Context sensitivity. Changing the world. Information Software and the Graphical Interfaceby Bret Victor. Abstract. The ubiquity of frustrating, unhelpful software interfaces has motivated decades of research into Human Computer Interaction. In this paper, I suggest that the long standing focus on interaction may be misguided. For a majority subset of software, called information software, I argue that interactivity is actually a curse for users and a crutch for designers, and users goals can be better satisfied through other means. Information software design can be seen as the design of context sensitive information graphics. I demonstrate the crucial role of information graphic design, and present three approaches to context sensitivity, of which interactivity is the last resort. After discussing the cultural changes necessary for these design ideas to take root, I address their implementation. I outline a tool which may allow designers to create data dependent graphics with no engineering assistance, and also outline a platform which may allow an unprecedented level of implicit context sharing between independent programs. I conclude by asserting that the principles of information software design will become critical as technology improves. Although this paper presents a number of concrete design and engineering ideas, the larger intent is to introduce a unified theory of information software design, and provide inspiration and direction for progressive designers who suspect that the world of software isnt as flat as theyve been told. Scope and terminologySoftware, as used here, refers to user facing personal desktop software, whether on a native or web platform. Software design describes all appearance and behaviors visible to a user it approaches software as a product. Software engineering implements the design on a computer it approaches software as a technology. These are contentious definitions hopefully, this paper itself will prove far more contentious. Contents. What is softwareContext sensitivity. Changing the world. Of software and sorcery. A computational process is indeed much like a sorcerers idea of a spirit. How Is Travel And Mapping Software Used For Graphic Design' title='3 How Is Travel And Mapping Software Used For Graphic Design' />In this interactive network visualization you can zoom, scroll, and click, the size of each circle represents how often that tag is used tags with larger circles. Is there a windows equivalent to the old dos SUBST command I want to be able to assign a local drive letter to a folder on a local drive. I realize that a mapped. It cannot be seen or touched. It is not composed of matter at all. However, it is very real. It can perform intellectual work. It can answer questions. It can affect the world by disbursing money at a bank or by controlling a robot arm in a factory. Plane-and-Travel-Infographic-Elements.png' alt='3 How Is Travel And Mapping Software Used For Graphic Design' title='3 How Is Travel And Mapping Software Used For Graphic Design' />Bubbl. With Bubbl. us you can create colorful mind maps and share them with others. Click here to view examples of. Contents. What is software Of software and sorcery. Is interaction design the cure for frustrating software, or the disease itself What is software designThe programs we use to conjure processes are like a sorcerers spells. Abelson and Sussman, Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs 1. Merlin had it easyraising Stonehenge was a mere engineering challenge. He slung some weighty stones, to be sure, but their placement had only to please a subterranean audience whose interest in the matter was rapidly decomposing. The dead are notoriously unpicky. Todays software magicians carry a burden heavier than 1. They often approach this challenge like Geppettos fairyattempting to instill the spark of life into a mechanical contraption, to create a Real Boy. Instead, their vivified creations often resemble those of Frankensteinhelpless, unhelpful, maddeningly stupid, and prone to accidental destruction. This is a software crisis, and it isnt news. For decades, the usability pundits have devoted vim and vitriol to a crusade against frustrating interfaces. Reasoning that the cure for unfriendly software is to make software friendlier, they have rallied under the banner of interaction design, spreading the gospel of friendly, usable interactivity to all who would listen. Yet, software has remained frustrating, and as the importance of software to society has grown, so too has the crisis. The crusade marches on, with believers rarely questioning the sacred premisethat software must be interactive in the first place. That software is meant to be used. I suggest that the root of the software crisis is an identity crisisan unclear understanding of what the medium actually is, and what its for. Perhaps the spark of life is misdirected magic. What is software design A person experiences modern software almost exclusively through two channels She reads and interprets pictures on a screen. She points and pushes at things represented on the screen, using a mouse as a proxy finger. Thus, software design involves the design of two types of artifact These are not brave new realms of human endeavor. We share the blood of cavemen who pushed spears into mammoths and drew pictures of them in the living room. By now, these two activities have evolved into well established design disciplines graphic design and industrial design. Graphic design is the art of conveying a message on a two dimensional surface. This is a broad field, because people have such a variety of messages to conveyidentity, social status, emotion, persuasion, and so on. Most relevant to software is a branch that Edward Tufte calls information designthe use of pictures to express knowledge of interest to the reader. Some products