the mysterious disappearance of the button

The Mysterious Disappearance of the Button

Good afternoon. My name is Bart.

This is my daughter Merel (I have 3 kids).

I’m passionate about coffee.

I’m passionate about

I live and work in Ghent.

I work at digital agency Wijs (ex Netlash-bSeen).

Part of Heaven Can Wait ecosystem.

You can find me on Twitter: @netlash

http://slideshare.net/netlash

The Mysterious Disappearance of the ButtonAbout the future of UX design.Multi-Mania, 13/5/2013

A quiet revolution.

‣ communications (chat, mail, skype, blog, twitter)

‣ media (music, video, news)

‣ technology

‣ ...

Massive shift from analog to digital

We’re only halfway.

When you say ‘camera’...

... do you think ‘analog’ or ‘digital’ ?

Buttons evolve from ‘physical’

Buttons evolve from ‘physical’ to ‘digital’.

Our cars will be next.

Even the washing machines get touchscreens.

Smartphone controlled toilet.

Of course, you can push this too far...

If everything becomes digital, and every device gets a digital interface:

UX design will become an even more important skill.

UX Design

A quiet revolution.

“Every new technology starts by copying the old technology.”

First tv-shows were theatre plays with a camera pointed at them.

Until this.

At first, we need the language of the old technology to understand the new technology.

We create metaphors.

450 “horsepower”

- desktop- folders- files- trash- ...

Until this.

Why is the iPad ‘intuitive’?

locus of control

locus of attention

‘What we do’ and ‘what we see’ is in 2 different places.

The metaphor of ‘mouse + pointer’ creates small brain friction.

We need ‘brain CPU’ just to work with a desktop.

locus of control

locus of attention

Tablets with touchscreens remove the metaphor.

They remove the ‘brain friction’, and thus feel more intuitive.

UX design is coming of age.

It is finding its own language. It is removing the metaphors.

‣ physical buttons -> digital buttons

‣ 3d-effects, bevels, drop shadows

‣ skeuomorphism

Step 1: copy

Copy physical buttons to digital buttons.

‣ metro style

‣ Pinterest

‣ ...

Step 2: the visual web

Yes, I know. It’s a bit of a fad.

But it’s also a sign that UX design is losing the metaphors, and accepting its own language.(The screen is flat. Accept it.)

Step 2: flat webdesign

Buttons are being replaced by gestures.

Step 3: gestures

Step 3: gestures

Boldly going where no man has gone before?

Step 4: what’s next?

Moving into science-fiction teritory now...

“The action is the button.”

Shazam

Wii

Bump

Moves app

Parrot headphones

Google Glass

Memoto

Camera reads emotion.

‣ location based -> geofences

‣ movement

‣ sensor (heart rate, pulse...)

‣ context based (calendar + traffic: Google Now)

Context-aware devices.

The action is the button

UX design is coming of age.

UX design will be about using the context to define actions.

Move away from the metaphor.

Move away from the metaphor.

Start using contextual input to remove the button.

Expect:

more profound change.

Not just a faster horse...

‣ not just extra channels

‣ not just ‘better marketing’

‣ profound societal changes

Profound changes

Be prepared to flip your value chain.

Think digital.

Questions?

Wijs bvba

Voorhavenlaan 31/3

9000 GENT

09 335 22 80

09 330 09 83

http://wijs.be

info@wijs.be

BE 0473.071.275