User Inyerface

The entire game is ladened with frustrating design elements, such as misleading buttons, unclear instructions, and non-standard form fields, which made it difficult for me to complete the simplest of tasks.

Starting the game: Distractions and misleading information

The first message of filling out information as accurately and quickly as possible puts a level of stress on the user.  The big green NO button doesn’t help, as you feel the need to click a green button to move forward – some could misinterpret it as GO.  Below the green button the “please click HERE to GO to the next page” message adds to confusion, where am I actually supposed to click to move forward; no hover feature that I am accustomed to.

Page 1: The Race Against Time

Cookie Confusion: Who could miss the big red cookies display that pops up “This site uses cookies, is that a problem for you?”  With the response options being Not really, no in small fine print vs. a big button with Yes on it.  This is a different messaging than what we are used to.

Password Perils and Email Entry: Entering a password is a hassle. I have to delete the prompt message in each space to ensure the correct information goes in the right place. Reading through the password requirements adds another layer of stress, making me worry about falling into a password hack trap. The constant pressure from the timer and the “hurry up, time is ticking” message only amplifies my anxiety.

Email entry is equally frustrating. Instead of writing my email in one go, it’s broken into segments, forcing me to repeatedly delete prompt messages. This design makes the whole process feel disjointed and unnecessarily complicated.

To top it all off, there’s a pre-selected box indicating that I do not accept the Terms and Conditions. This adds another unnecessary step and further contributes to my overall frustration with the user design.

The Locked-Out Loop: About one minute into the game, I get locked out. Lovely. Panic sets in, and I think I restarted the game six or seven times, trying to go faster and faster each time. Instead of searching for a way to unlock the game, I resorted to using a Word document to copy and paste my password and email address. Brilliant, right? I thought maybe, just maybe, I’d get more time once I reached the next page. Spoiler alert: I didn’t.

Page 2: Victory at Last… Or Not

I did it! I finally got to page 2 in under one minute. I triumphantly clicked the blue download button, thinking I was making progress. But nope, I needed to upload a picture. Before I could react, I was locked out again. Fantastic.

The Marathon of Attempt: By attempt 25, I was desperately searching for ways to speed up the process. I realized that no extra time was granted once I got to the next page. So, armed with the copy-and-paste feature, I really homed in on streamlining my response on page 1. Page 2, I finally found the ‘deselect all’ button and for the ‘3 interests’ I had to choose I abandoned all accurate information, and selected the first three in the first column. Sure, the information wasn’t as accurate as they wanted, but the stress of the timer was getting to me. The green cancel button almost tricked me, but I’m onto their game now.

A Brief Triumph: Welcome to Page 3

Finally, I made it to page 3 in under one minute. Copy and paste became my best friend, as did incorrect information and answers. But page three? Completely overwhelming. No amount of copying and pasting could save me—I was totally hooped.

Placeholder Pandemonium:  Page 3 continued to frustrate me with its random placeholders for required information. Depending on your screen size, the collected personal details appear in no particular order: first name, ZIP, title, city, then surname. Makes perfect sense, right? (see image)

Flag Frenzy and Birthdate Bother: Choosing a country was another delight, with a drop-down menu featuring black-and-white flags. Because identifying flags in grayscale is everyone’s favorite game. The birthday month selection is in alphabetical order, and the scrolling birth year selector is a moving target, changing constantly and making it nearly impossible to pick the right year.

Age Agony and Gender Guesswork: The timeline scroll for selecting age is equally maddening—you can’t see the number as you scroll. The male/female button is another gem, unclear about which option is selected, causing a slowdown as the title didn’t match the gender (forcing participants to choose a gender). And, of course, there’s that green cancel button, just begging me to press it. But now that I’m onto their tricks, it didn’t fool me this time.

Heart-Pounding Desperation: My heart was racing at 135 bpm, and I still had two more pages to go. I had to shift my focus from copying and pasting (beating the lockout system) to outright cheating. There had to be a cheat out there somewhere on the web, something I was missing. The page locking in under one minute couldn’t be anyone’s friend. What was I overlooking?  Finally, with the help of Andy and David, the Unusable podcast: Playing a painful game of bad UX design,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXz6mPlMNC8 , I was to proceed to complete the task.

