A helpful observation from not following this many times in my life.

Front load names to cue attention

The time to a target depends on the ratio of distance to the target over it’s size. So clicking on a small target close by might take a similar time to clicking on a large target further away. It’s a simple model and there are a few little games out there to bring it home in practice.

I’m reminded however, of an observation from a mentor of mine, Darrell Mann, that just because people call it a law doesn’t mean you have to treat it like one. The example of Apple’s standard program icons at the base of the screen that expand when you mouse near them, are a simple technique that help to overcome the limitations of Fitt’s law. There are plenty more. Don’t be sucked in to laziness by a name.

Fitts’ Law

This may have been obvious from day one, but despite the basic geometry of our necks it took me many years to figure out that back sleepers generally need just the one pillow and side sleepers are better off with two. Still think the pillow industry could do with a shake up though to solve basic problems like not falling into the gap between pillows, pillows made for two or pillows that more flexibly adjust as you turn over.

Back sleepers, side sleepers

And shorten the wait for everyone. It’s amazing to me how often everyone pays for forgetting there are two accessible sides to a buffet.

Approach buffets from both sides

Vary significantly depending on context and can tend to zero if you really have a lot of stuff to get through.

Cafe consumption rates

I very often find myself reflecting on what ought to be an improvement to the caveman-esque communication method that is the horn. But it’s harder than it seems I think to make something that supports helpful behaviour, provides safety and avoids lawsuits. Surely can’t be that hard though…

Use of the car horn

Travel and new foods

I am not advocating it. It just seems to always be the case.

Rule 1 of indoor games: Play until something gets broken

You will have observed this most times there is shared food you can cut. I observed it with trays of brownies that we used to make. Slices start big and get progressively smaller. No one wants to eat the last slice.

A previous boss had a simple solution to this with a maxim he had: You think of one, you get two. A bit excessive, and I don’t advocate it, but it really did work.

The law of diminishing brownies

You will recognise this when you have spent 40 minutes off and on trying to do something online when you could have been spending your time happily and productively doing something else.

Bad internet is worse than no internet

The Peter Principle, identified as a pattern within organisations can be applied more generally such that anything that works will be used in progressively more challenging situations until it fails.

The Generalised Peter Principle

You can see this trend in most technology products. Increasing subtleties and functions are added improving what a product can do. At some point, the complexity is sufficient to force us to focus efforts on simplification (or the benefit great enough that a simpler technology will take over) - while maintaining functionality. Classic menus migrating to context-sensitive menus; the original NES controller, to the xbox controller to Wii and Kinect control, Yahoo’s list-the-web, to Google’s search the web, multiple glasses to photochromic glasses, and so on.

I believe this observation is from Edward De Bono, but I learned it from Darrell Mann. I keep finding it helpful.

Things get more complex before they get simple

This is my own observation — no rigorous research to reference. But, looking at our 2 year old as he’s transitioned from a baby, I’ve been led to think about our times on, say, public transport. A baby will largely only focus on what’s right in front of their faces or directly impinging on their senses. As they grow, the vicinity becomes their circle. So if you’re on the tube, anything within sight in the carriage is fair game for them to fiddle with or want to investigate. But adults are capable of just sitting there - thinking, about things far away, in the future or in the past. It strikes me that small children just can’t do that — life is what’s around them or nothing. Hence endless fidgeting and investigation. Brilliant.

The expanding circle of attention

Laws of expansion

I love Flow. This simple framework comes from Good Business by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

Match challenge with skills for Flow at work

I believe I first heard this on a Radiolab episode, but I can’t remember for sure. Since hearing it, I’ve reflected on it many times and can’t help but think there’s some truth in it. For me it’s kind of why we’re just not that good at processing the scenery whizzing by from a car or train, and why cycling and walking are just about the best ways of getting around. Alain de Boton, in The Art of Travel, has some great observations about why trains are so great for thinking which I think has a lot to do with this - we have time to think, with a helpful intermission of the  semi-connected landscape and houses passing by that we can only process for so long before we turn back to our thoughts. I love trains.

Our senses are built to take in information at human pace

Part of the reason why bottles should really have their necks to one side instead of in the centre.

Give air a pathway to avoid glugging

Hi, I’m Jono, and I think, where possible, it’s important to be you on the Internet just as it is in real life. Perspective from Jaron Lanier. Masks and hoods insight from Philip Zimbardo’s Psychology of Evil, TED talk.

Be real on the internets

I’ve always been somewhat guarded about sharing, preferring to stick with close friends and family. This frame shift, provided for me by JP Rangaswami, was part of the reason for putting Sketchplanations up here. And it’s spot on. How could I possibly know who may find which sketchplanation interesting? Thanks JP.

Share by Default

I have read case-studies of each being effective.

3 techniques to deter riff-raff

Half the time when you pick up a whiteboard pen that doesn’t work, it’s because it’s been stored nib-upwards. It usually just needs a little re-charging.

Store whiteboard pens with the nib down

The law of lockers

Definitely think there’s some truth to this. It’s all about expectation and belief. Like how if you simply ask people to be creative, they come up with more creative ideas. Simple. Conrad credits Lucas McCann for the quote (who no doubt said it much more concisely and pithily).

The number of ideas produced in an ideation session is proportional to the size of the stack of paper in front of you

The realisation originally came to me when I saw, pinned outside a Professor’s door, an entire sheet of plain letter paper with a single line quote at the top. The standards are driving the system. About time we got more flexible.

If we plumbed in printers

I think there may be a counter trend at some point too, but generally I think this has some validity.

The wedding bar goes up the more weddings you attend

London dog size is roughly proportional to the distance from central London

Next time you arrive at a bar in a big group, resist the urge to go find a seat straight away.

Stand, don’t sit, in bars, if you’re there with a big group

The middle floors are the best

I remember seeing this in some chain email nearly 15 years ago. Still relevant to this day.

Urinal etiquette

California weather = predictable. British weather = unpredictable.

Sketchplanations tagged with observation