attachments to objects with personal stories that we then are reluctant to part with.  At the same time, I was thinking about different signs I could create for my public spaces project, signs that would tailor to people’s emotions in hopes of changing their behavior.  For example, an elevator will have a speech bubble sign on it that says “I’m feeling tired today. Please take the stairs!”  I started thinking about what the world would look like if our environment “spoke” back to us, even through inanimate signs. If we are taken off guard by a new friendly “Good morning!” thought-bubble-shaped sign on the door when we go to work, would our initial reaction be to say “Good morning!” back, before realizing that we were just about to talk to a door? Would we start noticing more things around us, and could we become more appreciative of them?

I applied the same idea to daily material things often taken for granted.  What if your toaster told you when your bread was done, and when you said “thank you,” it replied “you’re welcome”? I’m not talking about creating robot appliances that will chat with you about your day and the daily news, but simple conversation pieces that made you feel like you were interacting with someone who just did you a nice favor. Not everyone can say “ah yes, this [insert thing] was passed down by my grandma and has considerable sentimental value to me,” but what if by giving certain products simple voices, you will form an emotional attachment to them and are less likely to replace them when something shinier comes along? (Come on, do you really need this muffin toaster that cooks your eggs too?)

In this age, we are constantly making things faster, smarter, smaller, bigger, better, building more and more until you walk into a Walmart Supercenter and suddenly you’re dizzy thinking about how much stuff there is. Some people don’t think twice about replacing a 1-year old digital camera when a newer model arrives, or even a 1-month old bag for another bag (of course, this one is absolutely perfect and you will never ever have to buy another bag ever again). Instead of designing new products that come equipped with these voices, we could build our own little toaster soul and equip it to our toaster, adding another kind of “creator bond” to our new relationship with the toaster. These low resolution social-emotional interfaces have the potential to increase awareness of our surroundings and make people more appreciative of what they have.

Update 1/19 – Suggested readings (thanks to all those who contacted me and suggested the following)

Cziksentimihalyi, M. 1991. Design and Order in Everyday Life. Design Issues, vol. 8, no. 1 (Autumn 1991), MIT Press, 26-34. (Works that have cited this paper)

Alex Taylor, Microsoft Researcher.

Blevis, E. 2007. Sustainable interaction design: invention & disposal, renewal & reuse. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (San Jose, California, USA, April 28 – May 03, 2007). CHI ’07. ACM, New York, NY, 503-512. DOI= http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1240624.1240705

Lim, Y., Donaldson, J., Jung, H., Kunz, B., Royer, D., Ramalingam, S., Thirumaran, S., and Stolterman, E. 2008. Emotional Experience and Interaction Design. In Affect and Emotion in Human-Computer interaction: From theory To Applications, C. Peter and R. Beale, Eds. Lecture Notes In Computer Science, vol. 4868. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 116-129. DOI= http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85099-1_10

Norman, D. A. 2004. Emotional design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things. Basic Books, NY.

[Door picture from ArchiExpo]

For those of you who have it, what do you think of it so far?

Summer:
I worked with Orit Shaer on a Microsoft Surface project. Along with Catherine Grevet, Sarah Elfenbein, and Megan Strait, we created G-Nome Surfer, a genome browser for biology researchers. We interviewed many biologists and researchers to find out their work flow, collaboration tools and needs, and existing methods of browsing genomic data. Catherine and I familiarized ourselves with coding in XAML and C#, while Megan and Sarah worked out all the biological details — finding ontology information, gene and chromosome information, etc.

I also got some tiny experience working with Jmol (chemistry molecule viewer) and was able to export molecules into .dae format suitable for 3D printing. I got the molecule into Papervision 3D and hooked it up with a Wiimote. This side project didn’t get very far, but the idea was to play around with a new way of interacting with 3D scientific models by using Wiimotes for more intuitive navigation. I have lots of ideas about other ways we can accomplish this, to be saved for a different blog post.

In August, after the summer research program, I moved and settled in to my new home in Pittsburgh and started classes and research at CMU. I love it here! Getting used to a research environment definitely has its challenges, especially coming from undergrad with little research experience, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it.

