How The Evolution of Usability in Chess Can Influence User Experience Design Today

This is the slides for the talk I did at summer Chicago Camps in 2021.

Transcript

1. How The Evolution of Usability in Chess Can Influence User Experience Design Today Jessi Shakarian Chicago Camps 2021 Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 1
2. Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 2
3. "Chess is too difficult to be a game, and not serious enough to be a science or an art." Jessi Shakarian- @jessishakarian 3 Napoleon Bonaparte: Great military leader, Not a great chess player.
4. Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 4 Napoleon’s chess set and gaming table Image from The Biltmore
5. What is Chess? Jessi Shakarian- @jessishakarian 5 • Chessboard - 64 squares in 2 colors. • Pieces move in a particular way - constrained by their abilities. • Players use mental models of chess strategy and tactics to win. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
6. A user’s mental model Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 6
7. Source: Angela Delise Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 7 It’s all squares! Header Content Footer
8. Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 8 Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
9. What do chess and usability have in common? The ability to ask the right questions and unlock the answers that best help the players/users get to their end goal. 9
10. Chess is the ultimate example of user experience. It has been played across time, outlived empires, and remains mostly the same game. The internet is relatively young, and can learn a lot from this. The internet is relatively young and can learn a lot from this. 10
11. What is Chess? Jessi Shakarian- @jessishakarian 11 Predecessor: India - 7th century. Modern game: Europe - 15th century. Margrave Otto IV of Brandenburg Playing Chess (From the Codex Manesse), c. 1300.
12. Indian Predecessor of Chess - Chaturanga 12 Image: Chess.com
13. Online chess today 13 Image: Chessable.com
14. Source: Angela Delise Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 14
15. Indian Predecessor of Chess - Chaturanga Jessi Shakarian- @jessishakarian 15 Wikimedia Commons
16. Northern Upright Set - England - 1830 Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 16 World Chess Hall of Fame
17. Regency Chessboard - England - 1810 Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 17 World Chess Hall of Fame
18. Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 18 By rorkhete - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/in dex.php?curid=2264256 How do blind people play chess?
19. Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 19 2020 US Blind Chess Championship - chessmaine.net Same mental model, different user experience.
20. When you think of chess pieces, do you think of this? Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 20
21. Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 21
22. What did chess sets look like before the Staunton set? Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 22 They varied...a lot.
23. England - 1850 Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 23 World Chess Hall of Fame
24. France - 1840 - Battle of Waterloo Chess Set Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 24 World Chess Hall of Fame
25. Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 25 Amazon
26. Italy - 1880 Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 26 World Chess Hall of Fame
27. India - 1825 Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 27 World Chess Hall of Fame
28. Germany - early 19th century Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 28
29. Form and function is key 29 House of Staunton
30. If you time traveled to the 1600s, you could play a game of chess. If you time traveled to the 800s, you would at least be able to recognize some pieces and moves. 30
31. It’s time to start thinking strategically. How will your design choices affect your users? Jessi Shakarian - @jessishakarian 31
32. Thanks for attending! Questions or comments? Website: www.jessishakarian.com Twitter: @jessishakarian Email: shakarianj1@gmail.com 32