Early studies of information retrieval systems featured quantitative approaches characteristic of the physical sciences. Mathematical formulas for precision and recall created an aura of objectivity for the nascent field of information science. And yet behind every formula lurked a variable that resisted isolation. Today we call this infuriating variable “the user” and we recognize that research must integrate rather than isolate the goals, behaviors, and idiosyncrasies of the people who use the systems.
If you haven’t read it already, Cathy Shive has done a nice piece summarizing the words of Edward Tufte on the iPhone and applying it to a desktop context.  In particular, both focus on bringing content to the front of the user perspective.  The Shive writing in particular does a great job of showing concrete examples of what applications that have and avoid administrative debris look like.  Most eye-catching for me was the comparison between Acorn and Photoshop. Â
It feels like “Keep It Simple, Stupid” all over again, but the examples chosen are of particular relevance, and the alternative interfaces Tufte presents in the iPhone video are interesting, even if they are not to my particular liking. Â I’d be curious to see what his examples would look like in a slightly “shinier” presentation, though.