That’s it for now. More blog posts to come related to current research I’m working on, and some new ideas I’ve been thinking about. This blog and my portfolio are undergoing a (much-needed) redesign this week, integrating the two together. The design is ready to be uploaded, but first I need to migrate my portfolio from the current site to WordPress for easier management. If you see some weird things around the site, or if it looks broken or something, chances are that I’m working on it. Please check back next week for the new site!

import time
from urllib2 import urlopen
from BeautifulSoup import BeautifulSoup

# Replace USERNAME with your twitter username
url = u'http://twitter.com/USERNAME?page=%s'
tweets_file = open('tweets', 'w')

for x in range(10*10000):
f = urlopen(url % x)
text = f.read()
text = text.replace("sc'+'ript", "script")
soup = BeautifulSoup(text)
f.close()
tweets = soup.findAll('span', {'class': 'entry-content'})
if len(tweets) == 0:
break
[tweets_file.write(t.renderContents() + '\n') for t in tweets]
# being nice to twitter's servers
time.sleep(5)
print "working...Page",x

tweets_file.close()

This exported all of my tweets into a text file that included all @ replies and HTML tags. Since Wordle would easily pick them up, I had to get rid of all HTML tags and @’s so that they wouldn’t dominate the word cloud. To do so, I used Emacs to create macros that automatically found and deleted them, leaving only raw text that I could plug into Wordle. The result is this glorious Twitter Wordle cloud à la @chloester:

Social Media Landscape by Fred Cavazza

What is the role of Social Media in my life? How much time should I spend on it? Is it worth that time that I could be spending on something else? It was clear to me that I couldn’t go overboard or else I wouldn’t get anything done, and a balance had to be found between my Twitter community and my projects. At the same time, the internet is ironically one of the few and best ways to find sources of inspiration related to creating technology that encourages face-to-face interaction, my favorite topic to think about these days leading up to graduate school. I was compelled by these questions to write down my thoughts lest they scurry away like field mice.

My attraction to online social anything seems to be rooted in the fundamental human need for social contact and community. This isn’t to say that my real life communities are not satisfying, au contraire, they are the best that I could ask for and are extremely fulfilling and important to me. But there is something irresistible about being part of Twitter that I can’t get enough of. What started out as a handful of personal follows and followers turned into a place where I could network with people with similar interests, and in turn be exposed to equally awesome things. That rarely happens in real life, or maybe I just haven’t found the right place yet. It is like meeting strangers while taking public transportation and striking up friendly and interesting conversation, or asking people in the bookstore for recommendations and talking about your favorite book. Except, for some perverse reason, we are more open to strangers online; we are more likely to have these conversations online even though in real life, these opportunities are everywhere if we look for them. And having my website allows me to show the whole world who I am and what I like to do, so that perhaps by chance, a stranger will stumble upon it, leading to some conversation that will make us both feel intellectually satisfied. The apparent lack of a social barrier online is something that we need to bring to real life so that we can really connect with each other in person.

Perhaps the reason why social sites like Twitter are so successful is that by being ourselves, we know we can reach out to other people “out there in the world” with similar interests, and they will reach back. It gives us a feeling of connectedness, but what does that mean in a society where connections come from iPods, cell phones, and wi-fi? Perhaps online interaction is slowly replacing real life interaction because it is less disappointing, more efficient, and we can reach more people faster. If that is the case, then we need to find ways to bring a part of that back to our interactions with others in real life. I hope to tackle this question in graduate school and through conversations both online and in person. Here’s to discovering and understanding humanity better through social media so that we can use it to make a positive impact on social interaction.

Social Computing
This existing HCI/CS subfield applies more to online social networks and their trends and implications about social behavior. These online social networks make up Web 2.0 and can be anything from instant messaging to blogs (Blogspot, Twitter) to social networking (Facebook, MySpace) and social bookmarking (Digg, Reddit).  (For a list of my networks check out the “My Profiles” box in the right column.)

Paul Graham: Cities and Ambition
Popular online essayist Paul Graham describes famous cities as hubs of ambition. Cambridge says “You should be smarter.” New York City says “You should be richer.” Silicon Valley says “You should be more powerful.” You get the idea. Paul Graham suggests that one day, the cities we live in will be virtual. A comment to this essay provides a city-like view of the popular online social networks we live in.

