[Wired.com] Why "Her" Will Dominate UI Design Even More Than Minority Report

[octoberasian]

From Wired.com:

Today’s smartphones were another object of Barrett’s scrutiny. “They’re advanced, but in some ways they’re not advanced whatsoever,” he says. “They need too much attention. You don’t really want to be stuck engaging them. You want to be free.” In Barrett’s estimation, the smartphones just around the corner aren’t much better. “Everyone says we’re supposed to have a curved piece of flexible glass. Why do we need that? Let’s make it more substantial. Let’s make it something that feels nice in the hand.”

...

That, too, is a trend that’s very much alive right now. Consider how today’s mobile operating systems, like iOS and ChromeOS, hide the messy business of file systems out of sight. Theo, with his voice-based valet as intermediary, is burdened with even less under-the-hood stuff than we are today. As Barrett puts it: “We didn’t want him fiddling with things and fussing with things.” In other words, Theo lives in a future where everything, not just his iPad, “just works.”

...

In essence, it means that AI has to be programmed to dumb itself down. “I think it’s very important for OSes in the future to have a good bedside manner.” Barrett says. “As politicians have learned, you can’t talk at someone all the time. You have to act like you’re listening.”

The user interface seems to be most oft-argued topic when it comes to Windows operating systems, especially when Microsoft pushed a touch-based interface for the non-touch based majority of consumers.

"Minority Report" showed us a very touch-centric, holographic display future of interacting with objects and windows on screen with our hands. "Her" on the other hand takes a step back with this and gives us a more, as Wired put it, "discrete" user interface custom for us and personally interacting with it through audio and voice commands.

So, with that in mind, what kind of user interface of the future is more preferred?

A touch-based UI started with Windows 8 then moving into "MInority Report" territory?

Or, a UI we personally interact with through voice commands and even conversations?

Or, a combination of both?

Or, sticking to the tried and true tested method of traditional keyboard and mouse for the foreseeable future?

 

[Ur_Mom]

Depends on what I'm doing. There is no one size fits all. Touch is great for many things, KB/M for others (typing reports and such), and voice (with a decent accuracy) is fine for other things. Change the temp on the thermostat? Just say it and it does it. Easy peasy. Write an email? I'll type it.

 

[XOR != OR]

Depends on what I'm doing.

Bingo. There is no one size fits all interface. No matter how much some companies may wish it, there never will be. Computers are a highly versatile tool, which means they fit a dozen different usage profiles*. Some require one interface, others can be simplified.

I know of no current technology that has the bandwidth capabilities of kb/m. So where that's important, it'll reign supreme. I don't really see anything that can replace it either. Some kind of brain/computer interface maybe? Who knows. What I do know is that touch ain't it. Neither is voice.

* - To visualize this, imagine buying a 15mm socket wrench for all of your socket wrench needs.

 

[octoberasian]

Depends on what I'm doing. There is no one size fits all. Touch is great for many things, KB/M for others (typing reports and such), and voice (with a decent accuracy) is fine for other things. Change the temp on the thermostat? Just say it and it does it. Easy peasy. Write an email? I'll type it.

Yeah, different situations call for different interactions and UI.

Unfortunately, we have one company pushing a single UI-- Microsoft-- as preferred over the other. And, movies aren't helping there either with pushing one single UI as the most dominant use of the future.

Voice commands isn't as intuitive currently as we'd hope it'd be. The Xbox ONE with voice commands is a good example, and it's funny what my friend tells me over Skype some of the quirky things it does when he tells the XONE to do something.

Touch isn't perfect and can't be used for everything especially for many desktop PC games.

A combination of every thing we can use to interact on the computer is probably a best approach, with the end user able to choose one he/she prefers and configures however they want.

 

[Skripka]

Touch wins for the visible future over voice.

Think back to when Siri came out. For a week after Siri (and similar systems) came out everyone was using it....now you never hear someone using it outside the privacy of a car or home, because people feel stupid talking to inanimate objects...and further there's zero expectation of privacy....and further further it takes longer to say things often than it takes to do them unless you're trying to text and drive and kill people.

