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Effortless User Experiences with Hick–Hyman Law

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Hick–Hyman Law, named after British and American psychologists William Edmund Hick and Ray Hyman. In 1951 the British psychologist William Hick conducted experiments with a series of lights and Morse code keys to measure choice reaction times. In 1952, W. E. Hick published an article in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, “On the rate of gain of information.” It played a seminal role in the cognitive revolution and established one of the few widely acknowledged laws in psychology, relating choice reaction time to the number of stimulus–response alternatives (or amount of uncertainty) in a task. Hick discovered that the relationship between the time it took to make a decision and the number of choices was logarithmic. Together with work by the US psychologist Ray Hyman their studies formed the basis of Hick’s Law which states that the more choices you offer people the more time they require to make a decision.

When the user is given lot of options than due to overload of information the user tend to spend a considerable amount of time to interpret and process information to make right opinion/decision. To come to a conclusion the user also sometime abandon due to cognitive overload. Hick’s Law also corresponds with the Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz who argues more choice leads to more stress and reduced levels of customer satisfaction.

The research Hick and Hyman conducted resulted in a formula to define Hick’s Law: RT = a + b log2 (n)

“RT” is the reaction time, “(n)” is the number of choices offered, and “a” and “b” are arbitrary measurable constants that depend on the task to be completed and the conditions under which it will be conducted. “A” could be a situation where you are planning to buy a mobile phone for yourself and “B” could be a phone call with your friend to find out what other friends might be buying if they planning to buy any mobile.

To illustrate with an example: say you’re on a website and you need to navigate somewhere. There’s a list of options and it takes you 2 seconds to read, understand and decide on which one navigation option to pick, out of 5 possible options. The response time, according to Hick’s Law goes as:

RT = (2 seconds) + (0.155 seconds)(log2(5)) = 2.36 seconds.

The time taken by the user to make a decision increases as the number of choice increases. Hick–Hyman Law explains the time taken by a user/person to make a decision as a consequence of the achievable preference in coming to a conclusion he or she has, increases the decision time logarithmically as number of choices will increases.

While designing, Designers can apply Hick’s Law onto:

  • Navigation menus
  • Drop down menus
  • Main screen
  • Contact pages
  • Sign up forms
  • Search
  • Control display
  • Button selection
  • Header
  • Multi-share button

For example doubtful complexity to reduce cognitive overload– If you have a multifaceted process, Hick’s Law can trim down complex process to simpler ones by presenting specific parts of that process at any one time on the screen. Instead of puzzling the user entirety of your payment process up in a long, complex form, you can break it down into separate individual screens prompting users to register their e-mail and create a password. After which next screen with shopping cart details, then another which collects delivery information and so on to make it look simpler. Minimizing the number of options on screen, the payment process becomes more user friendly, and it’s more likely that the user will reach the end of the process than abandon the cart.

Hick’s Law has been applied across many fields and the design principle known as K.I.S.S (Keep it Short and Simple) originated from it.

Usage of images, graphics, spacing, headings, short paragraphs and bullet points to assist users in the practice as people don’t read content, they scan it. Abolishing distractions and draw attention to the most relevant choices can make the user experience less cognitively demanding and more pleasurable. Consistencies to design help the user’s decision-making without over-powering them with choice. Applying globally recognized patterns speed up the user’s decision-making process. For example using blue for text links to indicate that it is clickable as users don’t have to think about such choices as these are globally recognized patterns. Good design uses a combination of visual cues, color, spacing and consistency to visually emphasize important conversion elements on a page.

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Design

Development of Explainable AI (XAI)

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly evolving field that has the potential to change the way we live and work. The latest research in AI is focused on developing more advanced and sophisticated AI systems that can perform a wide range of tasks with greater accuracy and efficiency. 

One area of AI research that has gained a lot of attention in recent years is deep learning. This is a type of machine learning that uses neural networks to model complex patterns in data. Deep learning has been used to achieve breakthroughs in areas such as image recognition, natural language processing, and speech recognition. AI is also expected to have a significant impact on the field of robotics. Advancements in AI are making it possible to develop robots that can perform a wide range of tasks with greater autonomy and intelligence. This has the potential to revolutionize industries such as manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare

Another area of AI research that is attracting a lot of attention is the development of generative models. These are AI systems that can generate new data, such as images or text, based on what they have learned. This has the potential to revolutionize fields such as art and design, music, and writing. Another area of research is the development of explainable AI (XAI), which aims to make AI systems more transparent and understandable. This is important for ensuring that AI systems can be trusted and used responsibly. XAI has been recognised by AI researchers as a crucial component of reliable AI, and explainability has recently attracted more attention. To address growing ethical and legal concerns Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) is a useful tool for as well as important How? and Why? questions about AI systems. However, despite the demand for explainability across several disciplines and the growing interest in XAI research, XAI still has a number of drawbacks.

