by Joey Elyacy
TUESDAY SOCIAL NIGHT
Tuesdays, 8:30 p.m.
Hotel DeAnza lounge
http://www.hoteldeanza.com/
Tuesday night means strong drinks at Hotel DeAnza! Students generally head over to the hotel lounge around 8:30 p.m. after ISE 217. Please join us to talk shop, complain about end-of-semester projects, or just hang out for fun! Call Jamie Kravitz at 323-646-8579 to confirm before heading over.
BAYCHI MEETING
Tuesday, May 10, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
PARC Auditorium, Palo Alto, CA
http://www.baychi.org/program/
During this meeting, Scott Berkun, a project management and product design consultant, will speak on “What To Do When Things Go Wrong: Saving Design Train Wrecks.” We’ve all been on projects where bad things happen, or where decisions are made, despite our protests, that we know will lead to disaster. But what can be done? How can teams recover from big mistakes? This talk looks at the organizational, political, and process failures that lead to design disasters, and focuses on ways to both avoid and recover from tough project challenges. The speaker encourages you to bring your own stories of tough projects, and to share your experiences in trying to save them, or in running for cover.
UPA 2005
June 27 - July 1
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
http://www.upassoc.org/conferences_and_events/upa_conference/2005/
The 2005 International UPA Conference will take place June 27 - July 1, 2005 at The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The theme for this year’s annual conference is “Bridging Cultures.” Come together to celebrate usability in the research, design, and testing of hardware, software, documents, and commercial products. It is about understanding your own values and how values differ in other cultures or even just in other people within your culture. Once you are able to honor and recognize your differences, you can begin to act upon the similarities and embrace the diversity that multi-cultural companies, teams and projects provide. Build a cultural bridge for your team by recognizing the strength that diversity provides.
HCI INTERNATIONAL 2005
July 22 - 27
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
http://www.hci-international.org/
HCI International 2005, and its affiliated conferences, provides an international forum for the dissemination and exchange of scientific information on theoretical, generic, and applied areas of HCI, usability, internationalization, virtual reality, universal access, and cognitive ergonomics. There will be six modes of communication: plenary presentation, parallel sessions, demonstration and poster sessions, tutorials, exhibitions and meetings of special interest groups. The six-day conference will start with three days of tutorials. The tutorials will begin on Friday, 22 July 2005. A total of 26 tutorials will be offered (both half-day and full-day) at introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels covering the entire spectrum of the 9 tracks and 7 conferences.
January 8th, 2007
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Intelligent User Interfaces Conference
San Diego, January 2005
by Jamie Kravitz
I learned a new phrase in San Diego: “embodied conversational agents”, or “ECAs.” According to the MIT press, “embodied conversational agents are computer-generated, cartoon-like characters that demonstrate many of the same properties as humans in face-to-face conversation, including the ability to produce and respond to verbal and nonverbal communication.”
Many of the lectures and demonstrations at the conference featured these artificially intelligent devices that interacted with humans in a multimodal fashion. These lectures included a talk by Justine Cassell, creator of REA, an artificial real-estate agent who is apparently the biggest star in the world of ECAs. There were less sexy ones, too, like a fancy-pants thermostat, and the “intelligent” bathroom mirror that let you shave and program the lights over the toilet at the same time (I kid you not!).
To tell the truth, I was in a little over my head. The focus of the conference was pretty heavily into artificial intelligence (AI), and many of the attendees were hardcore computer/AI types. However, there were several panels specifically focusing on usability and other issues that relate to interaction design.
It was good exposure to the whole issue of multimodal input, as many of the programs, objects and gadgets on display used natural language, gestural input, and various types of tactile input.
Some of the presentations and posters I found particularly interesting: using geometric pattern matching to recognize stylus input with an on-screen keyboard; embedding hidden messages in background music that could only be perceived by people who were sensitized to hear it; a program for generating walking directions in a confusing building; and the conference-honored “outstanding paper,” which used an intelligent algorithm for media allocation, determining whether text, graphics, or voice (or combo) would be most suitable for the request the user made.
