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Hi everyone, Thanks to all for this interesting discussion, and particularly to Don for his detailed response. I have been working on intuitive interaction with products and interfaces (not intuitive design) since 2000. We have done quite extensive empirical research with various interfaces (e.g. remote controls, cameras, microwaves). We have established that intuitive interaction is based on past experience, and can be encouraged by designing interfaces that contain familiar features (Blackler, 2008; Blackler, Popovic, & Mahar, 2003a, 2003b, 2004a, 2005) We now have a small team here at QUT working on an ARC grant funded project looking at intuitive interaction specifically for older people. You can find all our publications here: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/view/person/Blackler,_Alethea.html Our definition of intuitive interaction, first published in 2002 (Common Ground), is in line with the comments that Don has made: "Intuitive use of products involves utilising knowledge gained through other experience/s (e.g. use of another product or something else). Intuitive interaction is fast and generally non-conscious, so that people would often be unable to explain how they made decisions during intuitive interaction" (Blackler, Popovic and Mahar, 2002). My recent book is also available from Amazon. In it I review the literature on the concept of intuition as well as applying it specifically to intuitive interaction: http://www.amazon.com/Intuitive-Interaction-Complex-Artefacts-Empirically-Based/dp/3639058003/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238481275&sr=8-1 Blackler, A., Popovic, V., & Mahar, D. (2002). Intuitive Use of Products. In D. Durling & J. Shackleton (Eds.), Proceedings of Common Ground Design Research Society International Conference 2002, London: Staffordshire University Press. Blackler, A., Popovic, V., & Mahar, D. (2003a). Designing for Intuitive Use of Products. An Investigation. In Proceedings of 6th Asia Design Conference, Tsukuba, Japan. Blackler, A., Popovic, V., & Mahar, D. (2003b). The Nature of Intuitive Use of Products: An Experimental Approach. Design Studies, 24(6), 491-506. Blackler, A., Popovic, V., & Mahar, D. (2004a). Intuitive Interaction with Complex Artefacts. In J. Redmond, D. Durling & A. DeBono (Eds.), Proceedings of Futureground Design Research Society International Conference, Melbourne: Monash University. Blackler, A., Popovic, V., & Mahar, D. (2005). Intuitive Interaction Applied to Interface Design. In Proceedings of International Design Congress, Douliou, Taiwan. Blackler, A. (2008). Intuitive Interaction with Complex Artefacts: Empirically-Based Research. Saarbrücken, Germany: VDM Verlag. Dr Thea Blackler Senior Lecturer School of Design Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Australia Phone: +61 7 3138 7030 Mobile: 0410 736494 Fax: +61 7 3138 1528 -----Original Message----- From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Terence Love Sent: Monday, 30 March 2009 10:21 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Intuition in design Hi Mattias, You might find it interesting to look at the two big classic texts of Tony Bastick on intuition - reviewing the construct, concept, definitions, biology and theorisation of 'intuition' across multiple fields. They are: Bastick, T. (1982). Intuition: How we think and act. England: John Wiley and Sons. Bastick, T. (2003). Intuition: Evaluating the Construct and Its Impact on Creative Thinking. Kingston, Jamaica: University of West Indies Press, Verlag, Stoneman & Lang. The first one potentially would have put design research a decade or more ahead of where it is now. Come to think of it, it could still put design research a decade ahead of where it is now! Best wishes, Terry -----Original Message----- From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mattias Arvola Sent: Monday, 30 March 2009 5:35 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Intuition in design Don, although i sympathise with your definition of intuitive I would like to expand it. If we look at the notion of "intuitive" interfaces, I agree with your reasoning. However, I think that when it comes to research in relation to the design process we can expand on it. You often hear that designing is about employing tacit knowledge or intuition for that matter. In relation to this I like Jerome Bruner's definition in the introduction to The Process of Education (1960, p. 13) where he describes intuition as "the intellectual technique of arriving and plausible but tentative formulations without going through the analytical steps by which such formulations would be found to be valid or invalid conclusions". This is about how experts leaps to solutions and decisions, seemingly without analysis. Now, this is of course the starting point for some of Donald Schön's work. So where I wanted to go with this is that it is not only a matter of automated behaviour. What Bruner labels intuitive is perhaps something you would call subconscious. Cheers, // Mattias -- Mattias Arvola, Ph.D. Sr. lecturer in Interaction Design. Linköping University and Södertörn University. www.arvola.se On Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:50:38 -0700, Don Norman <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >I'd like to provide some definitions and some more structure. > >Intuitive. > >I have outlawed the use of intuitive in my writings and classes because >people seem to think "Intuitive" means easy and straightforward. Not >at all. Intuitive simply means that the action was done automatically, >without any conscious awareness, so that no explanation is possible. >Almost all, underline all) actions we do intuitively are the result of >thousands of hours of practice, so that initial skills become automated >and, thereby, subconscious. Whenever someone tells me they want to >make some device so simple that it is "intuitive," I always ask why >they want the person to have to spend thousands of hours learning it. >(What are examples of intuitive acts that take such a long time to >learn? Everything. Walking, talking, reading, writing, using a light >switch (what a non-obvious object -- I flip a switch here and a light >way over there turns on or off). > >There are a few things built into human cognition that are intuitive by >the old definition: causality (if one event occurs roughly 100 msec. >before another, it is usually seen as causal). Fear of heights. Basic >built in functions (in what I have called the "visceral" level). But >these are seldom what designers are speaking of. > > >Subconscious. > >Most of the brain's activities are subconscious. And as one person >pointed out, this does not mean emotional. Almost all over learned >skills are subconscious. This is why the worst way to find out what a >person needs is to ask them. Sure they will tell you, but their answer >is a rationalization. >Skilled psychologists can explain a person's behavior after careful >observation better than the person can explain their own behavior. >