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How to Speak Machine is written for non-computer people who want a solid grasp of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the overall digital environment that seems to be controlling much of today’s world. John Maeda has written many fine books on technology design such as The Laws of Simplicity where he explores how hard it is to make something inherently complex simple so that it can be automated.

In the early 1990s John was one of the first electronic artists to become famous and since then he’s held many roles traversing art, design, technology and business including president of the Rhode Island School of Design, a professor at the MIT Media Lab, CTO of Automattic, and a venture capitalist. He is currently VP of Design and Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft.

Maeda describes computers as powerful invisible interconnected “soft machines”. Soft machines continuously collect, collate, and store data generated by us and by the environment in real time. Unlike hard machines, which have driven much of humanity’s advancement over the last two hundred years, we might only notice a soft machine when it fails. Soft machines produce experiences, hard machines goods. Maeda demystifies complex computing concepts, like processing loops and recursion, with common examples from our everyday world. Recursion is like a mobius strip or Russian stacking dolls. Exponential growth is based on multiplication. Neural networks are like a 3-D cube where points can reference each other across dimensions. Neural networks learn by detecting patterns in huge data sets and continuously evolve by processing new data, often in real time. To demonstrate loops and recursion (which allows computers to “think”) he shows simple computer code snippets in readable English. Computational thinking is not simple, but through his examples and good teaching he puts you in the ballpark so you can get a basic understanding of AI, its benefits and threats.

Maeda cites the short film “Powers of Ten” by Ray and Charles Eames which explores physical reality as humans know it. Though this movie was made a half century ago it draws thought-provoking parallels between the world we live in and artificial intelligence. In the opening scene, there’s a shot of a couple having a picnic in a Chicago park. The movie then zooms out by powers of 10, showing the city, the earth, finally coming to a full stop at the outer universe 100 million light years away at 10 24 before zooming back to earth in powers of 10 to the couple on the blanket, into the skin of the man’s hand, to the double helix of his DNA, all the way down to a carbon nucleus within a molecule of his skin at 10 -13. So, physical reality is recursive, infinite, fixed, and mathematical!

In the second half of this book Maeda looks deeper into at the nature of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and neural networks and how these advancements are different from human intelligence. He compares human capabilities and output to the French “au levain” bread, which is made with naturally occurring yeast. On the other hand, AI and machine learning are like “la levure” bread, which is made with synthetic yeast. While these two types of bread look identical, the French can immediately tell the difference by how they taste.

When working with machine-generated intelligence, technology creators should focus on producing a perfect understanding of the end user vs. producing a perfect design. This perfect understanding of the end user comes about by combining qualitative user research with machine-generated insights. The machine-generated insights tell you what people have done and their patterns but not “the why”. It’s essential to also understand their context, motivations, emotions, or other driving forces behind their behavior. Those developing the technology need to know how people are reacting to synthetically produced experiences and data. We’re seeing the very serious effects on society of profiling and algorithmically-controlled social media, but most of us just react. We don’t know what is going on because we don’t understand this new technology.

Much of society’s functioning will soon come to depend on AI because it is becoming more ubiquitous and reliable. But we’re at a point where we can still bend the arc, so technology serves human interests vs. those of big tech. To guide the future of AI we need to have a common-sense level understanding of how it works. That is, we need to know how to speak machine. While his book is a bit repetitive and windy at times, for me “How to Speak Machine” is one of the most interesting and useful non-fiction books I’ve read in several years.

If I had to rely on just two books to guide me through my career in UX they would be Dumas and Redish’s “A Practical Guide to Usability Testing” and Sanders and Stappers “Convivial Toolbox”. The Dumas and Redish book describes in exquisite detail how to design and carry out a usability study. It’s task oriented approach makes it indispensable step-by-step guide for anyone who needs to run a complex study on their own. This is the book I used in the 90s to learn this craft on my own because there were no training programs at that time.

The Liz Sanders and Peter Jan Strappers book, on the other hand, is a beautiful and comprehensive guide on how to systematically draw out creativity from other humans in a research situation. Their guiding belief is people are tired of living in a consumer-driven world that can’t be maintained. They crave the chance to make better choices around how to live vs. just spend and consume. People want to engage with others in creative activities. Convivial Toolbox offers a framework for understanding human creativity and how to tap it for a variety of design-oriented purposes.

