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On the topic of how representations relate to programming... if you have ever tried to express some tricky math in code you might have had a sense that it would
by tmerr 12y ago
On the topic of how representations relate to programming... if you have ever tried to express some tricky math in code you might have had a sense that it would be more clear if it were written out on paper with the proper notation. That's because mathematicians have streamlined their reasoning by deciding one day, well, I use the sum function a lot, let's call it Σ. Or I'd like to be able to recognize integrals from a mile away so let's call it ∫. Not to mention those symbols come along with a spatial organization: the lower limit of integration goes below, the upper limit goes on top.
Programmers can't easily streamline like this. Maybe there are multiple forces locking us in: the keyboard, text editor, and programming language. Sure, maybe the optimal way to write code is with a string of ascii characters arranged left to right top to bottom but I doubt it. So even in the visual-symbolic space there is unexplored potential.
I'm glad someone is out there tackling these assumptions and much more, I should keep an eye on his work.
On an unrelated note, his website is entertaining: http://worrydream.com/ http://worrydream.com/
- joshkpeterson 12y agoHis website is legend among UX designers because it's such a great example of how to do a portfolio creatively.
- theoh 12y agoReally? I thought he was a celebrity among programmers because of his imaginative approach. Surely any UX designer worth their salt would find his home page to be moronically simplistic in the way it tries to shake up graphic design conventions. He is interesting, but not, I think, in a "design" way. Also, "worrydream", "beast of burden"? A bit too neurotic to be considered appropriate by, well, anyone grown up.
- seanmcdirmid 12y agoA website meant to be usable is a bit different from one meant to be a portfolio. From that perspective, I think his website works well, but it is a bit dated in terms of aesthetics (not as flat as the current fashion goes). I don't think Bret Victor's work is really about design (most of the UX designers I know have never heard of him), it is about invention and is a bit more on the programmer side. Putting him in the designer bucket is too inaccurate (but buckets are always inaccurate). I saw this talk in person at SPLASH; the puppy in cage for life really pulls at some heart strings. But it didn't really do it for me like the previous talks did (though he didn't have any prototypes to show off as with the previous talks).
- joshkpeterson 12y agoMy comment was shorthand for: I discovered his portfolio a couple years ago through: http://www.quora.com/What-makes-a-great-UX-Design-portfolio http://www.quora.com/What-makes-a-great-UX-Design-portfolio and since then it's come up in conversation with UX designers as a cool portfolio 3 or 4 times. But the points you make are valid.
- DanBC 12y ago> such a great example Are you being serious?