The course analyzes the past 100 years of human-computer interaction in science-fiction-based movies/TV, beginning with the advent of movies in the 1900s (Melies' "A Trip to the Moon," which was recently referenced in the movie "Hugo"). For decades movies have shown technology in advance of its commercialization (e.g., video phones and wall-sized television displays, hand-gesture systems, and virtual reality displays). In some cases, mistakes about what is usable, useful, and appealing seem adopted because of their cinematic benefits. These media serve as informal "test-beds" for understanding new technologies and their usage. They provide evidence for heuristic evaluations, ethnographic enalysis, market analysis, critique of personas and use scenarios, and new approaches to conceptual and visual design.

The course examines user-experience (UX) design issues: whether movies/TV serve as use scenarios and personas, UX as good/bad, futuristic/misguided, gender-biased, optimistic/pessimistic, and pro-/anti-technology. Examples come from China, EU, USA, India, and Japan. Participants will learn new terms, concepts, and issues to understand science-fiction media, user-centered design, personas, and use-scenarios; latest projects/trends in sci-fi media; and latest trends and challenges of designing user-interface components (metaphors, mental models, navigation, interaction, and appearance. Benefits include increased understanding of key issues, challenges, philosophies, and principles; increased awareness of current and cutting-edge products and services; and increased knowledge of how to use skills, expertise, and experience, specifically in regard to science-fiction media.

Participants will be informally quizzed about their recognition of the media examples shown and their analysis of contexts, technologies, business models, user communities, and designs . Discussion with participants throughout the presentation will be encouraged.

Level

Beginner

Prerequisites

General background in user-interface/user-experience design but not specific knowledge in science fiction.

Intended Audience

The course is for people who are new to the topic of science fiction but may have some user-experience design background. Even experts will learn new things. These professions will benefit: analysts, anthropologists, designers, ethnographers, evaluators, game developers, marketers, researchers, software developers, software engineer.

Presenter(s)

Aaron Marcus, Aaron Marcus and Associates Inc.

Mr. Marcus authored The Past 100 Years of the Future: HCI in Sci-Fi Movies and TV (2012), edited a User Experience issue on this topic (2013), and gave keynote lectures/tutorials on this topic since 2010. Since 1968, Mr. Marcus published 350 articles and 14 books, taught, and designed/consulted worldwide. He is Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of User Experience, Editor of Information Design Journal, and editorial board member of Visible Language and International Journal of HCI. He is Visiting Professo, IIT’s Institute of Design, Chicago, Master, De Tao Academy, Shanghai, and International Advisor, Dragon Design Foundation, Beijing.