I had the opportunity to talk with Liz about her work and ideas for the Spring 2021 issue of QRCA VIEWS Magazine. Here is a link to the published interview and a link to the podcast recording on the VIEWS Website.

In a typical UX project the stakeholders you deal with include engineers, product managers, UX designers, quality assurance as well as senior managers and c-level executives. This diversity presents significant challenges. Each has different skills, contexts, and pressures. Some are so specialized that they may not understand each other and many of them will have only the haziest understanding of what you do! At last week’s QRCA “Flex Your UX” summit, I offered ideas for how to work effectively with stakeholders, so that UX becomes a binding force. Here is the gist of my advice:

1. SEEK ALLIES
Teammates who value what you do and apply research learnings directly to their work. Focus on forming trusting relationships with peers as well as stakeholders at high levels, even if they are not actively participating in the research. High-level support needs to be visible because it reinforces the integral nature of your contribution which makes it easier for you to be effective.

2. SHOW STAKEHOLDERS THEIR IMPACT
Show the stakeholders how their contribution makes an impact on the research. Stakeholders should be able to see concretely how their needs will be met by your research. For example, the usability study discussion guide should call out objectives for questions and tasks that map directly to stakeholder information needs and concerns. Use private conversations and workshops to uncover the diverse needs of your stakeholders.

3. INVOLVE THEM IN THE ACTUAL RESEARCH
People learn about end users through direct observation, so always invite stakeholders to observe your sessions. If you know and trust the person, it’s fine to ask 2-3 stakeholders to accompany you on an in-home visit or other research activity, but make sure to explain your role clearly and tactfully as the moderator and theirs as the note-taker, camera man, etc. To accommodate a larger group set up a back room with piped in video from a study. Ask a colleague who understands UX to manage the group and help folks process what they are seeing.

4. LET THEM ANALYZE THE RESULTS
Debrief continuously with stakeholders as you move through your study. This gives you a chance to really understand their perspective and the impact the findings have on their area of responsibility. In a usability study debrief, compare notes on how well participants completed tasks, what went well, where they struggled. At the end of a study sponsor a “roundup” workshop where the team reviews all the findings, decides on issues, solutions, and priorities. The Affinity Diagramming technique is a very effective team decision making tool for these types of workshops.

5. MEET EVERYONE’S NEEDS WITH YOUR REPORTING
Your report needs to be succinct and actionable. It can be multi-media or written, but its primary purpose is as a record of team decision making with a punch-list of action steps. The report should also contain no surprises because throughout the whole research process you have worked with stakeholders to identify the issues, prioritized them, and develop solutions. Layer the information – separating summarized from detailed findings because some stakeholders (e.g., C-level executives, product managers) care most about the summary while others (engineers and UI Designers) need to see the details.

Overall though, your success always hinges on how well you work with the people around you. So keep it human!

Here’s a link to a published article on my talk from the Spring 2022 edition of the QRCA VIEWS Magazine.

Margaret Heffernan was born in Texas but has spent most of her life in the U.K. She is a TED speaker and has had many successful careers that include thirteen years as a producer of documentaries for the BBC and as a serial entrepreneur and CEO of several tech companies in the United States. She is currently a professor at the University of Bath. Margaret has written four internationally acclaimed books on business and how to live a meaningful life that meets the challenges of our time.
We talked recently about the ideas in her most recent book, “Uncharted – How to Navigate the Future”. Margaret describes how we have become reliant on invisible systems that we do not understand. In the process of outsourcing our intelligence we have lost human skills, such as the ability to read a map, direct our attention, deal with ambiguity, or with people who are different from us. The way we are profiled by technology and algorithms impacts our ability to get jobs or loans or gain access to other opportunities. The scary part is we are unaware of how these systems directly impact our lives. Apps that show us how to raise our children diminish our ability to trust our own judgment. The algorithms are invisible—we do not know how they work or the value system that is embedded in them. But one thing is certain—they are designed to serve the interests of their creators and not the average person.

Here is a link to our QRCA VIEWS Luminaries Interview and to a review of Margaret’s book and a link to the audio podcast on QRCA VIEWS magazine of our conversation.

