Anthropomorphism in Technical Presentations, Ctd.

Here is a piece by author Jonah Lehrer talking about how machines that seem less like machines and more like beings endears them to us.

These mistaken perceptions of agency can dramatically change our response to the machine. When we see the device as having a few human attributes, we start treating it like a human, and not like a tool. So here’s my advice for designers of mediocre gadgets: Give them voices. Give us an excuse to endow them with agency. Because once we see them as humanesque, and not just as another thing, we’re more likely to develop a fondness for their failings.

This is reminiscent of Jason’s argument in his ASTC article last year, where he suggests looking for ways to anthropomorphize in our presentations so that jurors will be drawn into what are sometimes very cold technical presentations. Which is not to say that we need an animated paperclip, or a talking grasshopper, to guide the jury through claim 15 of the patent. However, when appropriate, adding a subtle touch of humanness to our presentation can connect with the audience in a way that a simple diagram may not.

Related posts:

1. Anthropomorphism in Technical Presentations
2. Did Your Audience Notice That, Ctd.
3. The Power of Story
4. Internet Jurors
5. Knowing What You Don’t Know You Don’t Know