On the usability front, Barry Smyth from University College Dublin talked about privacy and personalization. He noted that while personalization can increase the usability of products, there is a trade-off with regard to privacy. There was also a panel discussion entitled “The Usability Crisis in High-Tech Home Products,” which was intended to spur discussion of how intelligent user interfaces could help products with poor usability.
Interestingly, it was not clear to me that some of the “intelligent” solutions offered made the products any more usable. In some cases, like the intelligent bathroom mirror, they seemed to add a lot of functionality, but were no more user-friendly than the poorly designed products they were supposed to replace.
The conference was small, with only one track, so there was ample opportunity to meet with others in the field and connect with the presenters. While a little esoteric, there was plenty of interesting information for HCI-oriented human factors people, and interesting glimpses of cutting-edge research in the artificial intelligence community.
January 8th, 2007
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HF/E Questions and Answers
by Joey Elyacy
ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT
Question: “How can I meet the English writing proficiency requirement for the HF/E program?”
Answer: The English writing proficiency requirement can be met in three ways. According to Dr. Kevin Corker, these ways are:
1. Having taken or passed an upper-division undergraduate technical writing course, or a course in which 60 percent of its grade rested upon a writing assignment (to be evaluated by Graduate Studies for acceptability).
2. Having taken or passed an SJSU graduate technical writing course, such as 200 W or PSYC 220 (which satisfies the technical writing requirement). If you intend to take 200 W, the writing skill test (WST) has to be taken before you are eligible to enroll. If you score high enough, it may dismiss the requirement all together.
3. Publishing in a peer-reviewed journal, in which you are the sole author. Also, having written a book or a chapter in a technical field.
For those who need to add a class to meet this requirement, this is a very good reason to take PSYC 220. The course not only teaches you how to write a technical paper, but provides a great way to learn the different types of experimental designs.
For further clarification on the above methods, please contact Dr. Corker. You may also refer to the “Competency in Written English” chapter of the Graduate Student Handbook:
http://www2.sjsu.edu/gradstudies/forms/5competency.pdf
INTERNSHIP CREDITS
Question: “How can I substitute internships for class credits?”
Answer: Internships cannot take the place of an elective course in the HF/E program. Students may request permission to enroll in a one- to three-credit ISE 298 for an internship. If approved, this credit is considered appropriate for the student’s program, but not for the 30-credit degree requirement.
Dr. Corker points out that it is worthwile for each student to seek out internships to complement their graduate program. However, the policy on credits that count toward the degree is unchanged.
TOTALLY RANDOM
Question: “How many usability engineers does it take to change a light bulb?” (Vajira N., San Jose, CA)
Answer: Well, this question is a break from the more serious tone of the previous ones. What do you think? The answer is none. They get the users to do it.
HAVE A QUESTION?
If you have any questions regarding Human Factors/Ergonomics, student interests, or even just a light-hearted query, please e-mail your questions to jelyacy2002@yahoo.com. If your question is picked, it will appear in the next issue of the newsletter.
January 8th, 2007
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Lessons learned from accident reviews
by Jose Luis Garcia
As you all know, safety, aviation and human factors are closely related. I am not revealing anything new there. However, the review of any accident provides good material for reflection. I hope you enjoy reviewing the following cases as much as I have. Many of them engaged me directly with my target career, human factors and aviation. Perhaps you will find them relevant as well.
Historically, 70 percent of commercial jet accidents involved humans (Boeing 2004), in one form or another. In the early years of aviation, technical defects were the main cause of accidents. But as reliability improved, the human factor became the main factor.
Some say human error is the primary factor in up to 80 to 90 percent of the cases. However, aviation accidents often involve more than one cause, such as system complexity, poor human-machine interface, inappropriate work organization, awkward work procedures, altered communication between pilot and controllers, or loss of situational awareness. We should not place blame on the human operator alone, but rather to a combination of factors in a highly complex context.