Essays by Danielle Fong: Third Places
In her blog post, Danielle Fong talks about the decrease in “third places,” especially in the suburbs.  A third place is somewhere outside of home (family bonds) and workplace (united purpose) such as cafes, where community and creativity can grow.  They are on the decline because many people nowadays would rather watch TV or go online and use social networking sites instead of going to somewhere for some real human interaction. How can we get this physical interactivity back?

Pattie Maes – Fluid Interfaces
A group from the MIT Media Lab, Fluid Interfaces design interfaces that enhance objects and spaces in our environment in ways that are intelligent and responsive to our needs.  In particular, the Blossom project uses non-attention-demanding devices (called Blossoms) to connect friends and family using digital communication.  These devices are different from mobile phones and email in that they do not demand immediate attention, but form an “implicit, always-there link” between connected individuals who own this device.

So how do these all fit together? I love how online social networks introduce me to people I would never have known, and connect me with people I probably would never see again, but the great downside to online technology is that it can be very addictive and tie us to our computers rather than encourage us to go outside for some fresh air and face-to-face interaction. There is a humorous and poignant scene in the movie “Mean Girls” where two girls are walking side by side, but they are text messaging each other instead of conversing. In an example in real life, on Boston T, there are always a handful of people in view sporting an iPod or texting on their mobile devices. People are absorbed with their gadgets, and there is little room for casual conversation anymore.

So how can we create technology that encourages social interaction and collaboration in ad-hoc communities?  What locations are we targeting, and what kinds of technologies should we use?  A few locations that come to mind are coffee shops, museums, and bookstores.  Tabletop and wall displays allow for multiple user input, and if presented correctly, could draw a lot of strangers together in the same place and strike up conversations about common interests.  Following the Blossom idea, perhaps there could even be a device that lets us browse the social profiles of people around us and allow us to quickly pick conversation partners.

WiiPaint (my thesis project) actually fits in quite nicely in this niche. It is meant to be displayed in a museum setting to draw all kinds of people and encourage them to collaborate with each other in creating digital art. This scenario highlights the difference between collaboration and interaction; one is task-based, the other is not. WiiPaint can fall in both categories, but it is more task-based, more collaborative. I’m more interested in interaction rather than collaboration because it is a bigger challenge when there is no common task to facilitate interaction.

Even though there are plenty of opportunities to meet cool people online, there is no reason why we can’t improve meaningful chance conversations in real life as well. This is an issue that I feel strongly about and hope research it more in graduate school.

Further reading on Third Places:
- Wikipedia – Third Place
- Tech Telecommunters – What’s Your “Third Place”?
- The Economy and Us: ‘Third Places’ are becoming scarcer, just when we need them most.

I am drawing towards the end of a series of WiiPaint studies.  I’ve had 17 subjects and I only need to informally test it with some friends in Boston.  I’m meeting up with my thesis committee tomorrow to discuss findings and where I’m going from there.

Chinese class has slowed down.  Our wonderful professor is extending Lessons 18 and 19 so that we have more time to study the words.  I did well on the 2nd midterm, and aside from regular assignments there’s only the cumulative final to study for.

Religion class.  I’m getting the last (2nd) paper back today, and there is one more that’s due the Monday after Thanksgiving.  Then I’m done for that class.

Grad school essays.  I’ve started on those and the process is still a bit slow right now as I try to formulate a theme and  structure everything around it and the essay requirements.  I’m hoping to get a draft done by this weekend, except I have to change it about 7 more times for the other schools that I’m applying to.

I was able to switch planning for the Thanksgiving Potluck dinner with a friend, so I’m point person for this week’s large group instead.  RT was in the city last night so she got me some dumplings that I can make for next week’s potluck  The Praise Night next Sunday is going along well, too.

Origami Club so far is planning on a dim sum run next Saturday, and a workshop the weekend after Thanksgiving break.

All in all, going well.  The most important and time-consuming thing now is grad school essays.  After that, it will be my thesis wrap-up for this semester.

