02/27/2008 07:41:08 AM
Influx recently wrote about Indi Young's (Adaptive Path) book on Mental Models. If you are in SF tomorrow you can catch her speak at CNET's HQ.

Some more details here.

Mental Models: Sparking Creativity Through Empathy

Anybody can tell you when they're in love, but can they map out the behavior that leads to this sought-after state? Take a look at other models of behavior, such as the habits of good project managers, the diverse considerations that go into the selection of a university, perhaps what long-distance runners expect while on training runs, or even what motivates the behavior of cats. Once you understand a group this deeply, imagine the creativity it sparks for the products you are designing.

Indi's work spans a number of decades, from the mid-80's when the desktop metaphor was replacing command line and menu-based systems, to the mid-90's when the Web first toddled onto the scene, to now, when designers are intent on crafting good experiences. After 10 years of consulting, Indi helped found Adaptive Path with six other partners, all hoping to spread good design around the world, making things easier for people everywhere. Indi's mental models have helped both start-ups and large corporations discover and support customer behaviors they didn't think to explore at first. She has written a book about the mental model method, Mental Models - aligning design strategy with human behavior, published by Rosenfeld Media.

Location:

CNET Networks headquarters in San Francisco
235 Second Street, 94105
Between Howard and Folsom

Time:
6:30 pm – Social hour with light refreshments
7:00 pm – Presentation


Posted by Ed Cotton
Tags: adaptivepath (3) indiyoung (3)

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