The best way to understand the human factors of the aviation world, and how they can be applied, is to review some of the big accidents that have occurred. We will find there the “Aha!” The analysis of two of these accidents motivated me to pursue deeper human factors education: the accident at Los Rodeos airport in Tenerife (Spain) in 1977, where two B747 (from KLM and Pan Am) collided on the runway; and the accident of Cali (Colombia) in 1995, where an American Airlines B757 crashed into the terrain. Each aviation accident provides myriad lessons to learn, but those two are especially relevant, in my opinion.
LOS RODEOS RUNWAY COLLISION
The Los Rodeos runway collision remains the worst accident in aviation history, hopefully forever, with 583 fatalities. This accident was a clear example of the relevance of human factors in aviation. Stress, decision-making errors, communication problems between pilot, controller and crew, lack of situational awareness, and organizational management issues in the cockpit were contributing factors.
Los Rodeos runway collision record:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19770327-1
Los Rodeos accident report:
http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/7000/7500/7585/jatww3-1wilson.pdf
CALI B757 TERRAIN CRASH
The Cali B757 terrain crash was the first accident of a B757. By that time, it was the only airliner that had not had fatal accidents, along with the Concorde. It made clear how human interaction with automated systems in aviation required further improvements, and provided new design opportunities of human-computer collaboration. The accident in Cali had the following contributing factors: lack of situational awareness due to poor information, interaction problems with automated systems, human dependency on automation, work load when manipulating automated systems, and usability issues of critical systems.
Cali B757 terrain crash record:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19951220-1
Cali B757 accident report:
http://www.cs.bath.ac.uk/~anneb/collwn.pdf
GERMAN MIDAIR COLLISION
But if those examples are not enough, we could remember the midair collision in Ueberlingen, Germany in 2002. A DHL cargo B757 collided with a Bashkirian Airlines Tupolev 154 at 35,000 feet. They were the only two aircraft in the controlled sector by Zurich ACC. How could this be possible? This time the controller was not overloaded, and the pilot did not misunderstand his instructions. However, problems with divided attention, high degree of trust in automation systems, macroergonomic issues (shift organization), differences on training due to cultural differences, and decision-making in critical situations were the decisive factors.
German midair collision analysis:
http://www.aviation.uiuc.edu/UnitsHFD/conference/humfac04/nuneslaur.pdf
IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT ACCIDENTS
Similarly, by reviewing other accidents, we will see other areas to apply human factors. But human factors isn’t only about preventing accidents. According to International Civil Organization Association (ICAO), human factors in aviation hopes to help achieve the aviation system goals of safe and efficient transportation of passengers and cargo. Efficiency should not be forgotten, and again, the human being is the key.
To visualize human factors concepts, ICAO uses the SHELL model as introduced by Edwards in 1972, and modified by Hawkins in 1984. SHELL stands for Software, Hardware, Environment, and Liveware.
The approach to aviation systems design, and in general to any system, should be comprehensive. It should integrate technical, human and procedural systems to deliver the desired system performance. The result will be a system that reinforces human capabilities, mitigates human limitations, and fulfills human needs.
Human factors will be always an issue in aviation, as long as pilots control aircraft, and air-traffic controllers are in charge of aircraft separation. Even in the case of unmanned vehicles, in free-flight airspace, human operators will monitor the traffic situation and intervene for maintenance. Human factors will be there. There are so many things to understand, so many things to solve, and so many designs to improve. We have such a huge field to explore!
