Cognitive Design

In Thought Speed, Mood and The Experience of Mental Motion, two Princeton psychologists argue that positive affect is generated by faster and varied thinking. That is, the more thoughts we have per unit time and the less related the thoughts are the more mental energy we generate through excitement, elation, happiness and even an increased sense of self confidence and power.  

Although the authors discuss the implications for therapy (e.g. manic thinking) this is a potentially important finding for cognitive designers interested in creating artifacts that generate positive affect (mental energy).     

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Core77 has an interesting post on the keynotes given at the recent Interaction 09 conference held in Vancouver. Of special interest to cognitive designers is Robert Fabricant (Frog Design) keynote on irrational behavior . His thesis is that interaction design is NOT about computer technology but about changing human behavior.

Could interaction designers be taking on the challenge of behavior change? 

For a reaction check and additional info on the conference check out the post by Frogs on the Road.

The modern designer has challenges at four levels. She must design things that work (engineering design), are easy to use (usability), delight our senses (sensorial design) and move our hearts and minds (cognitive design).   For example, you can design a:   

1.      Multi-function office chair

2.      Multi-function office chair that I can adjust with ease

3.      Multi-function office chair that I can adjust with ease and is beautiful to look at

4.      Multi-function office chair that I can adjust with ease, is beautiful to look at and makes me feel like a “master of the universe” and stimulates bold thinking.

All four of these levels overlap, especially when it comes to

sensorial and cognitive design. After all, perception is a

cognitive process.  A solid scientific understanding of

perception is essential for excellence in cognitive design.

The book I have recommended in the past to students that are very serious about gaining a scientific level (physics, chemistry, physiology, biology) on this topic, Foundations of Sensation and Perception, has just come out with in a second addition.   There is a free sample chapter on the website for the book that clearly illustrates how the author treats the subject.

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When asked to review the performance of an employee we are all hit by the fundamental attribution bias. This is a tendency to judge someone based on their personality (the kind of person we think they are) rather than situational analysis (how circumstances compelled their behavior).

Turns out that the strength of the bias is inversely proportional to how well we like the person being evaluated, or so argues Barbara Limanowka, in her capstone research for a Master’s degree in Learning and Organizational Change at Northwestern University. The more we like the person we are evaluating the weaker the bias and vice-versa.

An important insight for cognitive designers tasked with improving the effectiveness of an employee appraisal process.

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I am working with a client that wants to determine if commonly available apps on cell phones can actually change our health-related behaviors. And if they can what is the “cogniiton behind it” and how can we use that to define new apps. 

For example, the iPhone alone has about 10 applications designed to help you quit smoking.

Would love to hear from anyone that has insights into why these work or not.  

Check out the story in Wired.  

Last month I blogged about the new version of Ruth Clark’s book on Building Expertise. She reviews what we know about the cognitive science of learning to provide an evidence-based approach to instructional design. I believe her lessons are of general value to cognitive designers dealing with issues of learnability.  

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