Designing for Awareness in the Attention Economy

SxSW Interactive 2012

Brian Sullivan & Taylor Cowan

Brian Sullivan bigdesignconference.com

Usability Needs I help people with their

Clap Three Times, if You Like the Nerd Boot!

@bigdesign @BrianKSullivan

Did You Know? Yawning cools your brain, which increases your alertness.

Time Shift:

It is like a maniacal paperboy delivering every 10 seconds.

Did You Know? Sustained attention wanes after 10 minutes. Next topic!

Attention is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought. Focalization, concentration, of consciousness are of its essence.

-William James

Classic Definition of Awareness

Attention Implies Focus

Distraction

Implies Disorder

The wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes, (which is) the attention of its recipients.

A wealth of information creates a

poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it.

-Herbert Simon (1971)

Attention Economy (1971)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HerbertSimon.jpg

Information

Scarcity

Attention Scarcity

Did You Know? You are bombarded by 400 billion bits of data per second, but you are aware of only 2,000 bits. (MIT, 2009)

Attention is focused mental

engagement on a particular

item of information. Items come

into our awareness, we

attend to a particular item, and then we decide whether to act.

-Tom Davenport(2001)

Attention Currency (2001)

Awareness to Engagement

Modified: Daniel Michelis (2011)

Did You Know? UX Design Models do not “pay attention” to attention.

Did You Know? Dark chocolate has ingredients that increase awareness.

Your Attention Modes

Passive Attention [pas-iv] [uh-ten-shuhn]

Passive attention is involuntary use of attention. Some scholars have called it “being in auto-pilot.” People usually snap out of passive attention because of an external factor (sudden loud noise).

Passive Mode: You perform a mundane task (like driving to work for 500th time), so it does not require your full attention. -The laundry is piled up. - I need to go to the store. - I need money from the ATM. When you almost hit a car, your attention moves to ACTIVE mode!!!

Active Attention [ak-tiv] [uh-ten-shuhn]

Active attention is the voluntary focusing of attention under difficulties, attention by disregarding distraction, attention to which there are rival claimants, — in short, choosing to mentally focus on something.

Active Mode: You perform a task that requires your full attention. - A surgeon focuses on a patient - An athlete focuses on a free-throw - Ice climbing on a slippery slope

You attention is very focused in active mode.

Did You Know? Yoga boosts oxygen to your brain for better concentration.

Types of Active Attention

Active Attention Types: 1. Normal 2. Concentration 3. Selective 4. Alternating 5. Divided


Normal attention is when you focus on a single task.

Normal Attention: You consciously focus on a single task: - Nurse listens to the heart monitor - Player blocks a basketball shot - Clown juggles 7 balls People perform best when they focus on a single task.


Concentration is sustained focus on activity, where you purposely avoid distractions, stretch your current skills, or do

something you consider to be very important.

Concentration: Concentration is a sustained focus, usually dealing with distractions, doing something important, or doing something beyond your normal limits. - Listening to someone at a noisy party - Reading a book - Doing a skateboard stunt

Tuning out conversations at a party to talk with someone important.


Reading a book for a school or work project, so you focus on specific information.

A gymnast adding a new twist to the vault during a competition (in the finals).


Selective attention is unconsciously blocking out other stimulus, while you are performing some task.

You can Bold read just letters the italics can words on also be this page, read if you because try of with little, selective or no, attention difficulty.

Read Italics, then Read Bold

Selective Attention: Selective attention is just how our brain processes information in our visual field. People miss large chunks of data in their visual field. - Banner Blindness - Not understanding a page changed - Not seeing the gorilla You selectively “ignore” a lot of things. In the Selective Attention tests on You Tube, you might miss: - A Gorilla - A moon-walking bear - A storm trooper - Child-dressed up as a Ninja Turtle


Alternating attention is focus in on one task and you “tune in” to another one from time to time.


You are reading a book for pleasure, while an episode of “Family Guy” plays on TV.

“That’s pretty freakin’ sweet. It’s one of the Star Wars episodes. Have I seen it?”


“I’ve seen that episode back to the book.” (for now)

“That’s pretty freakin’ sweet, Brian! I love this part. Sure, my reading can wait.”

“Hello, ladies, look at your man, now back to me, now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly, he isn’t me, but if he stopped using ladies scented body wash and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like he’s me. Look down, back up, where are you? You’re on a boat with the man your man could smell like. What’s in your hand, back at me. I have it, it’s an oyster with two tickets to that thing you love. Look again, the tickets are now diamonds. Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady. I’m on a horse.” [Smell like a man, man. Old Spice]

Did You Know? Alternating attention was used in Old Spice commercials.


Divided attention is when you split your attention between many things. You don’t really focus on any one task.

Myths About Multi-tasking You do not multi-task.

You do rapid task switching.

Better to complete one task.

Task efficiency decreases with each additional task.

Digital natives think they are great multi-taskers: - Do homework - Update Facebook - Search Internet

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0470372257/ref=nosim/gizmodo-20

Design Strategies for Awareness

Taylor Cowan taylorcowanonline.com @tcowan

Cloud Solutions & Architecture

I help people with their

Did you know Green tea

Did You Know? Green tea improves your memory & ability to learn!