I interviewed Jane Frost, CEO of the UK’s Market Research Society for the Fall issue of QRCA VIEWS magazine. https://lnkd.in/e2mxuYq. With over 5,000 members the MRS is the second largest market research professional organization in the world. Jane described the central role qualitative research plays in the UK, how her organization is working with government to help the industry stay strong during the pandemic, and the MRS commitment to diversity. The face-to-face market research industry in the UK has disappeared overnight and may never come back to its previous level.

Jane described how qualitative research in the UK is more “pure” using traditional face-to-face methods such as in-depth interviews and focus groups. On this side of the pond, clients expect numbers to justify insights so our approach tends to be mixed with quantitative methods, though that may be changing. The MRS plays a pivotal role in advancing the stature and skills of their members and offer high quality professional education to their members to help them stay up to date and competitive. They also sponsor excellent conferences.

Lately, Jane and her organization have focused on advancing diversity and equity within the sector. The MRS has created the “MRS Pledge” where market research industry organizations sign on and commit to actively recruit and promote employees from under-represented and non-traditional backgrounds. Jane is hoping to generalize the “MRS Pledge” to become a model for a world wide “CEO Pledge” to raise diversity within the profession beyond the UK.
Here is a link to the article

According to AARP, 73% of caregivers are interested in using AgeTech to help them care for their loved ones, but only 7% actually do. Cost, usability issues, lack of familiarity and privacy concerns typically top the list as barriers to adoption. During a recent Connected Health conference Parks Associates described results from a survey that showed caregivers and loved ones want technology that promote safety vs. health. They see the value in emergency pendants that detect falls, alarm systems to warn of fire, water, or gas leaks. They are less interested in fitness trackers, smart watches and other devices that appeal to younger audiences.

But things are changing quickly due to the pandemic. Since March 30% of seniors have taken part in telehealth visits, and they are overwhelmingly pleased with its convenience and quality. Telehealth visits are now covered by Medicare and other insurance which is one positive outcome of our “new normal”. While in quarantine, older people are using zoom to stay connected with their families and friends. So quickly they are developing skills and comfort with technology and learning how to integrate it into their everyday lives.

Big corporations have noticed and are responding with products designed to help older people remain independent as long as possible. Comcast, Alarm.com and Cox Communications have developed services and enhanced home networks. Best Buy Geek Squad now installs and supports smart home and independent living products. Inexpensive and powerful sensing technology leverages machine learning that can separate normal patterns of everyday living from a fall or another emergency requiring immediate response.

ADT’s system, which costs between $40 and $60 a month, provides continuous monitoring with a human support person ready to step in. Their system uses sensors to detect falls and patterns that indicate trouble such as a door that is unlocked or has not been opened. The senior can connect with the support center through a panic button if they need help.

According to Andy Droney, Senior Director of Health, PERS, and Innovation at ADT Health the future of AgeTech will be to provide insights into what’s happening in the person’s home in an unobtrusive way. “When dealing with seniors, high technology is not always the right solution to keeping them safe in their home. With older people providing a relationship is just as important. You always need a live person in the loop who is empathic”. According to Andy the support provided can run the gamut from calling an ambulance for a health emergency to calling a neighbor to help the person get out of their chair. “If our system buys the person an extra year of independence it is a worthwhile investment.”

Even before the pandemic, demographics and need have been driving adoption of age technology. Most people want to remain in their homes as they age and cannot afford long-term care. However, the technology and services to help older people age are advancing at an impressive clip. From this conference I got the sense that we are almost there.

Earlier this month I attended the Connected Health Conference and was struck not only by how far telemedicine has come, but also by how much humans matter with this new technology. The trend seems especially strong in products and services directed towards older people.

Yuri Quintana of Beth Israel Deaconess gave a presentation on InfoSage, which allows families to coordinate tasks and appointments, oversee their loved one’s medication and treatment plan, and in general check in to make sure they are OK. The elder decides who to let into their network and the data each person can see. The project was developed by Harvard Medical school and is funded by the department of Health and Human Services.

“Papa” is an Uber-like platform that matches college students with an older person for an ongoing relationship. The students earn $15 an hour to run errands and provide in-person and virtual companionship. Applicants are carefully vetted and paired for compatibility– only one out of 8 is hired. Papa is a simple, practical, and cost-effective idea that’s had great success where it is operating. They just received 19 million dollars in a new round of VC funding.

