The Case for Systematic User Interface Innovation using TRIZ

The motiveThe motive

Picture not a comment on Microsoft but for humorous purposes

Design has evolved from a narrow discipline dealing with the form and function of products into a major new approach to developing business models.

As business increasingly turns to India and China to provide low-cost, high-quality goods and services, companies have to focus on innovation to be competitive. That driving need makes design thinking the hottest trend in business culture today.

Design has evolved from a narrow discipline dealing with the form and function of products into a major new approach to developing business models.

As business increasingly turns to India and China to provide low-cost, high-quality goods and services, companies have to focus on innovation to be competitive. That driving need makes design thinking the hottest trend in business culture today.

Design is not what it just looks like and feels like. Design it how it works.

User Need Vector

Source : Internet

The historyThe history

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User Need Vector

Current Methodologies

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User Need Vector

Current Methodologies

But where is the technique for systematic innovation and creativity?

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The case for TRIZThe case for TRIZ

Exhibit 1 : We have two ways of thinking based on structure of the brain

Source : Internet

• Text

Title

Source : InternetSource : Research Pub

Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others.

Human Motivation, 3rd ed., by Robert E. FrankenHuman Motivation, 3rd ed., by Robert E. Franken

.

Creativity requires whole-brain thinking; right-brain imagination, artistry and intuition, plus left-brain logic and planning. A study published in the peer reviewed Creativity Research Journal in 2005 by J. Meneely and M. Portillo agreed that creativity is not localized into a particular thinking style, such as a right-brain dominance resulting in more creativity. Theydid however find correlation between creativity in design students based on how flexible they were using all four thinking styles equally as measured by the HBDI.

..

The philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce introduced abduction into modern logic. 'The processes by which we form hunches about the world are, in Peirce's conception, dependent on perceptual judgments, which contain general elements such that universal propositions may be deduced from them.

Neither analysis nor intuition alone is enough. Rather than forcing a binary choice, the burden is to reconcile the two modes of thought. Aspects of both are necessary but not sufficient for optimal business performance. The most successful businesses in the years to come will balance analytical mastery and intuitive originality in a dynamic interplay that I call design thinkingoriginality in a dynamic interplay that I call design thinkingDr Roger Martin, U Toronto, Author : Design of Business

The selectivity derives from various rules of thumb, or heuristics, that suggest which paths should be tried first and which leads are promising

Dr Herbert Simon, ACM Turing Award winner in AI on handling complexity

Expert Witnesses

Building a FrameworkBuilding a Framework

Source : Internet

TRIZ Based Framework

Based on

Generates

User Interface Architecture

• Identify the various contradictions in the aspects of the search domain interface architecture

• Map the search domain vocabulary to the vocabulary of TRIZ implicitly. For example an object could be a visual element, a segment a part of the screen-space, a means could be a search modality or interaction behavior and an ends could be a

Methodology

modality or interaction behavior and an ends could be a successful result.

• For these various contradictions, formulate the question and look at the potential solutions in the TRIZ matrix. Identify the architectural layer (view, controller or model) that is primarily changed by this resolution.

• Document known empirical solutions as a guide and provide suggestions for the domain

Case Study 1 : Search EnginesCase Study 1 : Search Engines

Identifying TRIZ principles in SearchIdentifying TRIZ principles in Search

Segmentation

Aspect of Interface

Aspect of Interface Contradiction Applicable principles

Architecture component involved

Clarity Feature richness As the number of Universality ViewClarity Feature richness As the number of search features increase the interface clarity reduces due to excessive clutter

UniversalityTaking OutSegmentationSelf ServiceThin Films

ViewController

Aspect of Interface Aspect of Interface Contradiction Applicable principles Architecture component involved

Search-friendliness Discovery-friendliness As the interfaces facilitate focused retrieval of information (search), the ability to

SegmentationMechanics SubstitutionMergingDynamics

ModelView

(search), the ability to discover related resources by design or serendipity reduces.