Maybe voice input will take over...but as humans, our nature will need to change quite a bit for it to become normal and not a rare thing on the fringe.

 

[odoe]

If people would like to have a private conversation, please take it to PM and out of the general forums.

 

[Ur_Mom]

Touch wins for the visible future over voice.

Think back to when Siri came out. For a week after Siri (and similar systems) came out everyone was using it....now you never hear someone using it outside the privacy of a car or home, because people feel stupid talking to inanimate objects...and further there's zero expectation of privacy....and further further it takes longer to say things often than it takes to do them unless you're trying to text and drive and kill people.

Maybe voice input will take over...but as humans, our nature will need to change quite a bit for it to become normal and not a rare thing on the fringe.

I wouldn't use it outside of the house or the car. Not because it's stupid, but there is that privacy bubble. If I had instant feedback or action by voice command, it'd be great. Too much latency now. But, that's for simple commands. Anything more complex would be better with touch. Anything more complicated would be mouse/KB.

"Alarm on" "Lock doors" - Good for speech.
Working with the oven - touch.
Typing a report, working on a budget in Excel - mouse/kb.

 

[Spazturtle]

Typing a report, working on a budget in Excel - mouse/kb.

Why not voice? "Computer create a budget" and you are done.

 

[LeninGHOLA]

Why not voice? "Computer create a budget" and you are done.

Haha. You've just eliminated the need for CPA's.

"Computer, do my finances and investments".

 

[Skripka]

Haha. You've just eliminated the need for CPA's.

"Computer, do my finances and investments".

Just imagine if Clippy could actually talk...

 

[heatlesssun]

A combination of every thing we can use to interact on the computer is probably a best approach, with the end user able to choose one he/she prefers and configures however they want.

This is what I think Windows 8 attempts to do but obviously with mixed results and limited success. There's been tons of discussion about the Start Screen, full screen modern apps, hot corners, etc. and the issues that many keyboard and mouse users have with these elements are well documented. However when running the same desktop apps on Windows 7 and 8, how is the experience fundamentally different? Is it truly easier to create a spreadsheet on a 7 based system than 8? Or is it mostly a training and experience issue?

When I need to work on code or edit documents using desktop apps with a keyboard and mouse with my Windows 8.1 non-touch dual screen desktop using the default UI I don't see anything that 7 does over 8 that will inherently make those tasks easier. When I use my Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet to surf the web or read a document using touch, I don't see anything that inherently makes those tasks different compared to an Android tablet or iPad.

Microsoft certainly needs to refine 8's to make both of these scenarios work better and in particular to make to new UI more comfortable to keyboard and mouse users but I don't think that requires a Metro off switch or return of exactly the same Start Menu from prior versions.

 

[Erebus]

I had my first fairly decent experience with an AI voice based system last weekend. I had just purchased an iPhone (I ended up returning it and going back to my Note 2, but that's another thread..) and while Spotify was streaming music I received a text. I activated Siri, said "read last text message", and she did. Then she asked me if I wanted to reply and I said yes, then she prompted for the message. I spoke the message, then she read it back to me asking if it was correct (it was). I told her to send it, and she did. This text conversation went on for about 20 minutes and Siri didn't slip up once in any of my dictations or commands.

I know Google Now / Voice does about the same thing, I maybe just didn't give it a chance before...Now I will.

Anyways I thought it worked pretty well and hinted at things to come which made me smile. Other than holding down the home button to activate Siri, everything else was done hands free with my eyes on the road with little concern for the phone itself. The problem I see is that something like Siri on a grand scale (as in the movie Her) will not "run" on a computer or phone itself, just as Siri / Google Now process all your audio on some server farm somewhere. We'll probably lose a little more control bit by bit if / when that happens, until everything we interact with technology wise is just streaming from the "cloud". Physical devices would just be dumb terminals basically. Queue NSA intrusion into your life

Cool story bro.