Page 4: A Masterclass in Confusion

So, it only took me five tries to figure out what went wrong—because obviously, I’m a genius. The page was a dazzling display of “check” in every conceivable form (checkmark, checkboxes, checkmate, check patterns, cheques for money). As if that wasn’t enough, I had to prove I was human by checking all the boxes with ‘checks’—because clearly, I could not be trusted without this monumental task. How could I have missed that the checkboxes were actually at the top of each picture? It’s not like they could have been placed more inconspicuously if they tried. And don’t even get me started on the three pages of verification. Because who doesn’t love a good, tedious exercise in futility?

Mission Accomplished

Against all odds and after much trial and error, copy nd pasting, and the odd cheat, I finally completed the task.  Don’t let the time fool you, what really should have been tracked was the number of attempts.

Reflection

I believe the User Inyerface process aligns closely with the key themes presented by both Tristan Harris (2017) and Zeynep Tufekci (2017) TED talks. I see how their discussions of manipulative design strategies employed by tech companies to control user behaviour are reflected in the User Inyerface experience.

I think the deliberately confusing and tedious design of User Inyerface exemplifies the manipulation both speakers describe. I notice how every step, from misleading checkbox placements to excessive verification pages, seems crafted to prolong user interaction. This reminds me of Harris’s (2017) assertion that tech companies design experiences not for user benefit, but to maximize engagement time.

I feel that Tufekci’s (2017) warning about building “an artificial intelligence-powered dystopia, one click at a time” resonates strongly with the User Inyerface process. I see parallels between her concerns about how algorithms organize our access to information and the way User Inyerface manipulates user behaviour through its design.

I wonder if the User Inyerface experience might be seen as an exaggerated version of what Harris (2017)describes as the “race to the bottom of the brain stem” and what Tufekci (2017) calls “building a dystopia just to make people click on ads”. I think it demonstrates how design can be used to capture attention and data, even if it means creating a frustrating user experience.

I observe how User Inyerface illustrates the exploitation of design to manipulate user behaviour, prioritizing engagement over genuine user needs. I’m struck by how the seemingly minor yet profoundly frustrating tasks users must endure highlight ethical concerns surrounding engineered digital interactions, echoing both Harris and Tufekci’s (2017) warnings about the power of tech companies.

Reflecting on this, I believe the User Inyerface process encapsulates the central messages of both Harris and Tufekci. I feel it underscores the need for critical examination of how tech companies design user experiences. I think it highlights the importance of advocating for more ethical, user-centered design practices that prioritize user well-being over profit or engagement metrics, echoing Tufekci’s call for us to consider “what we can do in response” to these manipulative practices.

References

Harris, T. (2017). How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds every dayLinks to an external site. [Video]. TED.

Tufekci, Z. (2017). We’re building a dystopia just to make people click on adsLinks to an external site. [Video]. TED.

Waite, A., & Ball, D. (Hosts). (2019, August 26). Playing a painful game of bad UX design. [Video Podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXz6mPlMNC8

Analysis / Observations

Reflection and further analysis – not included in video)

The visualizations show not only connections between the participants’ music choices but also group participants based on the strength of these choices, creating communities of individuals with similar responses. However, a closer examination reveals important considerations regarding the completeness and interpretation of the data. In terms of the numbers, all 23 class members submitted their 10 curated song lists, which are included in the data. For all intents and purposes, all data appears to be present. However, what we cannot tell from the data is the criteria each of the curators used to make their selections.

Groupings might be based on predefined categories that do not necessarily align with participants’ experiences or identities. The data might reflect cultural biases, assuming certain genres or artists are universally understood or valued. Moreover, the data might be misinterpreted without considering the context in which it was collected. For example, two curators may be in the same community; however, their reasoning or criteria for choosing a song could be completely different. This may put two curators in the same community or cluster but not necessarily capture the nuances behind their choices.

Reasons for not choosing certain options can be diverse and significant. Participants might avoid certain music genres due to negative associations, cultural stigma, or lack of exposure. These reasons are crucial but are often not reflected in the data. Furthermore, Track 4: Pygmy Girls Initiation Song and Track 27: Beethoven, String Quartet No. 13 in B flat were both tracks on the Voyager Golden Record. However, the compilation of the songs provided to us on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4D51474AB7BE5595) for us to listen to did not include these two tracks. I am curious if this impacted the results. I noticed in the data that Track 4 was chosen by five curators, while Track 27 was only chosen by two. I know that I did not even consider either of those songs. Furthermore, on the YouTube link above, the songs are in a different order than on the original record. Would this have impacted choices?

