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Signing Off
Sitting on the flight back home, the lights are off in the cabin and like most of the passengers K is dozing in the seat next to me somewhat exhausted. We will touch down in Narita about 9pm new year's eve - so perhaps the rest of the passengers are saving their energies for parties that happen later on?
The laptop still has a bit of juice left and I have the relative luxury of a couple of hours with nothing to do but look at pictures from the last year and think. Life is fast, so its moments like these that serve as quality time for reflection. The sheer volume of photos from this last year is somewhat overwhelming - somewhere in the region of 30,000+ of my own, plus thousands more from my research team colleagues, user study participants (when keeping diaries) and subcontractors and scouts from different parts of the world. All of the photos trigger memories, and associations and in the user studies I'm continually struck by the extent to which every-day people lead extra-ordinary lives and the priviledge that I have in being allowed to witness and document.
To the people who made this research possible, and kept life so interesting, warm and ultimately human, thank-you.
Writing from Tokyo | December 31, 2005 | Comments (5) | Permalink
Clues To What Goes On Inside
Start the day at 6am and cruise the city with motorbike driver looking trying to understand how the city wakes up. Yes, it is little late - early risers are mostly likely in the park Tai Chi-ing at 4am, but early enough to catch the rush hour. The driver is a strong silent type - over course of 5 hours he didn't speak one word, not that that was a problem with lots of non-verbal communication, smiles, a gentle squeeze on the shoulder and he would pull in to let me dismount. His charge? 20,000 Vietnamese Dong (1 Euro) per hour, plus breakfast and all the coffee he can drink.
Take a look over Ho Chi Minh City in particularly from one of the many raised bridges and you'll see row after row of aerials jutting up from the roof tops. Could aerials such as these be some form of interface between apartments and the surrounding environment? What level of effort would be required to reduce the total number of aerials and share from one source? What (social) tools required to to enable this assuming it is desireable. How will this change if its all arriving through an IP pipe?
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | December 30, 2005 | Comments (3) | Permalink
Game Availability
Most popular PC games are yours for 6,000 Vietnamese Dong (0.3 Euro) per CD. Catalogues in Vietnamese and English. Software compliations too.
Surprising number of people., four thus far, spotted playing N-Gage here - killing time lounging on motorbikes.
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Comments (2) | Permalink
Print Club
Local variation of print club. As with a number of the machines I've come across in China its basically a PC and a bubble jet printer. As with the DVD shop, customer browses catalog (in this case for choosing backdrop) notes down their preferences as a number on a scrap of paper.
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Permalink
Clues To What Goes On Inside, Pre
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Comments (1) | Permalink
This Is A Petrol Station
A petrol station stripped to its, ahem, pure essence. Fuel in jar, profile raised by placing on brick. Elegant and ubiquitous in HCMC. The fancy version, above, offers oil too.
The grandest petrol stations IMHO can be found in China - the massive and often brutal design of the physical structures dwarfing even the largest trucks that pull in.
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Permalink
Versatile Properties
What percentage of the world's population wears some form of flip-flop?
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Permalink
Technology Leap Frog
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Permalink
Adoption. Adaption?
Traditional (often black and white) physical prints are scanned and adapted in PhotoShop before being re-printed.
Came across something similar during a user study of the communication habits of low income manual workers in China - the living room/bedroom/study had a Photoshopped photo of the wall showing the couple dressed as bride and groom. The photo and backdrop taken years after the event because they did not have formal photos of the event.
Mainstream availability of the tools to re-write history? Who will re-write what (personal) history? Why?
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | December 28, 2005 | Permalink
Snap Shot Photo Studios
One thing to spare a little time for during user studies is visiting the neighbourhood photo studio. I rarely go to have a photos taken but the space offers insights into local cultural norms and in some areas - adoption of technologies. Some studios, especially those which offer 'print club' photo stickers are adorned with photos of customers and give a pleasant sense of the volume of people, time passing and personal preferences. Most urban spaces have somewhere where locals, with the help of a studio assistant can create then pose for a scene which is then documented. But why pose in front of a painted canvas of the Potala Palace, when the original is just around the corner? Why pose in front of a beach scene?
With the tools to capture rich experiences be they photos, audio, video, location data, whatever, in the hands of more and more individuals what value added do studios offer?
Star Shot photo studios in Seoul are a good example of value added services. Geared up to making the punter look very much the star - the results typically involve over-saturated colours, heavily patterns backdrops, the removal of any blemishes, and a fine haze of soft focus - in other words your typical magazine star treatment.
