PATTERN RECOGNITION

IN USER EXPERIENCE

Kai Weber

@techwriterkai

UX camp CPH, 13 April 2013

ABSTRACT

Pattern recognition is an essential mental strategy for acquiring

and disseminating knowledge, though most of us are not aware

of it. When applied consciously, UX designers can employ

pattern recognition processes to develop effective user

experiences more efficiently and help users orient themselves.

The presentation is a fun whirlwind tour through human

perception and shows how you can apply pattern recognition to:

- Make sense of unknown subject matter before you design

- Overcome "designer’s block" and start designing

- Group UI elements

- Help users to navigate and understand

PROGRAM

1. Who am I and what do I know?

2. What is pattern recognition?

3. Why should UX people care?

4. The pattern recognition experience

5. Pattern recognition in UX

WHO AM I AND WHAT DO I KNOW?

WHO AM I AND WHAT DO I KNOW?

WHO AM I AND WHAT DO I KNOW?

WHO AM I AND WHAT DO I KNOW?

WHO AM I AND WHAT DO I KNOW?

WHO AM I AND WHAT DO I KNOW?

WHAT IS PATTERN RECOGNITION?

WHAT IS PATTERN RECOGNITION?

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WHAT IS PATTERN RECOGNITION?

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Search the web for

“apparitions on toast”

for more examples…

WHAT IS PATTERN RECOGNITION?

Part of human perception:

1. Receive sensation and organize it.

WHAT IS PATTERN RECOGNITION?

Part of human perception:

1. Receive sensation and organize it.

2. Recognize patterns.

WHAT IS PATTERN RECOGNITION?

Part of human perception:

1. Receive sensation and organize it.

2. Recognize patterns.

3. Formalize patterns as rules to interpret and decide.

HOW ABOUT AN EXAMPLE?

HOW ABOUT AN EXAMPLE?

Aardvark, J.R. (1980). Ants, and how to eat them.

Journal of Orycteropodidae Studies, 80, 11-17.

Barker, R. (1982). Rum babas, and what to do if you’ve got them.

Reading: Goodnight From Him.

Haley, W. (1955). Rock Around The Clock. New York: Decca.

Izzard, E. (1998). Cake or Death? Gateaunomics, 10, 195-196.

Lemur, R.-T. (2010). Strepsirrhinoplasty. Antananarivo: Raft Press.

Leonard, E. (1996). Out of Sight. New York: Harper.

Shorty, G. (in press). Okay, so they got me. Los Angeles: Cadillac.

HOW ABOUT AN EXAMPLE?

Aardvark, J.R. (1980). Ants, and how to eat them.

Journal of Orycteropodidae Studies, 80, 11-17.

Barker, R. (1982). Rum babas, and what to do if you’ve got them.

Reading: Goodnight From Him. …

Rule set

1. Last name, initial(s). (Year of publication).

2. If it’s an article: Title, journal title, volume, pages.

3. If it’s a book: Title. City: Publisher.

HOW ABOUT AN EXAMPLE?

Aardvark, J.R. (1980). Ants, and how to eat them.

Journal of Orycteropodidae Studies, 80, 11-17.

Barker, R. (1982). Rum babas, and what to do if you’ve got them.

Reading: Goodnight From Him. …

Rule set

1. Last name, initial(s). (Year of publication).

2. If it’s an article: Title, journal title, volume, pages.

3. If it’s a book: Title. City: Publisher.

We learn patterns by examples – or by rules.

WHY SHOULD UX PEOPLE CARE?

WHY SHOULD UX PEOPLE CARE?

We do it anyway…

WHY SHOULD UX PEOPLE CARE?

We do it anyway…

1. When we gather information

Reading specs and designs

Interviewing subject-matter experts

WHY SHOULD UX PEOPLE CARE?

We do it anyway…

1. When we gather information

Reading specs and designs

Interviewing subject-matter experts

2. When we design and order UI elements

Create icons

Design color schemes and shapes

WHY SHOULD UX PEOPLE CARE?

We do it anyway, so we might as well do it smartly!

WHY SHOULD UX PEOPLE CARE?

We do it anyway, so we might as well do it smartly!

If we make sense of our subject more efficiently…

If we structure UI elements better…

… we can provide better user experiences!

THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE

THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE IN SPACE

Photo by Santiago Masquelet Photo by Jure Šućur

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1001312 http://www.sxc.hu/photo/784032

THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE IN SPACE

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THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE IN SPACE

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THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE IN SPACE

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THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE IN SPACE

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THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE IN SPACE

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THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE IN SPACE

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Sharing

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THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE IN TIME

THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE IN TIME

Photo by Richard Cop

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/326144

THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE IN TIME

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THE PATTERN RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE IN TIME

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HOW DOES PATTERN RECOGNITION WORK?

Bottom-up processing

1. Experience and organize

2. Match similarities

3. Segment into groups

… building up a representation from elements.

HOW DOES PATTERN RECOGNITION WORK?

What is this? How do you know?

HOW DOES PATTERN RECOGNITION WORK?

What is this? How do you know?

HOW DOES PATTERN RECOGNITION WORK?

Top-down processing

1. Know general concept and rules

2. Contextualize them

3. Apply them

… searching for confirmation by “template matching”.

HOW DOES PATTERN RECOGNITION WORK?

Top-down

Uses prior knowledge

Concepts elements

Emphasizes context

Quick, but sometimes wrong

Bottom-up

No prior knowledge

Elements concepts

Emphasizes relations

Slow, but usually correct

HOW DOES PATTERN RECOGNITION WORK?

Martin Boyce:

Untitled, 2002. http://www.mmk-frankfurt.de/de/sammlung/

werkdetailseite/?werk=2002%2F112

What is this? How do you know?

HOW DOES PATTERN RECOGNITION WORK?

Martin Boyce:

Untitled, 2002. http://www.mmk-frankfurt.de/de/sammlung/

werkdetailseite/?werk=2002%2F112

What is this? It’s part…

HOW DOES PATTERN RECOGNITION WORK?

Martin Boyce:

Untitled, 2002. http://www.mmk-frankfurt.de/de/sammlung/

werkdetailseite/?werk=2002%2F112

What is this? It’s part of a chair!

HOW DOES PATTERN RECOGNITION WORK?

Martin Boyce:

Untitled, 2002. http://www.mmk-frankfurt.de/de/sammlung/

werkdetailseite/?werk=2002%2F112

Arne Jacobsen:

Chair 3107, c.1952. http://www.moma.org/explore/collection/index

HOW DOES PATTERN RECOGNITION WORK?

Top-down

Uses prior knowledge

Concepts elements

Emphasizes context

Quick, but sometimes wrong

Bottom-up

No prior knowledge

Elements concepts

Emphasizes relations

Slow, but usually correct

PATTERN RECOGNITION IN UX

PATTERN RECOGNITION IN UX

To make sense of unknown subject matter

To group UI elements

To help your users navigate and understand

FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE AND WARNING

Patternicity: Humans are addicted to meaning.

FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE AND WARNING

FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE AND WARNING

Patternicity: Humans are addicted to meaning.

Some patterns refuse to be recognized.

FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE AND WARNING

Patternicity: Humans are addicted to meaning.

Some patterns refuse to be recognized.

Pattern recognition occurs in contexts.

FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE AND WARNING

Patternicity: Humans are addicted to meaning.

Some patterns refuse to be recognized

Pattern recognition occurs in contexts

Creating UX is often a bottom-up process …

... but using it is often top-down exploration!

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

THANK YOU! KEEP IN TOUCH!

kaiweber.wordpress.com

@techwriterkai