of conventional information graphic design include bus schedules, telephone books, newspapers, maps, and shopping catalogs. A good graphic designer understands how to arrange information on the page so the reader can ask and answer questions, make comparisons, and draw conclusions. When the software designer defines the visual representation of her program, when she describes the pictures that the user will interpret, she is doing graphic design, whether she realizes this or not. Industrial design is the art of arranging and shaping a physical product so it can be manipulated by a person. This too is a broad field, because people work with such a variety of objectscutlery to chairs, cell phones to cars. A good industrial designer understands the capabilities and limitations of the human body in manipulating physical objects, and of the human mind in comprehending mechanical models. A camera designer, for example, shapes her product to fit the human hand. She places buttons such that they can be manipulated with index fingers while the camera rests on the thumbs, and weights the buttons so they can be easily pressed in this position, but wont trigger on accident. Just as importantly, she designs an understandable mapping from physical features to functionspressing a button snaps a picture, pulling a lever advances the film, opening a door reveals the film, opening another door reveals the battery. Although software is the archetypical non physical product, modern software interfaces have evolved overtly mechanical metaphors. Buttons are pushed, sliders are slid, windows are dragged, icons are dropped, panels extend and retract. People are encouraged to consider software a machinewhen a button is pressed, invisible gears grind and whir, and some internal or external state is changed. Manipulation of machines is the domain of industrial design. When the software designer defines the interactive aspects of her program, when she places these pseudo mechanical affordances and describes their behavior, she is doing a virtual form of industrial design. Whether she realizes it or not. The software designer can thus approach her art as a fusion of graphic design and industrial design. Now, lets consider how a user approaches software, and more importantly, why. What is software for Software is for people. How Storms Like Hurricane Irma Affect Travel Insurance. Super hurricane Irma is causing tons of cruise and flight cancellations in addition to delays and course changes. But your travel insurance should cover all that, right Maybe. Maybe not. Dear Lifehacker,Every time I buy a plane ticket, the airline or travel agency asks if I want to add Read more Read. What Your Travel Insurance May Cover. Depending on what kind of coverage you get from your chosen provider, travel insurance can cover a wide array of things during a super storm, including Trip cancellation or shortening. Lengthy delays that require hotels and meals. Injury and medical transportation. Thing is, every policy is different, so you have to check what you got covered when you bought it. If you have trip cancellation coverage which will be specified in your policy, you can be reimbursed for the entire cruise, flight, or vacation as long as certain requirements are met. For example, you cant just cancel your trip because you see a hurricane may be in your trips path and expect to be reimbursed. The cruise line, airline, or tour must cancel the trip themselves, or be forced to shut down operation for at least 2. Only then will your insurance provider reimburse you for non refundable travel costs. You also cant cancel your trip if your cruise, airline, or tour is forced to change course due to the storm. As long as they offer an alternative itinerary with the same value as your original trip, you have to go along with the changes. Hurricane Harvey is careening through the Gulf of Mexico and planning to make landfall in Texas. It Read more Read. So you can cancel your trip if they cancel, but when else It depends. If your destination gets devastated by a storm and becomes uninhabitable, or theres a mandatory evacuation issued for the area, you can cancel then too. If you have trip interruption coverage, the same goes for any interruptions caused by a storm unexpectedly changing course and hitting the destination youre in, or if one hits your home while youre away, forcing you to stay at your destination longer. Dont be too quick to cancel your flights or other travel plans, however. For most travel insurance you have to lose more than 5. Make what they call a good faith effort to continue your travels before you cancel anything. And make sure you hold onto copies of your trip itinerary and any statements from airlines, cruise lines, or tour operators. Whats In a Name With the right policy, travel insurance can save you a lot of grief during hurricane season, but theres a catch. When it comes to big storms like Irma, you need to have acquired your travel insurance policy before the storm is named. Travel insurance is protection for unforeseen situations and events, and a storm thats been watched long enough to be given an official name is considered a foreseeable event. If you bought travel insurance for your trip after the namingwhich in this case was August 3. Mishaps happen, especially during travel. Protect yourself by finding out what items are coveredRead more Read. Know What to Get and When to Get It in the Future. Hurricane season is between June 1 and November 3. Atlantic region during those months, especially the Gulf Coast and Caribbean, you should probably have travel insurance with coverage for hurricanes. When you purchase your policy, make sure it covers travel delays, medical evacuations, trip interruptions, and trip cancellations. Also, make extra sure your policy lists hurricanes as natural disasters or extreme weather.