Well not really, but when I first intended to post this, the title would have been something like that. I love it when I open the clamps that had been holding a newly bound book in place and give it its final shape. It´s a truly rewarding experience, it´s like harvesting the fruits of hard work, experimentation and risk. Another project that worked out well, like a newborn child, ... ok perhaps that´s going too far. I just enjoy it when the final stage of production doesnt fuck everything up and when taking the pressure off the book also takes the pressure of myself. The product is finished and usable.
In this case I'm talking about my new book "How to Make a Paper Hat". It´s a beautiful little square format book with 56 pages, hand manufactured, printed on 90gsm Luxo Samtoffset, cold glue perfect bound in signatures of 4, quite cute in design and suitable for both children and grown-ups. Go on, flick through the digital version and see for yourself.
It´s the result of a university brief entitled "How" where we were asked to provide clear written instructions how to make a paper hat. A good exercise in clarity of information and user experience. We were also asked to test our instructions to teach us about the process of usability testing—or that´s what I assumed but perhaps I was yet again giving them too much credit. Well, let me share this little anecdote with you ...
The scenario was as following: We were waiting in a room, watching a very old and very boring silent movie. One after the other was called out without knowing what was to expect. To be honest, it was quite an intimidating experience. Questions were going through everybody´s minds. What was going on? Why didn't they tell us? Why do we have to watch this movie while others are being called out? What will happen to us? The exercise appeared to be designed to deliberately create anxiety and distress. Some people may call this psychological torture, but this is obviously to our own good, so I won't complain about these surely very well considered and absolutely necessary means of education.
Three hours later (yes, three hours!)—meanwhile a second silent movie was playing and the room was considerably emptier than before—it was my turn to be called out. Together with a second student I was taken to the corridor where we were asked to wait until we're called in and not to tell anybody once we're done. What was that all about? Sexual experiments? Drug tests? Still no information.
Minutes later we were called to enter the room. Now this would finally all make sense to us and we would understand why it was necessary to keep us uninformed and waiting for three hours. Right? Wrong! Here´s what happened: A table, a video camera, a white decorator´s overall and sheets of newspaper. We were asked to wear the overall—including hood—sit down at the table and perform the task on camera while the second subject is reading out their instructions. In my case I had to perform to the instructions of "how to tell a lie convincingly"—on camera. How to tell a lie convincingly, yea right: a very useful thing to demonstrate the effectiveness of written instructions. In a white overall, on camera—an exercise designed to humiliate us rather than teaching us anything about the clarity of written instructions.
Here´s what I've learnt—
This was a really useful exercise. It was well worth waiting for 3 hours. I'm very grateful to experience an absolute amplification of the modules non-information policy in a setting that really didn't freak anyone out let alone piss anyone off. There was no other way this user testing experience could have been performed. Simply including the line "test the clarity of your instructions with an uninvolved person" really wouldn't have done the job. Wearing the silly suit and performing on camera without knowing what exactly happens to the footage wasn't in the slightest humiliating. Whoever made this up really understands a) how to teach adults and b) what usability testing means. And last but not least: the university does really respect people´s privacy and personality rights and therefor didn't make the footage available to anyone else after the performance, as expressed by a number of students.
Anzug zu tragen und die Übung vor laufender Kamera auszuführen ohne zu wissen was mit dem Material passiert war nicht im Geringsten erniedrigend. Wer sich dies ausgedacht hat versteht wirklich etwas davon wie man a) erwachsene Menschen behandelt und unterrichtet und b) was ein Usability-Test ist. Und zu guter letzt: Die Universität respektiert die Privatsphäre und Persönlichkeitsrechte der Studenten und hat deshalb—wie von vielen ausdrücklich gewünscht—das Filmmaterial niemand anderem zugänglich gemacht.
Did I tell that lie convincingly? Judge for yourself.
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