To get a start, explore these links:
EUROCONTROL HF
http://www.eurocontrol.int/humanfactors/public/subsite_homepage/homepage.html
FAA human Factors Division
http://www.hf.faa.gov
NASA HF research and technology division
http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov
Flight Safety Foundation
http://www.flightsafety.org
CAP 719 Fundamental Human Factors Concepts (UK CAA 2002)
http://www.cs.bath.ac.uk/~anneb/collwn.pdf
CAP 737 CRM (Crew Resource management) Training (UK CAA 2003)
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP737.pdf
January 8th, 2007
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Part 1: Entering the Human Factors Job Market
by Andrew Wong
Last year, I had a first-hand look at the job market for interaction designers. This series documents my experiences, and will hopefully provide some insight for students about to make a similar move.
At the beginning of 2004, I was the sole user interface (UI) designer for 2Wire, a San Jose company that makes the popular HomePortal residential gateway. I was hired in 2001 to primarily handle the interaction and visual design for the HomePortal UI. At the time, my main deliverables were final art and static prototypes for the engineers to integrate with their back-end code.
Then, around the beginning of 2003, my role seriously shifted from UI design to almost entirely UI development. The new work was interesting and I learned a lot, but by Spring 2004, over a year had passed and I had not done any significant design work. Recognizing this, I wanted to return to a user-centered, design-oriented team environment.
Because usability research was not on the horizon at 2Wire, I began looking for other companies that value the iterative user-centered design process. By working as an individual contributor and designing on my own for so long, I felt isolated from the design community, and out of touch with what companies were looking for in my line of work.
My first step was to restart my professional network. I joined BayCHI and began volunteering as a developer on their intranet. It proved to be a fruitful networking opportunity, as I was able to meet some of the top HCI professionals in the area. I didn’t start out as an interaction designer from the HCI discipline, so it was good for me to gain more insight into the field.
SURVEYING THE FIELD
I also began subscribing to the BayCHI Job Bank, a weekly newsletter for members. It features job listings from employers and recruiters seeking UI design and usability research professionals. I studied the qualifications that employers were requiring, and began applying for the opportunities that interested me.
I found that the job title associated most often with what I wanted to do was “interaction designer.” It seemed that the term “information architecture” has become more or less a relic of the dot-com era. Also, while there were still several openings for jacks- or jills-of-all-trades, “UI” was becoming more specialized.
Back in the old days, designers like us did everything: the user-task analysis, wire-frames, flows, specifications, look and feel, and prototypes. Now there are distinct roles for interaction designers, visual designers, usability researchers, (occasionally) information architects, prototypers, and UI developers or engineers. The job descriptions vary for these roles, but there is definitely much more specialization within the field now than there was five years ago.
At the time, around the end of 2003, there were very few openings in the Bay Area — the economy and job market were still really hurting. I was betting it would improve in 2004 because it would be an election year. But because the job openings were so scarce, employers were being extremely choosy with their hiring, often listing requirements so steep that the crop of qualified candidates would be extremely narrow.
Some employers were asking for designers with deep usability research or cognitive psychology backgrounds, and also with technical implementation experience! Surely candidates who are equally strong in development, design, and research — so strong that you could dedicate them to any one of the three areas — would be few and far between.
HUMAN FACTORS IS HOT
While the job descriptions looked unrealistic, they did give me an idea of what was out there. I noticed a trend: organizations are increasingly looking to HCI and human factors professionals to handle UI design, specifically interaction design. There appears to be another kind of conservative swing these days: an industry backlash against creative types (graphic designers or multimedia producers) designing UIs.
I think this is a result of the dot-com bubble, when organizations tried to top one another in making web sites and user interfaces cool and hip. A lot of creative folks also got hired over HCI people during that time, when more and more software started moving toward web-based interfaces, and companies confused web-based UI design with web site design. Ultimately, companies got burned when they alienated users with attractive, clever but unusable products.
So in some ways, the demand for human factors expertise has increased for the wrong reasons: some companies don’t necessarily understand the value of user-centered design, but just want to play it safe. They seem to be following a trend: overlooking creative and visual aspects of design in favor of academic backgrounds in HCI, human factors, or cognitive psychology. To them, these are more reliable and easier-to-measure indications of a designer’s ability.