The representation or lack thereof of certain groups or preferences can reflect existing power dynamics and cultural hegemonies. Analyzing which groups or preferences are missing can highlight issues of inclusivity and representation. Understanding the political implications can inform policies and advocacy efforts aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion. For example: Analysts might draw incorrect conclusions about the reasons behind the curators’ choices. Additionally, the data may inaccurately represent the diversity of thought and experience within a community. This can lead to an oversimplified view of the community, ignoring the varied perspectives that exist. Also, if policymakers or decision-makers rely on such data, they may implement policies or make decisions that do not address the actual needs or preferences of the individuals within the community.

While visualizations show connections between participants’ music choices and create communities of similar responses, they may not fully capture the reasons behind these choices. Reflecting on what data is missing, assumed, or misinterpreted, and considering the reasons for “null” choices, reveals important insights into the political implications of such groupings.

For those like myself, that did not look into Track 4 or Track 27, and just went off the songs available on the aforementioned YouTube link, I have since listened to the missing two tracks and feel that my list may have changed.  Here are the two missing tracks.

Throughout this week’s assigned readings, viewings, and listenings, Dr. Abby Smith Rumsey emphasizes the critical task of deciding which digital content to preserve amidst the vast amounts of data generated in the digital age. She discusses the criteria for determining which memories and cultural artifacts should be prioritized for digital preservation, likening this challenge to the curation of the Voyager Golden Record. This iconic project required curators to select a limited amount of information to represent humanity and Earth to potential extraterrestrial civilizations, encapsulating human culture, knowledge, and diversity within the constraints of space and technology.

Smith underscores the importance of representing a broad and inclusive range of cultural expressions in digital archives when discussing cultural heritage preservation. The Golden Record’s curators aimed to provide a comprehensive snapshot of Earth’s cultures, including music, images, and sounds from diverse human societies, to convey the richness of human civilization.

Smith also raises ethical questions about who decides what to preserve digitally, how privacy is managed, and the potential biases in the selection process. The creation of the Golden Record involved similar ethical considerations, requiring curators to make subjective decisions about what aspects of humanity to include and exclude, balancing scientific, cultural, and philosophical elements.

In light of these considerations, I used the following criteria for my curation:

1. Global Cultural Representation: I included music from diverse geographical regions and cultures, such as Africa (Senegal), Europe (Bulgaria, Germany, England), North America (Mexico, Navajo, USA), South America (Peru), Asia (India), and Oceania (New Guinea).
2. Diversity of Musical Traditions: My selection encompasses a wide range of musical styles and traditions, from indigenous and folk music to classical and blues.
3. Variety of Vocal and Instrumental Styles: Both vocal performances (e.g., Bulgarian folk song, Indian raga) and instrumental pieces (e.g., Senegalese percussion, Beethoven’s symphony) are included.
4. Cultural Significance: I chose selections that represent important cultural practices or rituals, such as the Navajo Night Chant and the Peruvian wedding song.
5. Uniqueness of Sound: I offered a diverse range of sonic experiences, from complex orchestral works to simple, raw recordings of indigenous music.

These criteria were designed to provide a comprehensive snapshot of Earth’s musical diversity, balancing cultural representation with musical variety and historical significance. Through my selection, I aimed to showcase the breadth of human musical expression across different cultures, time periods, and styles.

My curated list:

1. Senegal, percussion, recorded by Charles Duvelle. 2:08
2. Mexico, “El Cascabel,” performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México.
3. New Guinea, men’s house song, recorded by Robert MacLennan.
4. Bulgaria, “Izlel je Delyo Hagdutin,” sung by Valya Balkanska.
5. Navajo Indians, Night Chant, recorded by Willard Rhodes.
6. Peru, wedding song, recorded by John Cohen.
7. India, raga, “Jaat Kahan Ho,” sung by Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar. 3:30
8. “Dark Was the Night,” written and performed by Blind Willie Johnson.
9. Beethoven, Fifth Symphony, First Movement, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, conductor.
10. Holborne, Paueans, Galliards, Almains and Other Short Aeirs, “The Fairie Round,” performed by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London.

Reference:

Brown University. (2017, July 11). Abby Smith Rumsey: “Digital memory: What can we afford to lose?” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBrahqg9ZMc

Smith Rumsey, A. (1999, February). Why digitize? Council on Library and Information Resources. Retrieved August 12, 2022.