Wellesley WASA and WIVCF co-sponsored a screening of Invisible Children’s second documentary, “Go,” about a group of American students traveling to Uganda to experience first-hand the reality of the war-torn country.  The first documentary, “The Rough Cut,” was filmed in 2003 when 3 guys in their 20s decided to go to Africa to “find a story” and returned with one that would raise the youth of this generation into action for the children of northern Uganda.

There are children in Uganda that are being abducted and brainwashed to become merciless child soldiers who kill in order not to be killed.  Not only that, but millions of people have been displaced from their homes due to the war in northern Uganda, moving to camps so that the government can ensure their safety from the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).  What was supposed to be a temporary solution has gone on for more than a decade, with sanitary conditions deteriorating and access to food and medical care becoming scarce.

Invisible Children’s mission is to “improve the quality of life for war-affected children by providing access to quality education, enhanced learning environments, and innovative economic opportunities for the community.”  They are non-profit and about 87% of their funds go to Uganda, a very large percentage compared to about 70-30 for other non-profit organizations.  How are their low costs maintained?  The volunteer Roadies touring the country for 6 months lived in a van with little else and depended on hosts for meals and a place to stay for the night.  These people are clearly extremely dedicated and passionate about what they are doing, and it’s hard not to get caught up in it as well.

So, here you have it.  My abridged endorsement of Invisible Children.  To find out more, visit www.invisiblechildren.com.  You can also see “The Rough Cut” on Google Video.

I’m currently working on compiling a list of grad school faculty members, their research interests, and why I want to work with them for my three awesome recommenders (Thank you!). I’m down to the last couple of schools and should be able to finish those tomorrow morning.  After the list is sent, I will be starting my grad school essays.

I also need to study for a Chinese quiz on Monday and work on a presentation for the same class due Wednesday.  Then, we will be having an exam the following Monday, which I should start to study for early next week because Lessons 15-17 have about 70 new vocab word each, 20 more than the previous lessons.  Eek.  Luckily, I have Skritter

I finished my 2nd religion paper today, to be handed in next Thursday.  I will have one more paper for that class due right after Thanksgiving.  Then I’ll be done with that class, no finals or anything

Next Saturday, I’m *finally* taking the GREs, after the hiccup that happened last week.  I borrowed a 2008 Peterson’s GRE prep book from a friend and hope to complete 2-3 more practice tests.

And last but not least, in terms of my thesis, I’ll be running studies for at least another week, then putting together the results in some sort of coherent order.  First day results were pretty interesting even though mostly predictable, but that just serves to strengthen some of my earlier convictions about WiiPaint 1.  Sometime during all the hubbub of the next 3 weeks before Thanksgiving, I’ll need to figure out what I want to put together for my final presentation at the end of the semester.  Another website?  Powerpoint?  Demo?

Oh, and somehow I got myself into organizing WIVCF’s Potluck dinner AND co-leading Worship Night during the same week before Thanksgiving.  I think most of the other big stuff isn’t due then, so I’m safe.

Wait, not done yet!  I’m also planning an Origami Club dim sum run AND workshop with B-Chan on 2 different weekends in the next few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, too!  Maybe one of these will have to be the week after. Hmm…

All of this is pretty overwhelming, but makes me feel productive in a good way.  It’s a good kind of exhaustion that I’m feeling today, one reminiscent of productivity with a hint of promise of more productive and rewarding days to come.  I will end by an…awesome…wallpaper:

PS. I just subscribed to Netflix yesterday.  Wicked excited about it.

So far I’ve worked on a Daniels and a Schiff Fellowship application for my thesis project which will give me up to $3000 to spend on research materials and to reduce work obligations this semester and during Wintersession. Don’t think I got the Daniels – the interviews are supposed to be today and I didn’t hear back from them, but I’m really hoping to get the Schiff as it would greatly help with this semester. Should find out in early November.

Some exciting progress on grad schools – I’ve finally picked 7 schools to apply to in HCI: CMU, MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and University of Michigan! I’m really excited about applying for these schools and hope that I can find a right fit next March. Next step is to research faculty members that I want to work with and start emailing them.

Taking the GREs next Saturday. Will be working on practice tests this weekend. Hope I do better than I did on the SATs…

As for next summer. I have no clue. Still looking.