The creation of AI systems that can clearly and transparently explain their decision-making processes is known as explainable AI (XAI). This is crucial in circumstances when an AI system’s decisions could have broad repercussions, such as in the legal, financial, and healthcare systems. Here are a few instances of XAI in action:

  • Healthcare: An AI system that diagnoses medical issues must be able to justify its findings by referencing the patient’s medical history, test results, and other pertinent information.
  • Finance: An AI system that evaluates loan applications must be able to clearly explain the reasons a loan was authorised or denied, taking into account elements like income and credit history.
  • Legal: An AI system that helps judges make sentencing decisions must be able to provide a clear explanation of how it arrived at its recommendations, taking into account factors such as the defendant’s prior criminal history, the circumstances of the crime, and relevant laws.

In each of these examples, the ability to explain the decision-making process of an AI system is critical for building trust and ensuring accountability.

It is important to be aware of the potential of this technology and actively seek ways to harness its power for the benefit of society as a whole. The latest research in AI is focused on developing more advanced and sophisticated AI systems that can perform a wide range of tasks with greater accuracy and efficiency. From deep learning, generative models, explainable AI and robotics, the potential applications of AI are vast and it is expected to play an even greater role in the coming years, leading to new and exciting opportunities for innovation and progress.

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Extended Reality (XR), an evolving technology

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Extended Reality, or XR, is a catch-all phrase that refers to a variety of technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). These innovations enable the development of immersive and interactive experiences that converge the real and virtual worlds. In the world of entertainment and gaming, XR has several applications. Virtual worlds and games that can transport users to other locations and eras can be created using VR and MR. The fields of training and education are further applications for XR. Users can learn and hone new abilities in a secure environment by using VR and AR to create realistic simulations and scenarios.

The performance and responsiveness of XR applications have recently improved because to the utilisation of edge computing and 5G. Edge computing allows data processing to occur closer to the user, which reduces latency and increases responsiveness. The use of AI and machine learning to enhance the realism and interactivity of XR experiences is another breakthrough. For instance, MIT researchers have created a virtual reality (VR) system that uses AI to create realistic scenes and characters that react to the user’s input in real time.

A rapidly developing technology, XR has numerous potential uses across numerous industries. There will probably be more advancements and use cases in the near future since it enables the construction of immersive and interactive experiences that blur the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds.

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Design

Multi-material printing and innovation in hybrid manufacturing

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A type of 3D printing called multi-material additive manufacturing allows for the simultaneous printing of numerous materials, each with a variety of unique features. This technology has a wide range of applications and the power to completely alter how goods are created. The production of intricate and personalised products is one use for multi-material printing. It can be used, for instance, to print items with various textures, colours, and even degrees of hardness or flexibility. This makes it possible to produce items that would be challenging or impossible to make using conventional manufacturing techniques.

Engineering and prototyping both use multi-material printing. It can be used, for instance, to make workable prototypes of things like gears and bearings, that have different properties in a single print. This can greatly speed up the prototyping process and reduce the costs associated with creating multiple prototypes. Multi-material printing also has applications in the field of medicine. For example, it can be used to create customized prosthetics and other medical devices that have different properties in a single print. This allows for the creation of prosthetics that are more comfortable and functional for the patient.

New printing methods and materials have been used recently in multi-material printing. As an illustration, MIT researchers have created a technique for printing with several materials using a single nozzle, enabling the production of things with various qualities in a single print. the practise of “multi-material jetting,” which enables the use of a single print head to print numerous materials simultaneously. For instance, the J750 3D printer, and J850, which aims to “push the boundaries of 3D printed realism” from Stratasys can print with up to six different materials simultaneously, such as transparent materials, rigid and flexible plastics, and even color-changing materials.

Innovation in “hybrid manufacturing,” which mixes various production techniques including 3D printing, CNC machining, and casting to produce items with distinctive features. For example, researchers at the Technical University of Munich have developed a hybrid manufacturing process that allows for the printing of high-strength aluminium parts with embedded electronics. 

Multi-material printing is a rapidly evolving technology with many potential applications in a wide range of industries. It has the ability to produce complex and customized objects that would be difficult or impossible to create using traditional manufacturing methods, and it’s likely that we will see more developments in the near future. 

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