Four Things That I’m Thinking About Computational Experiences

1. The functional aspects of an experience are covered by considering speed (lightness) and ease-of-use (accessibility). The next level above is driven by values (ethics) and how instrumentation (i.e. being “dataful”) lets you serve the user best.
2. This “L.E.A.D.” approach is a good enough approximation for the salient aspects of “design” that need to get addressed for an effective computational experience. You can also say that “good enough” is arbitrary and based upon “who’s definition of ‘good’?”
3. The aesthetic aspects of an experience address the tippy top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and thus they often get marginalized and/or deemed as unnecessary. But as a RISD alum once warned me, “Decoration is a kind of function” — they’re essential.
4. When considering L.E.A.D. it’s struck me in the past how the “E” may more be appropriately read as “Emotional” instead of just “Ethical.” That’s because it is often impossible to separate ethics from emotions. Our emotions express how we care. Literally.

Three Things I’ve Noticed In The Last 30 Days

1. There are two definitions of resilience surfacing today. “Protective” resilience is about shielding an…