Photos above from Lhasa whilst photo below is from New Orleans, mostly gay and lesbian night club. For 8 US dollars (6+ Euro) or whatever the clubbers could negociate - and they did try to negociate. Photos printed on a mobile (HP) photo printer. The spray painted sheet includes a tombstone with the engraving 'Chronic - get high, take a ride, then die".
This temporary studio tucked inside the entrance of the club was moderately busy, and run by a real gent.
Photos taken from street and club research during 2005.
Update: You may also enjoy [correction] these photos from a studio in Tibet and others by the same gentleman.
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Comments (3) | Permalink
Compound Security
Deposit box above with small and easily breakable lock. Two slips of paper with hand written signatures are folded and attached to the front and side of box making it easier to identify that the box has been tampered with.
Safe, below - the external battery hardly engenders trust.
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Permalink
Recognise? Acknowledge?
Textures of a village stone mason workshop. Most of his work for head stones, but the odd clock mount and homage to Ho Chi Minh. Obvious pride in his work, including his carving of a topless flute player. Obvious level of skill shown in the detail of his work based on, um, close examination of his topless flute player.
With more of what is being produced and consumed being or becoming digital how do consumers (or peers) recognise and acknowledge the skills of digital craftsmen and women? With the tools to publish, and easily re-publish work from others what is a suitable level of acknowledgment to associate what is produced with what is reproduced?
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | December 27, 2005 | Permalink
Specialist Tools
The humble ear scraper/cotton bud replaced by an array of dedicated tools.
Gentleman demonstrated how to make one particular tool. Cut up to 1 cm edge off a razor blade and insert into the tip of a metal handle to become a tiny shank - was used to take a fine layer of skin from inside the ear. The experience was not wholly unpleasant - somewhat like being under local anesthetic and feeling the odd tug or pull on the skin, but not really knowing what is going on.
Somewhat surprising to see head torch join the range of electrical equipment.
Writing from Hue | | Permalink
Dual Properties
Writing from Hue | | Permalink
National Priorities
Every culture has an equivalent to this, its just a matter of figuring out what it is.
Above, Bird Flu street sign in Hue, Vietnam.
Below North Korean spy hot line on subway in Seoul, South Korea.
Writing from Hue | | Comments (2) | Permalink
Icon, Iconic
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | December 25, 2005 | Permalink
What You See When You Travel Where You Travel
A street of sign makers in Ho Chi Minh City, 30,000 VND (2.6 Euro) and a couple of hours wait you can have pretty much any sign made to order. The shop itself offers insights into local (design) tastes, brands and concerns. Warning signs in particular highlight popular problem issues - based on the signs prepared for customers to this shop I'd say the top two issues are theft, and risk of electrocution from exposed power lines.
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Permalink
Adapted Design
A logical progression from the number of motorbikes on the streets of HCMC. Workshop bench in a metal workshop made from motorcycle seat, somewhere in the suburbs close to the Chinese market. The pleasure of getting lost.
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Permalink
Suggested Parameters Of Use
Size very much based on local norms.
Ever wondered why business class seats are so wide?
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Comments (4) | Permalink
Identity
Public interface identifying apartment person and/or family. Hints of corrective design
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | December 24, 2005 | Permalink
What You See, When You're Looking Up
'
I'm standing in a doorway and looking out on the street - this neighbourhood is getting a side-swipe from a typhoon that's seriously ravaging more northerly parts of the country. There is some time to kill before the rain lets up enough to hop on the back of a motorcycle taxi and head back to the hotel. It's a doorway to a barber, masseur and hair-dressers, so why not? 30 minutes later the stubble is all gone, I'm totally relaxed, and in between drifting in and out of sleep I spent a lot of time looking at the ceiling (and trying not to look into the eyes of the rather attentive attendant).
A few years ago had the pleasure of lying flat on my back on a trolley being pushed around an Italian hospital. The time spent there involved a fair bit of anxiety - the result of a mountain, a snowboard too much speed and not enough skill. The medical staff were acting beyond the call of their volunteer duty (not even someone in full protective chemical gear should have had to unlace my old boarding boots after a day on the mountain. For the record RG - I've got new boots). After a lengthy drive down the mountain, the time spent in the hospital was being wheeled along corridors, from waiting rooms to x-ray room and back again, and again. Minor complications delayed my release so I had a lot of time to kill and incidentally it was the first time in my life that I actually felt I needed a mobile phone. Given the number of people lying horizontal for extended periods of time in this space, how can the ceiing be used to practically and/or spiritually re-assure, or even entertain patients?
