Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2011 about Psychology on Sunday 13th March

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• The Music of Interaction Design

  by Cennydd Bowles and James Box

  While both music and design have theoretical underpinnings, they also share a certain ineffability. A musical masterpiece and an exceptionally crafted experience demand more than the simple application of theory. They also demand virtuosity. Designers must skilfully bring together clicks and gestures — the building blocks of interaction design — to form a meaningful experience. Although it's simple to describe these components, we often resort to vague shorthands like 'look & feel' to explain what happens at the experiential layer. Similarly, composers rely on formalised technique to write music; yet ask what makes a piece remarkable and the answer will be similarly nebulous. In this session, we will examine parallels between music and interaction design, including harmony, genre, rhythm, fashion and emotion. Along the way, we will learn how that which defies easy definition can elevate digital and musical works from good to miraculous.

  1. Why do some interactions and some pieces of music—even when they seemingly 'obey' all the rules—still feel wrong?
  2. What is it about music that provokes such a profound emotional response and how can designers learn from it?
  3. Why, despite all expectations, the overflow of information can actually be a rather lovely experience.
  4. Why does innovation actually feel bad?
  5. And finally, just what is 'The Brown Noise'?

  • Arts
  • Interaction Design
  • Music
  • Psychology
  • User Experience

  At 9:30am to 10:30am, Sunday 13th March

  In Ballroom A, Austin Convention Center

• Re-branding Birth Control: Behavior Change through Design

  by Jennifer Maer and Lawrence Swiader

  There is a significant gap between intentions and outcomes related to pregnancy; young adults say overwhelmingly that while they don’t want to get pregnant right now, they also are not fully protecting themselves from pregnancy by the careful, consistent use of contraception.

  This session is about a program designed to address that gap called Bedsider.

  We’ll talk about why the gap exists and look at established theories of behavior change for ways to approach the problem.

  We’ll denote a knowledge gap but offer that for most people, intentions are good.  Sex is complicated, messy, emotional, and driven by desire.  Yet most keep trying to attack the problem with logic.  They speak like doctors, appeal to reason, and show pictures of smiling people who look like they’re about to buy a car.

  This session will detail how to apply design thinking to the problem and re-frame birth control.  For most, sex education usually comes at the wrong time, in the wrong context, in the wrong voice.  How might a different tone and branding of birth control affect adherence?  And how do you test for it in developing a program? We will address those questions in our session.

  We’ll talk about how Bedsider has to fit in visually and verbally—it can’t look like the health department—and the role that language plays in attacking the excuses to not use birth control.  In this session we’ll also address how to design for feedback in an area where “nothing” is the usual reward.

  LEVEL: Advanced

  • Behaviour Change
  • Design
  • Influence
  • Psychology
  • Sex

  At 5:00pm to 6:00pm, Sunday 13th March

  In Rio, Hilton Garden Inn Austin Downtown