Identifying Barriers to Adoption for Rust through Online Discourse (PLATEAU 2018) - SPLASH 2018

For PLATEAU 2019, see the workshop webpage at http://plateau-workshop.org/. Programming languages exist to enable programmers to develop software effectively. But programmer efficiency depends on the usability of the languages and tools with which they develop software. The aim of this workshop is to discuss methods, metrics and techniques for evaluating the usability of languages and language tools. The supposed benefits of such languages and tools cover a large space, including making programs easier to read, write, and maintain; allowing programmers to write more flexible and powerful ...

Geoffrey Litt

Welcome! I work on malleable software: computing environments where anyone can adapt their software to meet their needs with minimal friction. To see what that means to me, read this essay or listen to this interview.

A small matter of programming: perspectives on end user computing

A Small Matter of Programming asks why it has been so d…

Design Frictions for Mindful Interactions: The Case for Microboundaries

Design frictions, a term found in popular media articles about user experience design, refer to points of difficulty occurring during interaction with technology. Such articles often argue that these frictions should be removed from interaction flows in order to reduce the risk of user frustration and disengagement. In this paper we argue that, in many scenarios, designing friction into interactions through the introduction of microboundaries, can, in fact, have positive effects. Design frictions can disrupt "mindless" automatic interactions, prompting moments of reflection and more "mindful" interaction. The potential advantages of intentionally introduced frictions are numerous: from reducing the likelihood of errors in data-entry tasks, to supporting health-behaviour change.

Opinion | The A.I. Disruption Has Arrived, and It Sure Is Fun

We’re entering a new renaissance of software development. We should all be excited, despite the uncertainties that lie ahead.

Opinion | The A.I. Disruption Has Arrived, and It Sure Is Fun

We’re entering a new renaissance of software development. We should all be excited, despite the uncertainties that lie ahead.

The invisibility dilemma of software

Why software is hard to understand

AI UX: The Limits of Declarative Interfaces

Why we'll still be clicking in 2030

Malleable software: Restoring user agency in a world of locked-down apps

The original promise of personal computing was a new kind of clay. Instead, we got appliances: built far away, sealed, unchangeable. In this essay, we envision malleable software: tools that users can reshape with minimal friction to suit their unique needs.

Convivial design heuristics for software systems

The theme of this workshop is the proliferation of ideas about calling into question the cultural roots of our current programming languages, and the search for alternative paradigms with other cultural bases.