Attention Economy: 1. Two Strategies 2. Three Methods

Attention Economy: 1. Two Strategies

- User-based - Design-based

2. Three Methods

Verbal Protocols (6 Thinking Hats) White = Neutral

Blue = Organize

Green = Creative

Yellow = Positive

Black = Critical

Red = Emotional

Advanced Training Saves Lives

Simple Checklists are Effective WHO adopts it in 2008:

- 8 Tanzania hospitals - Deaths reduced almost 50% - Post-surgery issues reduced over 35%

Only checklist was adopted: - No new equipment bought - No extra money spent - Results were in 6 months Checklist Manifesto (2007)

Attention Economy: 1. Two Strategies

- User-based - Design-based

2. Three Methods

Awareness Spectrum

Passive

Passive Awareness On One End

Passive Active

Active Awareness At Other End

Passive Active

Ignore

Ignore, the Most Passive Data

Passive Active

Notify

Notify Users of Important Data

Passive Active

Interrupt

Interrupt Users for Critical Data

Passive Active

Ignore

Ignore Strategy: You want to purposely ignore data that is irrelevant, old, or redundant. Designers become attention bankers. They “pay” attention to the data shown to their customers.

Develop an Ignore Strategy

To help users ignore data, you can do these things: delete, hide, order, bury, reduce, archive, and more.

Passive Active

Notify

Notification Strategy: You want to notify your customers of potentially, important data. Designers are “information brokers” in this space, respecting their customers and their context.

Be Subtle with Notifications

Edges of page (ex: an ESPN scoreboard)

Show a change (ex: red bubbles on Facebook)

Personal (ex: caller name or ring tone)

Seen in widgets (ex: Fans on NASCAR)

Notifications are Subtle

Do these things: - Put them on the “fringe” of the eye path - Use contrasting colors, so user can see them - Small objects size mean less importance

Do not do these things: - Do not force unimportant messages - Do not use animation (especially, blinking) - Do not use notifications for life & death situations (interrupt people)

Do’s and Don’ts of Notification

You can see a lot by looking around!

Yogi Berra

Try and spot all of the notifications on

one page.

Notification of 1 new item.


No pic (usually spammer).



This item is new.



This item is new.

Damn, an advertisement!



This item is new.

Short URL (by Owl.ly)




This item is new.


Hashtag for like posts




This item is new.


Hashtag for like posts

See conversation thread


Did We Tell You? Dark chocolate has ingredients that increase awareness.

Passive Active

Interrupt

Be Serious about Interruptions

Passive Active

Interrupt

Make Interruptions Obvious

Interruption Strategy: You must interrupt people for significantly events. Designers should take a “tell (not ask)” approach with interruptions. All interruptions should be obvious.

Require immediate attention (ex: heart flatlines)

Single page with one message (ex: Amber Alert)

Binary choice in center of page (ex: Confirmation page)

Interruptions are Obvious

Do these things: - Use large objects to show major importance - Consider showing only one thing - Use multi-sensory design (sight & sound)

Do not do these things: - Do not show once (force users to click or tap) - Do not be subtle (you must be obvious) - Do not put on the fringe of the eye path (center of screen is best)

Interruption Do’s and Don’ts

Did You Know? Sound is the best interruption mode. Vibrations, heat, smell, color, and light were not even close. (Welch, 1986)

Call of Duty—Player Notification

PiX3L Monkey is Online

Pop-up is Gone, Still Playing

I’m Missing My Game

- Level 53 - 17 Awards - 10 Boosts - 22 Missions - 88 Medals - 42 Weapons - 12 Friends - 76 Enemies Completed: Zombie Moscow Level

A notification strategy does not have to exist on the fringe of your design. It can be meaningfully placed into the main viewing area.

1 missed call

voicemail

2 text messages

2 unread emails

Partly cloudy46 degrees

No meetings on Saturday, 29th

Different parts of the brain process information.

Multi-modal designs use different sensory triggers in the brain.

Make It Multi-Modal

Did you know…….. Neuroscientists recommend doctors play classical music in surgery. It relaxes the stress centers of the brain and seems to aid to eye-hand coordination.

Recite Ingredients of a Big Mac

You Know Them By Heart

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun.

Multi-modal Encoding in Memory

You know these ingredients because of multi-modal encoding (see, smell, taste, feel, eat, sing the words).

Common Multi-Modal Patterns Vibration of a game controller

Temperature activated labels

Change color on selection

Next, Interaction Design

Good Panoramas make use of relevant information Recent items

Nearby items

Interactions Are Personal

Allows for exploration

Entices Interest

Leads to focus

Past Future Near

Far

Recent

Popular

Frequent

Events

Share

What Others Like

Recommendations

Location (or Nearby)

Interactions with Context

Last Example: Fandango

Swipe, tap, or pinch

You can see: - In Theaters Now - Within 15 miles - Opening This Week - Reviews - Coming Soon

Interactions + Context ----------------- Awareness

Four Final Questions

In your area, what things do you need to make your customers aware of?


Are you using the right awareness strategy for alerts and notifications?


How you can use these awareness methods (user training, interactions, multi-modal design, mind maps)?


How can you use mind maps of time and spatial awareness?

Thanks for Paying Attention!

Brian Sullivan @bigdesign @BrianKSullivan bigdesignevents.com

Taylor Cowan @tcowan taylorcowanonline.com

Designing for Awareness in the Attention Economy

Design

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