Question $1$: $1$ page

Some time during the week, select a one$-$hour period to be particularly cognizant of the tasks in which you are engaging. During this hour, compose a list or table of the tasks that you are performing, the goals associated with that task, the interfaces with which you interact to perform those tasks, and the object $($that is$,$ the thing you are manipulating or transforming from input into output$)$ of your interactions. Note that you have leeway in determining the scope you're considering for your task; for example, one person might think of "Emptying my inbox" as a task, while another might think of "Responding to this email" as a task. We would expect you to come up with at least $5$ tasks $($and their associated goals, interfaces, and objects$),$ and we would expect them to be relatively different from one another $($e$.$g$.,$ your five tasks shouldn't be "Answer this email", "Answer that email", "Answer the other email", "Answer another email", and "Answer yet another email"$).$

CSBP$316$ HCI

Note that for many of these, your interface may not be computational; for example: if your task is driving a car, then the goal would be getting to your destination, the interface would include the steering wheel, gas, and brake pedals, and the object of your task would be the car itself. If your task was adjusting the radio in the car, then the goal might be to find a certain song, the interface would be the knobs and dials on the radio, and the object would be the music currently coming out of the system.

The one$-$hour period you select should not be an hour you spend driving because $($a$)$ we've used that example to illustrate the assignment above, and $($b$)$ please don't work on homework while driving.

Then, for four of the sets you came up with $($task$,$ goal, interface, and object$),$ discuss the level of directness and invisibility of the interaction. In terms of directness, how far is your interaction from the object of the interaction? To what extent are you directly manipulating the object rather than manipulating it at a distance through the interface? In terms of invisibility, how much time did you spend thinking about the interface rather than the task? If you focus mostly on the task, did the interface become invisible through learning or through good design? Was there a time when you thought more about the interface than you do now?

Hint: We say "carve out an hour" because the challenge with identifying invisible interfaces is often that we take them for granted. By being very deliberate for a predetermined set of time, we hope you can focus more on the tasks that you might not even consider that you do because they've become so invisible and automatic.