Summary
This paper introduced an interface, DiscoverySpace, which provides task-level action recommendations. The main objective of this interface is to help novices gain confidence when using sophisticated software. To achieve this goal, the author designed the DiscoverySpace prototype as a Photoshop extension panel for Adobe Photoshop. This prototype allows users to explore the software functionality by providing refinement or radical recommendations based on the current task classification or the natural language. The author conducted an experiment that compares the participants in the DiscoverySpace condition used Photoshop with DS panel and the participants in the control condition using Photoshop without it. The experiment results indicate that those beginner participants tend to gain confidence with the help of the DiscoverySpace condition while losing confidence in the Control condition. However, there is no significant difference between participants who already have Photoshop expertise. Nevertheless, most of the participants indicated that this interface is most useful for quick exploration of complicated software.
Reflection
Nowadays, when talking about editing the image, I believe the majority of people use a “one-click” retouching application on their phone, such as meitu, Ulike, VSCO, etc. These tools can provide a variety of retouching effects, provide users with powerful picture editing capabilities, and have no particular requirement for users. I think this is what the user expected in this paper regarding recommending an “item-based” collaborative filtering algorithm. From my perspective, what the user is trying to achieve in this prototype is to encapsulate the complicated process and present users the most straightforward effect based on the image user selected.
I agree with the assumption the author put up with at the beginning, “complex software offers power for experts, yet overwhelms new users”—my experience of using Photoshop at first, just like what the author described. Thus, I think the author’s work would improve the user experience and confidence significantly. I wish I could have such extension penal when I was first using Photoshop; I might continue to use it now.
Besides, I think the target users of using Photoshop are people who have higher requirements of image editing instead of people who just want to publish their selfies to Instagram. Thus, I would expect the system aims to help the novice get familiar with the system faster and facilitate exploration.
However, I do not think that automatic image analysis would help a lot. One benefit of letting the user select the feature of the image is to provide corresponding advice regarding the user-selected features. For example, the user would perceive an image with Sunset, seaside, back view of themselves as landscape pictures, while automatic image analysis would probably recognize it as a portrait. Therefore, letting the user enter the feature of their figure would facilitate the system to identify the portion that the user wants to emphasize.
Questions
- Even though the author just takes Photoshop as an example, I am still curious to do people still use PS frequently except for people who have professional needs nowadays, as the emergence of multiple “one-click” retouching software. Do you agree with the assumption made at the beginning of the paper?
- Do you think it is helpful that encapsulates a sequence of operations for users to apply in one click, meanwhile, demonstrate those operations to users?
- When would you prefer to use DiscoverSpace instead of “one-click” retouching Apps?
- What kind of software(or what specific software) do you most like to implement the idea similar to DiscoverySpace? Here the idea refers to that system provides users aggregated action suggestions based on users’ current tasks.
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To answer your third question, I prefer to use DiscoverSpace in applications that need multiple tasks to achieve a goal. A good example would be Microsoft Excel where creating some charts might require multiple steps and it will be nice to use a micro to accomplish such action.
Hi Lena, I totally agree with you that how helpful the proposed automatic extension for Photoshop is questionable, especially with so many different choices of “one-click” applications available. To address your second question, I think it is definitely useful to present the steps in detail instead of merely showing the effect of the one-click operation. For users who choose to use Photoshop, most of them may have high requirements for image editing as a professional need. It would be helpful to know the fundamental operations and build up the knowledge and experience of the software from the beginning. Building confidence is essential but the importance of the learning process cannot be neglected.
Hi, Nan Li, for the third question, I think it depends on my requirements for the results. Taking image processing as an example, both of these two methods can complete the incorporate those functions, and the second method can also meet the needs of most people. But when I use it, I feel that these functions seem to accomplish my target, but it can not meet my expectations. I may prefer to use discover space, to understand the principle in detail, and try more possibilities, and get a higher quality result.