The message seems to be that if you have a creative background, or if your portfolio is flashy and aesthetically appealing, you can’t possibly be a serious UI designer! Hiring managers are pigeonholing candidates with creative backgrounds, without looking beyond their actual expertise and experience. Some of the hiring companies I encountered in the past two years have solid reputations in the CHI community, and established organizations dedicated to best practices in user experience design. Others seemed to be hiring human factors people just because it was what everyone else was doing.
TO BE CONTINUED… See next issue for insight on going back to school and the interview process.
January 8th, 2007
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New Director, Department and Creative Project Option
by Cassy Rowe
As of March 8, the Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) program has a new Director. Dr. Lou Freund, chair of the ISE department, has taken on this role in addition to his current responsibilities. Dr. Freund has been involved with the HF/E program for many years, and is not a stranger to the field.
In addition, the HF/E program is moving under the umbrella of the ISE department, where the program has great support, Dr. Freund said.
Although Dr. Freund is replacing Dr. Kevin Corker as Director, he will not assume all duties and responsibilities. Dr. Freund will handle inquiries and admissions, plan course offerings and schedules, advise students on course selection, and provide add codes to students. In general, he will be responsible for all things administrative and academic.
Dr. Kevin Corker, the past director of the program, will become the “culminating experience” advisor for HF/E students. This includes thesis and project advisement. He will teach the ISE 299 “creative project” course, and will send the request-for-degree letter to the graduate office.
CREATIVE PROJECT VS. THESIS
In the past, students generally worked their way to a degree by going through the thesis process (Option A for the culminating experience). HF/E students now have the option of completing a creative project (Option C for the culminating experience). Let’s do a quick comparison.
CREATIVE PROJECT
The creative project starts with a plan. This plan is developed in a one-credit ISE 299 course taught by Dr. Corker. (Note that the ISE 299 code represents a thesis course, but is also used for the creative project option.) You will finish this course with a project plan that describes each step you will take in the process.
The following semester you will take a three-credit 299 course in ISE or in the department associated with your faculty project advisor. In this semester, you will receive project advisement while conducting your project, writing your report and creating your poster.
If you finalize your project plan early on in the first ISE 299 course, you can start your project at that point. You do not have to wait until the second ISE 299 course begins.
At the end of the semester, you will present your project poster to a committee. This committee will grade it as acceptable or not based on published criteria that will be reviewed in ISE 299 (one credit). Upon acceptance of the project by the faculty committee, you will submit your report to the SJSU library, just as a thesis is submitted. The project report is to be prepared as a summary of the project goals, methods and results. It is in standard thesis format.
WORDS OF CAUTION
If you do not finish your project within the two semesters provided, you will be allowed to re-register in the three-credit ISE 299 for one additional semester.
However, if you do not finish within that extra semester, you will not be permitted to continue with the project or complete the culminating experience for the master’s degree. You may, at that point, elect to obtain a certificate of completion of the program class work, delivered in an attractive frame, for a fee.
If you are interested in pursuing a Ph.D., you may want to take the thesis route. Students that researched Ph.D. programs said some do not accept students who have not done a thesis. It is recommended that you research the Ph.D. programs you are interested in before making your decision.
IS IT TOO LATE?
Dr. Corker made it clear that he is willing to work with anyone already on the thesis route who would like to switch to a project. However, it is not suggested that you change from a thesis to a project if you have already begun your thesis proposal. If you are considering changing, please contact Dr. Corker to discuss your options.
QUESTIONS?
For questions regarding the new project option, please contact Dr. Corker (kcorker@email.sjsu.edu, 408-924-3988).
For questions regarding the program changes, please contact Dr. Freund (lfreund@email.sjsu.edu, 408-924-3890).
