ePortfolio Chunk 1

"We must design our technologies for the way people actually behave, not the way we would like them to behave." (Norman p. 12)

When I think of technological game changers and innovative companies such as Apple, I wonder whether they would agree with Norman in this regard.  I am reminded of Apple's decision not to support Flash on its iphone and ipad devices.  When I first got my iphone, I expected to be able to access all web content and was surprised to find this was not the case.  In April 2010, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, posted the following statement outlining his rationale:

http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/

My past web searching behaviour included accessing Flash websites.  Apple wanted me to behave differently and I resisted and resented this idea.  I understood Jobs' argument for open source products and forward thinking, but still wanted to access Flash content on my phone.

Apple subsequently relaxed their hardened stance against supporting Flash. A app called Skyfire was launched to address these concerns.

http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/09/09/apple-change-flash-support-still-no-flash-in-web/
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skyfire-web-browser/id384941497?mt=8

So how do companies innovate in light of Norman's statement?  Apple would have liked for us to behave differently and reject Flash in favour of HTML5, however, the way we actually behave is using and supporting Flash.  I cannot fully accept that innovation means to agree with Norman in this regard, however, in the case of Flash support and Apple, he seems to be right.


"We know two things about unexpected events: first, they always occur, and second, when they do occur, they are always unexpected." (Norman p. 13)

My van did not start this morning.  This was not a terrible surprise, given the biting temperatures we've been experiencing in Calgary recently.  However, it is unexpected considering the van's service history.  The van has served me well for many years through harsh climates.  I expected it to suffer through this cold snap as it has in past years.  The van provided me with clear feedback, but at an inopportune time.  Norman pushes us to consider technologies that will anticipate unexpected events.  How could my van have better anticipated a service failure and communicated this to me?  How might I have opened a dialogue with my van?  As Norman reminds us, "Two monologues do not make a dialogue." (p. 4)  Currently my van and I are communicating disharmoniously.  Future technologies may open these lines of communication.