My profile vs Your settings: reflections on how the interface should communicate with the user

Hello.
This is a translation of an article by Dustin Curtis “Yours vs. Mine, which he published in his own blog . I must say that the translation is rather free: I tried to make it clear, to the detriment of formal accuracy. The article does not claim the status of a scientific study, and contains a brief summary of the two concepts of user interaction. All references to other sources are mine, like the comments in brackets.

About the author : Dustin Curtis - UI / UX designer, creator of the blog platform Svbtle . Of his famous works - a redesign of the site American Airlines . More in detail here .

My vs your

When designing a new application, the next question arises rather early. How should the interface call user data: “mine” or “your”? That is, "my profile" or "your settings"? I have long been overwhelmed by this question. So which option is correct?

By naming user data in one way or another, you mean different things. Appealing “your profile” means communicating with the user interface in order to solve his problem. In the case of "my profile" it is implied that the interface is a continuation (an extension) of the user with whom he solves the problem.
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There are two groups of adaptations that, in my opinion, can support each of the approaches (the author, apparently, means adaptation physiological and social).

My details

Having learned how to use tools of labor, man learned to assimilate objects of the external world with his own motor reflexes (or rather, motor stereotypes ). After scoring a couple of dozen nails, your body will begin to build a system of interaction with a hammer as with its external appendage, or as with the expansion of existing ones. Such a memory system can even replace your real hand. Experiments with “mirror magic”, when subjects were forced to scream from pain, poking a fake hand, which they considered their own (for more information about “mirror magic” in Russian here , in English here ) are examples of this .

Thus, referring to user data as “mine”, we potentially use this artificial memory system, assuming that the brain has already assimilated our interface into its spatial memory. In this case, to call part of the interface “my” makes sense, because the brain perceives it as a literal addition to itself.

Your data

On the other hand, man is a social being, and we have developed terribly complex systems for interacting with other people. In our brain there are entire areas responsible for speech generation and speech perception, followed by interpretation and analysis of what has been said. As a result, we have a very stable limited set of absolutes (or principles) that help us organize our thoughts during a conversation: it is I, other people - it is YOU, and I communicate with YOU.

In addition, we have developed a system of forming judgments and assumptions about the meaning of what was said, regardless of the spoken words. These assumptions help us limit visibility and increase the effectiveness of social interactions.

And if we think about the interface in the literal sense of the word, that is, how to interact with the task (and not as tools of this interaction), then it would be logical to personalize the interface and use your message, because the interface is only an intermediary between the user and what he wants to do. In this case, the interface adopts social characteristics and becomes a “human-like” assistant, using the existing functions of the social systems of the human brain.

(Findings)

After much thought, I firmly established myself among those who believe that the interface should imitate a social being. He must have individuality. And I, as a user, must communicate with the interface, instead of the interface being a continuation of me. Work tools are for the most part physical objects and direct (tactile) contact is needed to interact with them. Interfaces are much more abstract and reasonable. Therefore, working with them is more like social interaction than physical.

My choice is a dialogue with the interface. My choice is “your profile”.

PS (from translator)
After the draft translation of the article safely sent it "defended." Some time passed and I, walking myself to the music, heard in my headphones: “I didn’t say you f * cking cunt”.
And you know ...
It seems somehow it became insulting.

Thanks for attention. Have a nice day!