“People Power”, which is funded by a 4.5 million-dollar NIH grant, can connect smart devices from hundreds of IoT vendors to monitor an individual’s well-being. These devices can range from automated PERS devices to smart speakers to door locks and carbon monoxide detectors. The platform uses machine learning to consolidate data from these different sources to detect falls, sleep patterns, medication adherence and wandering. The service is monitored round the clock by home care agency to provide a stronger safety net. People Power also enables group collaboration and connection to alleviate loneliness and help the person stay in touch with loved ones.

While I was at the conference I (virtually) ran into Kendra Seavey of Boston’s own Care.coach. The person communicates with care.coach through voice via an AI-powered avatar installed on a tablet. The avatar is customized to suit the individual’s preferences. While much of the interaction is handled through technology, a support person is always listening and able to respond right away in an emergency or in a conversation. Care.coach provides companionship, coaching, and helps the individual manage chronic conditions. The service provides analytics as well as alerts to caregivers and response teams. Care.coach has been operating for several years and has won many awards. It may soon be covered by Medicare Advantage.

To a large degree Covid is driving adoption of remote services. The field of age technology has been developing quietly for many years, so these technologies are mature and field-tested. Most people want to remain in their home as they age, and these products offer a cost-effective solution to help them do this safely. Most older people cannot afford long-term care and with 11,000 people in the USA turning 65 each day, these products will meet a serious need.

To learn more about these products, please visit
• InfoSAGE https://www.infosagehealth.org
• Papa https://www.joinpapa.com/
• Care.coach https://www.care.coach/
• People Power https://www.peoplepowerco.com/iotsystem/
• The Connected Health Conference typically takes place each fall in Boston. Formerly it was sponsored by Partners Healthcare and is now sponsored by Parks Associates. http://www.parksassociates.com/events/connected-health

Steve Portigal is a true Luminary in the User Experience industry. He’s a well known author, keynote speaker and the host of the “Dollars to Donuts” podcast where he interviews high-level UX managers on their work, how they developed a UX practice within their organization, and the career path that led them to their current job. I’ve learned a great deal from Steve over the years and was delighted when he agreed to do a QRCA VIEWS Luminaries interview with me for the Summer 2020 issue. In this conversation Steve describes his techniques for quickly establishing trust with a participant and how to keep a UX research interview open and engaging for the user as well as for your client team.

Here is a link to the published article.link to the published article

I had the pleasure of interviewing her for the Spring 2020 issue of QRCA VIEWS magazine. We talked about the various modalities her team at Salesforce uses to stay close to their customers. These involve traditional market research methods like surveys and focus groups as well as global online communities and events. Karen describes the talents and skills she seeks in a qualitative researcher (curiosity, the ability to ask great questions, and being able to pick up on what is not being said) . We also discussed her new book “Success with Less”, where she lays out her pause-ponder-prioritize approach to decision making for personal fulfillment. Karen is a delightful, sparkly and very down-to-earth person and I hope you enjoy reading our interview.

Here’s a link to the published article.

Martin Raymond is the co-founder of the Future Laboratory Network in the UK and author of one of my most favorite books on qualitative research methods “The Trend Forecaster’s Handbook”. The Future Laboratory Network has advised over 1,000 businesses in 50 countries identify trends and engage with future consumers to focus innovation. In his book and in this interview Martin describes the systematic process he and his company uses to form a vision of the future that’s based on the existing landscape. They plug into “an ecosystem of anomalies; an ecosystem that is about differences and ecosystem about being contrary and different” and the process begins by identifying “the 2.5%” who think and do differently. This was a great interview with a brilliant person. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Link to my Luminaries interview with Martin Raymond from the QRCA VIEWS Magazine Winter 2019

Link to my book review of The Trend Forecaster’s Handbook from the QRCA VIEWS Magazine Fall 2019

Richard Shotton is considered one of the most talented brand strategists in the UK. He’s also author of The Choice Factory: 25 Behavioral Biases That Influence What We Buy”, which looks at the psychological factors that weigh into the decisions people make in their everyday lives. His book won BBH Labs’ 2018 World Cup of Advertising, outperforming Ogilvy on Advertising as one of the most significant books on advertising of all time. Richard and I talked about the ideas in his book and why they matter to marketers, UX-ers or anyone who might benefit from understanding the motivations that drive human behavior.
Here’s a link to the published interview that appeared in the Fall 2019 issue of QRCA VIEWS Magazine