January 8th, 2007
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Nominate, Vote, Participate!
by Steve Tamekuni
It’s time to vote! Student chapter elections are being held throughout May, with nominations due Friday, May 6. Only paid student chapter members can participate in this process. So if you’re not a member, but would like to join, please contact Ruth Loewenhardt (ruth_hfe@yahoo.com).
Elections are being held for President, President-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, and Events Coordinator. See below for details on the election process, and descriptions of the roles. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Tamekuni (stamekuni@yahoo.com).
IMPORTANT ELECTION DATES
Apr 26 Nomination ballots sent to student chapter members.
May 6 Nomination period closes.
May 6 Email voting ballot sent to student chapter members.
May 20 Voting period closes 14 days after ballots sent out.
May 20 Meeting to announce results.
PRESIDENT
The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Chapter and shall be a member of the Executive Council. The President shall preside over meetings of the Chapter and the Executive Council. The President shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, all committee chairmen not otherwise specified in these Bylaws.
PRESIDENT-ELECT
In preparation for assuming the duties of the Presidency, the President-Elect shall act as an understudy to the President, and become acquainted with the business and operations of the Chapter. The President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President during the President’s temporary absence, or in the event that the President is not able to perform their duties, as determined by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Council. The President-Elect shall be a member of the Executive Council.
SECRETARY/TREASURER
The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep a true and faithful record of all business meetings of the Chapter and of the Executive Council. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be the custodian of all records and correspondence of the Chapter and shall maintain the membership list and other mailing lists pertinent to Chapter business. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be a member of the Executive Council.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for the money and securities of the Chapter. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep a true and faithful record of all financial transactions and shall prepare the annual financial status report which shall correspond to the same fiscal year as the Society. The Secretary/Treasurer shall deposit Chapter funds to the account of the Chapter in a bank or trust company selected by the Executive Council. The Secretary/Treasurer shall disburse such funds only upon approval by the Executive Council.
EVENTS COORDINATOR
The Events Coordinator shall be responsible for organizing and managing the events/activities of the Chapter, upon approval by the Executive Council. The Events Coordinator shall be a member of the Executive Council.
January 8th, 2007
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Sustaining the Student Community
by Jim Beno
Welcome to the third issue of the HF/E Student Connection.
When I joined the HF/E program, I didn’t expect a strong student community. I knew many students were working full-time, commuting to class or raising a family. Some were doing all three!
But despite these obstacles, a community has emerged.
Perhaps common interest was the driver. On that first day of class, I remember looking around the room and realizing I was surrounded by my peers. A few of us connected and began socializing. However, there was no group identity.
That’s when the student chapter was formed by the current executive council. It was perfect timing. Eager to connect and participate, numerous students showed up at that first meeting on April 15, 2004. Committees were formed, a series of events kicked off, and we had a good presence at the HFES annual meeting.
It’s now been a year since that April 15 meeting. Despite our work load and busy schedules, how do we keep the community growing?
By getting involved, connecting with fellow students, and having fun!
Some things are obvious. If you’re not a member, join the chapter. Elections are coming up, so nominate, vote and participate. Committees are busy at work. The web site needs developers, and the newsletter needs authors. Attend the upcoming events, meetings and conferences. Help us plan the coming year. And if you can make it, kick back with fellow students Tuesday nights at the Hotel DeAnza lounge!
Ultimately, the community is what we make of it. I’m looking forward to the day that the SJSU student chapter is well known for its innovation, research output, professional contributions, and philanthropy.
Are you ready to make that happen? Contact the following:
MEMBERSHIP
Ruth Loewenhardt
ruth_hfe at yahoo.com
ELECTIONS
Steve Tamekuni
stamekuni at yahoo.com
NEWSLETTER
Jim Beno
jim at jimbeno.net
WEB SITE & TUESDAY SOCIAL
Jamie Kravitz
wehojk-hfe at yahoo.com
Jim Beno
Program Committee Chair, SJSU HFES Student Chapter
January 8th, 2007
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