ALL ABOUT U


phone menu that won’t let you speak to a real human, no matter how many numbers you try.


Te language we use to talk about HSI varies widely across the Army and throughout private industry, and contin- ues to change as practices and technologies change over time. According to Dr. Larry Shattuck, senior lecturer and director of the HSI program at the Naval Postgrad- uate School, the shifting terminology around the profession may have unin- tended consequences. “I think those are unfortunate ways of making people more confused,” he said. “We had HSI and now the Army’s working toward user-centered design or Soldier-centered design—which is kind of the same thing. But the DOD policies are written for HSI. When you talk about DODI [DOD Instruction] 5000.02 and other DAU [Defense Acqui- sition University] documentation, they all talk about HSI.” He said that the changes were undoubtedly made with good inten- tions, and likely because of the rising popularity of UX design, but may unin- tentionally create confusion or render policies and guidance less effective.


HELLO, OPERATOR?


Bell Telephone Laboratories designed the modern telephone touchpad in the 1940 and ’50s, through scientific testing and analysis. The idea for the touchpad, which would go on to replace the older rotary dialing interface, was modeled on the handheld calculator. Designers measured user preference, error rates and dialing speed on a wide array of distinct keypad designs. In the end, the clear winner was the so-called “three-by-three plus one” design most users recognize today. (Graphic by The Bell System Technical Journal, July 1960)


Tis collection of overlapping profes- sions—the HSI family—centers on the research and design of a user’s interaction with a brand or product. Rather than luck, the profession emphasizes hands-on testing and direct observation to create optimal outcomes. Today, whether you are dialing a phone, buying a new iPad in the local


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Apple Store, or any of a litany of other interactions with user experience-focused organizations, someone has painstakingly researched, designed and tested every facet of your experience. When they haven’t, you notice—like the webpage that won’t load on your preferred browser, the direc- tional signage that makes no sense or the


LET’S TALK TOUCHPOINTS HSI is used widely throughout the Army acquisition enterprise, though it is now commonly called Soldier-centered design within the service. And, as it does with so many things, the Army has created its own name for the hands-on testing-and- observation events that are the hallmarks of every professional field in the HSI family—it calls them Soldier touchpoints. Over the last few years, acquisition profes- sionals across the Army have been using Soldier touchpoints throughout the devel- opment of both hardware and software, and they say it has definite benefits.


Cory Baron is the product director for Combat Terrain Information System at


Army AL&T Magazine Summer 2021


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