I came across a chapter about the uncomfortable relation between the traditions of HCI and Design. I have not checked if it is actually useful, but it should be worth reading anyway as part of the background to our thinking about function, likeability etc.
K. Kuutti. 2009. HCI and design: uncomfortable bedfellows? In: Binder, Löwgren & Malmborg (eds.) (Re)searching the Digital Bauhaus. Springer, London, pp. 43-59
Available from http://cc.oulu.fi/~kuutti/Julkaisukansio/Ehn_60_Kuutti.pdf
Kari Kuutti is Professor, University of Oulu, Department of Information Processing Sciences
Linnanmaa, Finland
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
BBC4 Radio 4 book of the week
This morning I happen to listen to the last part of the book "The warmth of the heart prevents the body from rusting". It made me looking forward to 'growing old' - a time where expectations are less and you take the world in as it is.
About the author and book:
French psychologist Marie de Hennezel examines western attitudes to ageing and asks if we can transform the way we feel about growing old, making this most feared period one of the best times of our lives.
De Hennezel draws on her experience of working with the dying to argue that one's proximity to death is not to be feared.
Read by Alexandra Mathie.
Abridged by Alison Joseph.
Marie de Hennezel is a respected psychologist and psychotherapist who works with the French government to raise awareness of palliative care. She has written nine books about the end of life, including 'Intimate Death', and is the author of two ministerial reports on caring for those with terminal illnesses.
listen for the next 7 days
About the author and book:
French psychologist Marie de Hennezel examines western attitudes to ageing and asks if we can transform the way we feel about growing old, making this most feared period one of the best times of our lives.
De Hennezel draws on her experience of working with the dying to argue that one's proximity to death is not to be feared.
Read by Alexandra Mathie.
Abridged by Alison Joseph.
Marie de Hennezel is a respected psychologist and psychotherapist who works with the French government to raise awareness of palliative care. She has written nine books about the end of life, including 'Intimate Death', and is the author of two ministerial reports on caring for those with terminal illnesses.
listen for the next 7 days
Thursday, April 7, 2011
"There are no older people, just older bodies"
In the first BRAID workshop (Bridging Research in Ageing and ICT development) was a lively discussion around when one feels 'old'...
Extract:
"Significantly, when asked if he considered himself to be an older person Miguel responded that he did not, prompting Emilio Mordini (CSSC) to close the workshop with a comment which must remain at the forefront of our work: that in reality there are ‘no older people, just older bodies’. "
read workshop summary here
I think this is very interesting because I think there is a point when an older person will say about themselves that they are old. I think it's the mindset of a person.
Extract:
"Significantly, when asked if he considered himself to be an older person Miguel responded that he did not, prompting Emilio Mordini (CSSC) to close the workshop with a comment which must remain at the forefront of our work: that in reality there are ‘no older people, just older bodies’. "
read workshop summary here
I think this is very interesting because I think there is a point when an older person will say about themselves that they are old. I think it's the mindset of a person.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Useful population statistics in observer article
Look at the Observer article here. (The readers' comments are also interesting).
Click on the vital statistics link on the right hand side to see a European comparison and other facts. For me it was most interesting to see the various retirement incomes in the different European countries and how the number of working people per retired persons shrinks from 22 in the nineties to about 3 in 2024.
Click on the vital statistics link on the right hand side to see a European comparison and other facts. For me it was most interesting to see the various retirement incomes in the different European countries and how the number of working people per retired persons shrinks from 22 in the nineties to about 3 in 2024.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
'Upgrade me' on BBC4
Who else watched 'Upgrade me' last Thursday on BBC4?
I thought it was very good in pointing out how quickly we managed to collect a drawer full of obsolete technology just in the last quarter of the century. From walkman, VHS, palm pilot, old models of mobile phones...
Most impressive for me was how many school children (11-14 years) Simon Armitage spoke to owned a mobile phone. 49 out of 50. All of them had a digital camera. Owning a gadget was part of their identity. Comparing mobiles phones and its functions was part of their 'social dance'.
I wonder what type of technology was central in the life of older people to form their identity? Was it radio, moving images, records, household appliances? Probably all of those.
Was the notion of 'upgrading' also as strong as it is now? Most likely not, since technology usually was built to last rather than to be replaced.
In case you still want to catch it - view it on Iplayer
BBC summary
Poet and gadget lover Simon Armitage explores people's obsession with upgrading to the latest technological gadgetry.
Upgrade culture drives millions to purchase the latest phones, flatscreen TVs, laptops and MP3 players. But is it design, functionality, fashion or friends that makes people covet the upgrade, and how far does the choice of gadgets define identity? Simon journeys across Britain and to South Korea in search of answers. (R)
I thought it was very good in pointing out how quickly we managed to collect a drawer full of obsolete technology just in the last quarter of the century. From walkman, VHS, palm pilot, old models of mobile phones...
Most impressive for me was how many school children (11-14 years) Simon Armitage spoke to owned a mobile phone. 49 out of 50. All of them had a digital camera. Owning a gadget was part of their identity. Comparing mobiles phones and its functions was part of their 'social dance'.
I wonder what type of technology was central in the life of older people to form their identity? Was it radio, moving images, records, household appliances? Probably all of those.
Was the notion of 'upgrading' also as strong as it is now? Most likely not, since technology usually was built to last rather than to be replaced.
In case you still want to catch it - view it on Iplayer
BBC summary
Poet and gadget lover Simon Armitage explores people's obsession with upgrading to the latest technological gadgetry.