Writing from Ho Chi Minh City | | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tickets, Stubs Of Tickets
In most cultures airlines take the body of the ticket and leave you to board with the ticket stub. I was trying to figure out why Sichuan Airlines does the opposite - keeping the stub and leaving the passenger with the body? Is it because as a newish airline they have more landing slots further away from the gates requiring bus transfer to the plane, (from experience) increasing the potential for passenger mix-ups and the larger ticket body is more suited as an additional check. It is possible to rip off part of the ticket body (the UI equivalent of a one way switch) and still retain the necessary information for boarding and seat allocation.
E-tickets particularly from low cost airlines such as Ryan Air have changed mainstream perception of what makes an (airline) ticket. What is essence of a ticket? How will this change as the tools to read and scan information digitally are in more and more hands?
Writing from Tokyo | December 23, 2005 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Negotiations
First off, negotiate the price of a translator.
Next the translator negotiates the price of a repair.
Lastly, negotiate your way out of a crowded market with a proven reputation for pick pockets.
Photos from some time this month, Ulan Bataar.
Writing from Tokyo | | Permalink
Used Sales
Traders haggle over the price of a barely used, boxed mobile phone. One trader's stall in the foreground - buying and selling used phones, and a list of phone numbers for sale.
Photo taken last week in Chengdu.
Writing from Tokyo | | Permalink
Cleanliness (Not Godliness)
Not come across this kind of infrastructure outside Asia Pacific: public phone charging station in Chengdu airport includes a small sterilisation pad (just above the red cables, inside the machine). On my travels Seoul appears to be the world capital of cleanliness paranoia - mobile phones shops such as Phone & Fun and member's clubs such as TTL have cleaning stations where you can wipe down, air-blast and sterlise your mobile phone.
What cultural differences are there in attitudes to cleanliness? Practical differences like dealing with dirt, access to clean water, the affects of extreme humidity, dust, animals living on-site or diseases? How does the perception of cleanliness of an environment affect use of infrastructure or personal objects and devices?
And lastly, just because the infrastructure is there does not mean it is being used, is used effectively, is understood, or is on a practical level, necessary.
Writing from Tokyo | | Comments (1) | Permalink
Unexpected Behaviours
Cycling in Chinese cities I was frequently surprised by electric bicyles - the driver seated often with feet resting on pedals, but not pedaling, nor the sound of a motor, yet faster, silently and effortlessly drifting by.
What makes a bicycle a bicycle? Or a motorbike a motorbike? At what point do objects outgrow their original names? To what extent are new features, or the way we use an object constrained by its legacy features, expectations of how it should be used?
Writing from Tokyo | December 22, 2005 | Permalink
Scale of Repair Cultures
Formal and highly organised mobile phone repair culture in Chengdu, above and more disorganised and smaller scale TV and other electronics repair in Lhasa below. What are the pre-requisites for informal repair cultures? What are the repair volumes for TVs vs mobile phones? Diversity of stocks? Size of components?
Writing from Tokyo | | Permalink
Premiums
Phone numbers for sale from one of the many street vendors in Chengdu. The plus numbers e.g. +10, +20 refer to the RMB premiums required to buy those numbers. The phone number 86823666 has a premium of +400 RMB (40 Euro). Prioritisation of user preferences can lead to charging premiums, or alternately giving discounts.
Writing from Tokyo | | Permalink
Perceived Threat, Perceived Security
Street market in Lhasa sells a wide range of underwear with security pocket for men (shown but not tested) and women. We've had blind user study participants in India who used scent amongst other criteria to know the denomination of bank-notes, and I wonder to what extent the inevitable smell of sweat/urine/blood would affect this understanding? In what other contexts will objects pick up a physical or digital scent?
It's easy to underestimate how the perceived risk of theft affects how objects are carried and then positioned when not in use, and how for people living in that environment it becomes second nature.
