CSTalks - Increasing the Contrast of Importance - 23 Mar

Informal QE Information Session

Presented by Marcel Boehme

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cstalks

Increasing the contrast of Importance

Marcel Boehme

Wednesday, March 23, 2011



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cstalks

Increasing the contrast of Importance

Marcel Boehme


CSTalks - Increasing the Contrast of Importance


• Why does Software suck?

• Why are papers rejected nowadays?

• What does Apple right and others wrong?

• Why does every todo-list surely have way too many items?

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CSTalksQuestions to be answered.




Tool Set

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Which one for nailing?




Trousers

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Which one for the party?



Presented by Marcel Boehme 6

Processorsi386: 12 - 40MHz Pentium Pro: 200MHz

Back in the early times




Gadgets

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You have ‘em all




1. Paradox of Choice (Barry Schwartz)

• Before we have to make a decision:• We used to have nothing, • only a limited choice.

• Now, we want more freedom to choose.• That means, we want more choice.• Soo many opportunities!

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Trousers

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Which one for party?




Mobiles

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I don’t even knowwhat I want!?!





• Before we have to make a decision: “So many things!”• We used to have nothing, only a limited choice.• Now, we want more freedom, more choice!

• While we have to decide: “Too much choice!”• Decision making uses up precious time• No freedom, but paralysis!

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• Before we have to make a decision: “So many things!”• We used to have nothing, only a limited choice.• Now, we want more freedom, more choice!

• While we have to decide: “Too much choice!”• Decision making uses up precious time• No freedom, but paralysis!

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• After we decided: “But I didn’t want that!”• Regret to decide differently• Opportunity costs subtracts from satisfaction





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- Barry Schwartz13

“There is too much choice in the modern world and we are pay-ing an enormous price for it. It makes us feel helpless, mentally paralyzed and profoundly dis-satisfied.”




SpecificationSpecification




Specification




2. Why should I care?

1. You will be creators!• You will burden people with choices and decisions

2. You will be deciders!• You will carry the burden of making decisions

• your own and • other peoples’

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1. You will be creators!• Software/Hardware User Interfaces• Papers for journals and conferences• Presentations (all sorts of data, software design, ..)• As Entrepreneurs:

• Business Plan• Marketing Strategy

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1. You will be creators!• Software/Hardware User Interfaces

• “Why Software Sucks” - David Platt

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Usability

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We don’t have it

• It’s an email provider• It’s a search engine• It’s a news site• It’s a chat platform• ...• All in one page

• For logging into email account• Find it first!• Half a dozen redundant clicks• Paris Hilton drunk again?

• 97% distractions




Usability

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We don’t have it

• It’s an email provider• It’s a search engine• It’s a news site• It’s a chat platform• ...• All in one page

• For logging into email account• Find it first!• Half a dozen redundant clicks• Paris Hilton drunk again?

• 97% distractions




Usability

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Stop looking - Start finding


• WePad (vs. iPad)• Supports Flash!!• Real Multitasking!!• WIFI, UMTS, 3G, BT• HDMI, Card Reader• Webcam, GPS, Gyro

• BUT• Jittery, shaky, slow• Drains battery• Not fun using it



Gold Plating

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Generally Overrated







• Problem: developers assume users to be like them• User knows about every feature• User needs every feature• User needs to be aware about every minor problem

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• Problem:• Creator is not empathic and delegates decisions

• “So much functionality - the user has gotta be proud of me!”• “So much time for the evaluation - will put every last bit in the paper!”

• Decider doesn’t care or even know what he wants• “Exception in module 0xCAFEBABE?? - Just wanna do my job here.”

• I misspelled ‘the’? - Then autocorrect it for me for gods sake!”

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• Solution: developers should start thinking as users• What is important?

• Which goals does the user want to achieve• What is the user interested in?

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1. You will be creators!

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2. You will be deciders!• As an employee - What am I gonna do next on my todo-list?

• As a manager - Where to spend the budget?

• As a student - What after graduation? Paper gist?

• As a committee member - Which paper to read next?

• As a geek - Which fancy mobile/tablet/laptop to buy?






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2. You will be deciders!• As an employee - What am I gonna do next on my todo-list?




TODO Lists

* Finish GRP* Call mom about gift for sis* Reply Bogdan on Facebook* Go cycling in Pulau Ubin* Watch CSI Miami* Read new blog entry Marcus* Answer email from dad* What do I do after graduating?* Deadline FSE’11 tmrw!!* Prepare CSTalks presentation

Always too much to do!

* Bugfix at module 0xCAFEBABE* Apply for internship* Go traveling in** Angkor Wat** Shanghai** Guilin** Yogyakarta** weekend on Tioman* Update submission deadlines* 01.04. meeting supervisor




• Covey’s Time Management Matrix

1. Classify items into matrix

2. See what to do next

TODO ListsAlways too much to do!




TODO ListsAlways too much to do!




• Why does Software suck?

• Why are papers rejected nowadays?

• What does Apple right and others wrong?

• Why does every todo-list surely have way too many items?

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SummaryHope you can answer them




1. You will be creators!• Give only few explicit choices

• Main contributions in a paper• Most important features of your product• Elevator Pitch!

• Definite decision: What is (un-)important for deciders• Do not delegate unimportant decisions

• Establish feedback-loop• Users really want an [Unlike] button in Facebook• Read what reviewers would like to see in camera-ready version

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ConclusionIncrease the Contrast of Importance





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2. You will be deciders!• Reduce all to a few decisions (by importance)

• Stop procrastinating:• If you postpone important decisions, it will get worse• It doesn’t get worse only if it was not important anyway

• Start saying No.

• Reduce all to a few explicit choices (by consequences)• For every decision





Find this point





Thank You!


Technology

CSTalks - Increasing the Contrast of Importance - 23 Mar