Upgrade culture drives millions to purchase the latest phones, flatscreen TVs, laptops and MP3 players. But is it design, functionality, fashion or friends that makes people covet the upgrade, and how far does the choice of gadgets define identity? Simon journeys across Britain and to South Korea in search of answers. (R)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
"Loneliness is 'hidden killer' of elderly"
Story from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12324231
Comment by Stephen: Note that no evidence is advanced for this claim. There is one reference to the literature in a PDF on the organisation's site at http://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk/
Loneliness is the "hidden killer" of elderly people, says a campaign group, which is calling for greater recognition of the link between isolation and ill-health.
A group of charities is launching the Campaign to End Loneliness.
It warns that lonely older people are at increased risk of depression, lack of exercise and bad diet.
The campaign says that almost one in 10 elderly people suffers from "intense" loneliness.
The campaign group wants loneliness to be recognised as a public health issue - and has published a survey claiming that fewer than one in five people is aware of the link between poor health and loneliness.
The campaign has been set up by Independent Age, Age UK Oxfordshire, Counsel and Care and WRVS and funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
Trapped
While people are aware of the emotional problems of loneliness, the campaign says few recognise the physical damage.
It warns of elderly people trapped in their own homes by a lack of mobility and the loss of family and friends.
A tenth of elderly people see their friends or families less than once a month, says the charity
A lack of social interaction can make old people more vulnerable to depression and to problems such as excessive drinking, poor diet and a reduction in exercise.
The campaigners say that "loneliness adversely affects the immune and cardio-vascular systems" and a lack of social interaction is linked to the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
"The problems of loneliness and isolation need to be put on an equal footing with any other condition associated with ageing. Ending loneliness should be part of the solution to the challenge of reforming care and support," said campaign director Laura Ferguson.
The campaign wants to highlight the importance of loneliness in the lives of the elderly.
More than half of people over the age of 75 are living alone - and about one in 10 says he or she suffers from "intense" loneliness.
According to the campaign, almost one in five old people sees family, friends or neighbours less than once a week - and about one in 10 of them experiences such social interaction less than once a month.
A spokeswoman for the campaign says that there is a need for informal and formal attempts to tackle such loneliness, either through organised befriending schemes or through neighbours helping one another.
She said that it was a problem that was often overlooked and which could manifest itself in other ways, such as health problems.
From http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12324231
Comment by Stephen: Note that no evidence is advanced for this claim. There is one reference to the literature in a PDF on the organisation's site at http://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk/
Loneliness is the "hidden killer" of elderly people, says a campaign group, which is calling for greater recognition of the link between isolation and ill-health.
A group of charities is launching the Campaign to End Loneliness.
It warns that lonely older people are at increased risk of depression, lack of exercise and bad diet.
The campaign says that almost one in 10 elderly people suffers from "intense" loneliness.
The campaign group wants loneliness to be recognised as a public health issue - and has published a survey claiming that fewer than one in five people is aware of the link between poor health and loneliness.
Trapped
While people are aware of the emotional problems of loneliness, the campaign says few recognise the physical damage.
It warns of elderly people trapped in their own homes by a lack of mobility and the loss of family and friends.
A tenth of elderly people see their friends or families less than once a month, says the charity
A lack of social interaction can make old people more vulnerable to depression and to problems such as excessive drinking, poor diet and a reduction in exercise.
The campaigners say that "loneliness adversely affects the immune and cardio-vascular systems" and a lack of social interaction is linked to the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
"The problems of loneliness and isolation need to be put on an equal footing with any other condition associated with ageing. Ending loneliness should be part of the solution to the challenge of reforming care and support," said campaign director Laura Ferguson.
The campaign wants to highlight the importance of loneliness in the lives of the elderly.
More than half of people over the age of 75 are living alone - and about one in 10 says he or she suffers from "intense" loneliness.
According to the campaign, almost one in five old people sees family, friends or neighbours less than once a week - and about one in 10 of them experiences such social interaction less than once a month.
A spokeswoman for the campaign says that there is a need for informal and formal attempts to tackle such loneliness, either through organised befriending schemes or through neighbours helping one another.
She said that it was a problem that was often overlooked and which could manifest itself in other ways, such as health problems.
From http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12324231
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
BSI publishes BS 8878:2010 Web accessibility - Code of practice
On 7th Dec 2010 the British Standards Institution launched the web accessibility standard BS 8878.
The RNIB writes:
"BS 8878 aims to fill the current gap between site owners and developers by providing a wider scope of information and recommendations, which can be applied before, during, and after the development phase. These include:
* Information on how disabled people use assistive technologies to interact with websites and web products, complete with example personas.
* Recommendations of how to incorporate accessibility considerations into projects from the ground up.
* Guidance on how to compose and maintain a clear, jargon-free accessibility policy.
* References to other guidelines such as WCAG 2.0 where appropriate to close the gaps between site owners, marketing staff and web developers."
read more
A link to BBC's article here
The RNIB writes:
"BS 8878 aims to fill the current gap between site owners and developers by providing a wider scope of information and recommendations, which can be applied before, during, and after the development phase. These include:
* Information on how disabled people use assistive technologies to interact with websites and web products, complete with example personas.
* Recommendations of how to incorporate accessibility considerations into projects from the ground up.
* Guidance on how to compose and maintain a clear, jargon-free accessibility policy.
* References to other guidelines such as WCAG 2.0 where appropriate to close the gaps between site owners, marketing staff and web developers."
read more
A link to BBC's article here
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