Spent a couple of hours in coffee shop in Chengdu - observed the same behaviour on two separate tables: person A sits down and (is later proved to be) waiting for person B. Person A takes off coat and hangs it on the inside of the back of the chair and waits 10+ minutes for person B to arrive. Person A has strong tactile feedback with the coat. Person B arrives and takes off coat and hangs it on the outside of the chair - minimal tactile feedback to the coat. Person B is able to rely on the eyes of Person A to notice a theft attempt of the the coat itself, whereas Person A needs to fend for herself for a while at least and hangs the coat in in a manner that makes its removal more noticeable.
Yes, should have taken a photos to explain this, but it simply wasn't the right thing to do in the context. And yes, 80 RMB (8 Euro) for a cafe presse with fresh ground coffee was a little steep.
Writing from Beijing | December 20, 2005 | Comments (5) | Permalink
Natural Stack
Writing from Beijing | | Permalink
Flexible Design
Writing from Beijing | December 19, 2005 | Permalink
The Way It Is Balanced
Writing from Chengdu | December 18, 2005 | Permalink
Cultural Reference Points
Global cultural centers of gravity shift.
Today's Mouse will be tomorrow's mouse.
How much does your job rely on creativity?
How much of your creativity is based on your deep insights into local cultural norms?
How long will it take before the global cultural center of gravity shifts to marginalize your culture?
How long before the (global) relevance that you take for granted is gone?
How long before your job is no longer relevant?
What do you need to do to stay relevant?
Photo taken earlier this year wandering around Old Delhi.
Writing from Chengdu | | Permalink
Odd Choices, Space For Media Consumption
Been trying to figure this out. Both toilet booths don't have their own toilet paper holder - the user needs to reach outside to grab some sheets. First time you need to go you end up with none and have to open the door, reach outside. Second time and you are more likely to over-estimate need and take too much paper.
Many Chinese public toilets don't have doors individual booths - is this an obscure attempt to increase the sociability of the (mainly western) users of this toilet?
In many cultures the toilet is: a private space; where the user has one or two hands free some of the time; that is socially acceptable to enter a number of times during the day (though there can be a social stigma associated with staying too long if this is tracked) - making it perfect for short bursts of communication or media consumption. Women have the relative advantage in that sitting typically takes longer than standing and provides more opportunity for two handed device interaction.
Writing from Chengdu | | Comments (0) | Permalink
Oversight
Internet cafe appears to be used for online gaming 99% of the time, 1% for communication related tasks.
Writing from Lhasa | December 16, 2005 | Permalink
Worn Welcome (If You Are Chinese Speaking)
Writing from Lhasa | | Permalink
Bedside UI
Writing from Lhasa | | Permalink
Wire Frame
Writing from Lhasa | | Permalink
Protector
Shoe polisher's customer's sock protected by card board.
Writing from Lhasa | | Permalink
Solar Heaters
First time I laid eyes on one of these from a passing vehicle thought it was some kind of satellite dish. Can be found dotted around Lhasa. Heats the water, but not hot enough to boil water. A small handle underneath the dish allows the user to adjust the angle of the dish.
Can the infrastructure be put to other uses?
Writing from Lhasa | | Comments (1) | Permalink
Communicating That Features Are Disabled
Security gate at entrance of gated community somewhere along Beijing Xin Lu. Calling out feature temporarily disabled through use of a metal box. Whilst it is possible to disable the calling out feature using software this solutions is easy to understand, can be adapted without referring to an authority, doesn't require literacy, and also sends a signal to people in proximity that a feature is not available.
Under what circumstances would a physical mobile phone lock/chastity belt be valid? Apart from disabling calling out, what other features would benefit from this kind of physical solution?
Writing from Lhasa | | Permalink
Net Presence
It's 10am and I'm today's first arrival in this internet cafe. It is however far from empty - half a dozen bodies are slumped dozing into red armchairs covered by blankets, and another half-dozen are still online half-heartedly playing a first person shooter - these are the remnants of last nights online gaming session. The place smells like an ashtray and somewhere a toilet has overflowed.
Writing from Lhasa | | Permalink
Very Worn
Writing from Lhasa | | Permalink
Brand Ownership
Most common 'faked' branded jackets in Lhasa were: Ecko (by a wide margin), North Face and Mountain Hardware. Beanies with Nike logos were omnipresent and its costs the same or more to by one without any logo on. It would makes sense if the logo subsidised the cost of the garment.
Writing from Lhasa | | Permalink
What Is Communicated
A comment book in a cafe popular with back-packers.
