Prototyping and User Interface Design

Introduction

Discussion on input devices and their evolution.
Importance of task performance in evaluating devices.
Acknowledgment that the best-performing device may not always be the first introduced to the market.

Tablets and Smartphones:
- Idea of tablets existed since the 1990s, but widespread adoption began with the launch of the iPad in 2010.
- Smartphones and multi-touch interfaces followed similar trajectories of development and adoption.
Iteration in Technology:
- Highlighted the continual iteration necessary for technological advancements.
- Case studies:
- Mevix and the World Wide Web took approximately 45 years to achieve full interconnectivity.
- Mouse technology typical adoption took about 20 years.
- Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) transitioned from the 1960s to 1980s.

Bill Buxton's Observations:
- No truly new ideas; existing concepts are refined over time for better implementation.
- In order to predict influential products, look at ongoing research and development.
Brett Myers' Research Findings:
- Academic and industry research reveals a significant gap (15-30 years) between innovation and commercial success.
- Examples include:
- Graphical interfaces developed in the 1960s-70s.
- Initial concepts of the World Wide Web leading to commercial versions taking about 25 years.
- Voice interfaces began but only recently gained traction with products like smart speakers.

Concept referred to as the "long nose of innovation":
- Involves invention, refinement, augmentation, and growth of ideas over time.
- Examples:
- Neural networks, initially not effective, later became state-of-the-art following data availability and algorithm improvements.

Definition of Prototypes:
- Tangible, unrefined models representing final products, typically smaller scale or simpler.
- Can be easier and less expensive to create than full-scale products.