A Technology & Art Talk for General Public [all] by Max,

Dates: 2014-10-25 - 2014-10-25 Venue: Main Hall

The computer is or can be a central tool for nearly every aspect of our lives today. User interfaces are THE key to a better and more powerful experience with computers. By improving user interfaces we improve everything.

Imagine yourself using a new washing machine / kitchen stove / complicated gizmo with many buttons … without instructions, and a cryptical user interface. You can only guess at the state the machine is probably in, or the sequence you need to push those buttons in …

Lucky you, if you can ask someone - but maybe you will feel and understand the same frustration many users feel day after day when using current IT technology. People (including tech literate people) loose precious time, get frustrated, and start to hate one of the most important inventions of the last century.

The problem is not in the silicon. It's not before the screen, either. It's something else …

After a brief overview of the history of user interfaces we will discuss the critical contribution they are able to provide to everyday computer / device usage.

This will be followed by an overview of the current state, the good, the bad and the plain ugly.

I will present some current and upcoming developments of user interfaces, novel ideas being tried out, and some possible directions we might be heading in.

Throughout the talk the focus will be on the average user, without in-depth understanding of the technology below computing, and how we can enable them to get their work / play done without tears.