Most of the entries are written in Japanese, with a smattering of English, Korean, Polish and French. Is it that Japanese are more inclined to write comments, or is it an accurate reflection of the cultural background of the visitors to this place? The entries detail places to visit, stay, travel tips 'the guides tend to under-estimate the travel times for fear of frightening you off', and occasionally longer posts about the how Tibetan culture is changing over time.
According to the cover this is their fourth book.
Writing from Lhasa | December 15, 2005 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Convergence
Radio, cassette, alarm clock and flashing light display. The most popular media formats here are tape cassette for audio and VCD for video.
Writing from Lhasa | | Permalink
Pool Table Lock
Locking private infrastructure in public space.
Writing from Lhasa | | Permalink
Outside, Inside
Outside the window mountain ranges and numerous glaciers drift by - it's all very tranquil.
Inside the cabin the in-flight entertainment has been hi-jacked by someone with a penchant for loud Chinese pop music. On the mini-video screens ladies with flowing robes and flimsy swords prance through fields and forests and the intercom is doing it best to cope with the soundtrack. The gentleman in the next seat is probably not a frequent flyer - whilst he's singing along and tapping his feet enthusiastically in the choruses he's bluffing the lyrics to most of the verses. His spirits have no-doubt been buoyed by an elaborate 3 minute dance display down the aisle from all three air hostesses to which he and many of the other passengers clapped along to. Somewhere along the line Sichuan Airlines worked out how to stand out from the crowd and they went for it.
Writing from Somewhere over China | December 14, 2005 | Permalink
Lo-Tech Solution
Pedestrians are stopped from crossing road by rope, which is dropped when its OK to cross. Lo-tech barrier.
Writing from Chengdu | December 13, 2005 | Permalink
Perpetual Lube
Is it possible for an extractor fan to self-lubricate?
Writing from Chengdu | | Permalink
Context, Trust
Spent the afternoon wandering around Chengdu with an inspiring traveler. We knew the direction of the center of town so we headed in roughly the opposite direction following our noses for the whole afternoon. In a small side alley off the main thoroughfare of a street market we chanced upon the local equivalent of a sex shop - a gentleman with a motorbike, the back of which is folded out to reveal a range of libido enhancers and condoms.
Buy a single Viagra which comes in an authentic looking Viagra container, the seal of which is already broken. Assume it is a fake - have no desire to validate.
Further along the alley there are two other ad-hoc sex shops. Why are they clustered in this alley?
To what degree does the environment convey trust in the product or service for sale?
In a market with a high degree of fakes, and with a product that is easy to fake, what extra steps does a consumer make during the purchasing process? How does it affect use?
And a suitcase sex shop in Xiamen here.
Writing from Chengdu | | Permalink
Sole
Street cleaners bicycle. Plus minus link.
Writing from Chengdu | | Permalink
Recycling Buildings
Many parts of Chengdu are active building sites. One end of this apartment block is being torn down, whilst the other is still occupied as a temporary home by construction workers. On the top floor a work team is dismantling the building brick by brick which are then stacked ready for re-use on another building. A fine layer of dust covers everything.
Writing from Chengdu | | Permalink
Fused
Writing from Chengdu | December 12, 2005 | Permalink
Payment Status Indicator
If you want to park a bicycle in the center of a Chinese city chances are you need to use a bike-parking lot. Attendant marks the saddle to show that you have paid. Wonder how effective this is in the rain?
Writing from Chengdu | | Permalink
Protection
Unusual to find these arm protectors on white collar workers.
Writing from Chengdu | December 11, 2005 | Permalink
Worn, Trusted, Painful
The degree to which his instruments were worn implied trust that they could do their job. Just a little too blunt to be an enjoyable shave. Highly skilled, and gentle hands. His whole ensemble of tools packs away into a little suitcase hanging on the wall.
Writing from Chengdu | | Permalink
Phone Number As Identity II
Mobicom [the primary Mongolian carrier] offers a student sign-up package. Part of the deal is a mobile phone number with the pre-fix 9961
"It's a good deal, but if I went for a job and gave a [student] phone number they would want to pay me less"
Writing from Ulan Bataar | December 9, 2005 | Permalink
Battery
Hologram seal on non-Nokia battery for Nokia phone.
Quality assurance or perception of quality assurance?
Writing from Ulan Bataar | | Comments (0) | Permalink
Steamed
It looks like frost escaping from a freezer when it is in fact the reverse.
Steam from basement workshop freezes on coming in contact with the cold (-20 to -30) air.
Writing from Ulan Bataar | | Permalink