DynamicsPeriodic ActionFeedbackShort Lived ObjectsCopyColor Changes

Aspect of Interface Aspect of Interface Contradiction Applicable principles Architecture component involved

Breadth Depth As interfaces facilitate breadth of information retrieval across various

AsymmetryNested DollCurvatureAnother Dimension

VieController

across various sources, the depth of information for each content is reduced

Another DimensionPeriodic ActionIntermediaryComposites

Aspect of Interface Aspect of Interface Contradiction Applicable principles Architecture component involved

Specialization Generalization As the search engine interface becomes more specialized for a given content type or user, it

Local QualityOther way AroundEquipotentialityStrong Oxidants

ModelViewController

content type or user, it cannot handle generic information.

Strong Oxidants

Aspect of Interface

Aspect of Interface

Contradiction Applicable principles

Architecture component involved

Interface Richness

Load Speed As the interface becomes rich in

Preliminary Action

ViewController

terms of the components, the loading speeding of interface reduces

Anti WeightCushioningPartial or Excessive ActionContinuity of Useful Action

Aspect of Interface

Aspect of Interface

Contradiction Applicable principles

Architecture component involved

Structure Flexibility As search is more structured (say

DynamicsSkipping

ViewController

number of categories), the flexibility of interface to accommodate newer content goes down

SelfServiceDiscard and RecoveryParameter ChangesThermal Expansion

Aspect of Interface

Aspect of Interface

Contradiction Applicable principles

Architecture component involved

Number of Free Results

Paid Results or Ads

As the number of paid results

SegmentationVibration

ViewController

increases to generate revenue, there is less scope for results that contain free content.

Blessing in DisguiseInert Atmosphere

Model

Case Study 2 : Wipro Subscription EngineCase Study 2 : Wipro Subscription Engine

SE

Subscription Manager

Product Manager

Service Manager

Publish Manager

RatingManager

Rules Manager

DB J2EE

Logging

SchedulerNotificationManager

Queue Manager

SNMP Manager

Work Flow Manager

Groups Manager

ChargingInterface

Source : Wipro Internal Reference Architecture ©

Source : Wipro Internal Reference Architecture ©

Aspect of Interface Aspect of Interface Contradiction Major Decisions

Operator Friendliness Business User-Friendliness As the interface became more usable to operating personnel (speed), it becomes less usable to business personnel (usability)

The principle of segmentation was extensively used and the interface looked like traditional desktop application like Outlook. Also the principle of taking out was used to separate complex operations into separate interfaces.

Aspect of Interface Aspect of Interface Contradiction Major Decisions

Specialization Generalization As the interface became more specialized to handle subscription problems, it had less generality for other problems

The interface used universality principles to ensure that a component developed could be used for other with minor modification to the text. Some interface components like interface components like schedulers and reports were completely universal.

Aspect of Interface Aspect of Interface Contradiction Major Decisions

Correctness Simplicity As the interface added features added more options to ensure correctness, the simplicity of the interface reduced

The interface used the principles of dynamics to ensure that only parts which are useful to the user appeared as needed.interface reduced appeared as needed.

Aspect of Interface Aspect of Interface Contradiction Major Decisions

Richness Load Speed As the interface used richer components, the load speed decreased

The interface used partial actions so that things were loaded only as required and not decreased loaded only as required and not at the start.

Aspect of Interface Aspect of Interface Contradiction Major Decisions

Extensibility Consistency As the interface became extensible to accommodate newer components, the consistency across these components decreased

The interface used an intermediary managerial component at interface to ensure consistency. Using a self service mechanism any new object could appear under the manager.manager.

• Win additional business to port other interfaces to the framework

• Significantly improved client satisfaction • Allowed rapid prototyping of related interfaces• Further features like analytics were easily integrated

Results of applying TRIZ in Wipro Subscription Engine

• Further features like analytics were easily integrated into this new framework

FutureFuture

• Apply TRIZ in other domains like games, virtual reality, 3D user interfaces, natural interfaces and social computing

• Create more fine grained matrix• Apply principles to Service Design

Future Work in Alignment

• Apply principles to Service Design

Thank you

The Defense Rests

Source : Internet

• Ramkumar Iyer– Senior Specialist, Architect– Ramkumar.subramanian@wipro.com

Thank you