另一种方式是让大模型获得本地管理员级别处理权限，帮助我们自动处理本地数据。之前我 给你介绍过的 Open Interpreter 就属于这种方式。看起来非常方便、灵活，但 AI 代理在本地以管理员权限进行各种操作，看到所有文件。如果它被植入不安全的代码，控制你的计算机，可能导致隐私和重要数据泄露，后果严重性不言而喻。
为解决上述两种极端数据交互方式带来的问题，Claude 提供了 MCP 作为一种解决方案。作为协议，它是完全开放的。后续其他主流 AI 企业能否跟进，咱们说不准。但是现在就可以用 Claude 来体验一下 MCP 带来的数据交互好处。
问题:“解释气候变化和全球变暖之间的区别。” Google 的响应来自 Gemini，概述了气候变化和全球变暖，并将其包裹在一个简短的段落中。从那里，我可以向下滚动并搜索一些来自 NASA、USGS.gov 甚至 Quora 的链接。显然，算法优先考虑流行和权威的来源，但它也是以广告驱动的，这意味着顶部结果有时包括我看到的来自联合利华的赞助内容。此外，对于复杂的主题，我发现自己需要浏览多个链接才能拼凑出完整的答案。
ChatGPT 提供了直接的答案，从网络中提取经过验证的信息，然后添加了一个可点击的「来源」图标。这个功能减少了我在 Google 搜索中从多个网站收集信息的时间。在这个搜索和其他搜索中，ChatGPT 的总结对于一般查询甚至更详细的主题都是准确的，其设计允许更干净、更加集中的体验。（不过，请记住，广告可能会在未来出现。）
Google 提供了如此多不同的答案，我甚至不知道该从哪里开始。从 Gemini 的响应到侧边栏，再到下面的链接结果，整个体验极其杂乱——这是我在使用 ChatGPT Search 时从未注意到的。此外，Google 的广告模式意味着用户数据通常被用来提供个性化广告。虽然 Google 有广泛的隐私政策和设置，但其广告驱动的方法可能导致不总是优先考虑用户隐私的定向内容。
Google 我说的就是我说的，Google。在纠正我输入「What's」而不是「What is」后，Google 给我回应了一些链接，所有这些链接都是赞助的，我需要点击才能找到电视。在得到这个回应后，我感觉我需要再次问它以帮助缩小范围。然而，在赞助链接下，还有来自内容发布者的链接。
ChatGPT 为我缩小了范围，包含了图像，并给出了我想要的答案。AI 确实感觉像是一个朋友，提供有价值的信息。每个电视图像旁边都有一段介绍，提供关于每个电视的信息。与 Google 相比，这种设计感觉更加干净和简洁。此外，对话格式直观，我可以滚动浏览推荐，而不需要像在 Google 搜索中那样需要浏览多个链接。
Neko 也是举办观看派对和互动演示的绝佳工具。凭借其虚拟浏览器功能，Neko 允许您举办可从任何地方访问的观看聚会和演示，而无需亲自聚会。即使您无法亲自见面，也可以轻松地与朋友和同事保持联系。借助 Neko，您可以轻松举办观看聚会或进行互动演示，无论是休闲还是工作。只需邀请您的客人加入虚拟环境，您就可以共享屏幕并与他们实时互动。
AI 也是这样，融资、刷屏、炒作之后，依然是沉默的大多数，做出最诚实也最落地的投票。其中，有没有你正在使用并欣赏的产品呢？
We crunched the data to find out: Which gen AI apps are people actually using? And which are they returning to, versus dabbling and dropping?
2024 年 3 月：
Thousands of new AI-native companies are vying for attention. We crunched the data to find out: Which generative AI products are people actually using?
「GeoSpy.ai」是一个照片地点搜索引擎，利用 ai 来找出照片地点，利用强大的 AI 人工智能应用，可以在用户上传照片后以 AI 预测照片拍摄位置，这对于要搜索拍摄地点提供非常好的效果，以往可能只能通过以图找图方式找到相关的照片，但这通常要有一些很容易被识别出来的主体物，但这项服务就摆脱以往的限制。
GeoSpy.ai 使用方法很简单，只要上传照片就会有结果了，但是不一定 100% 准确，结果会标示照片可能出现的城市和座标信息，我试了几张照片，有些正确有些就真的错得离谱，不过整体来说还算蛮好玩的，搜索结果也会显示 google Maps 信息，可以搭配街景功能查看是不是相关地点。
AI powered geo-location. Uncover the location photos were taken from by harnessing the power of ai
这几天很热门的 AI 工具是：「Luma dream machine」，一款 AI 生成 5 秒钟动态视频的在线服务，并且号称有逼真的物理反应、电影运镜和人物动作，可类比之前 Open AI 公布的 Sora ，不过 Sora 虽然效果惊人〔还可生成一分钟视频〕，却尚未对一般用户开放。而 「Luma dream machine」 已经可以让一般用户直接试用，提供每天最多生成 10 个短片，每个月最多生成 30 个视频的免费账号额度。
如果想要试试看 AI 直接生成逼真视频效果，那么「 Luma dream machine」会是目前能够让我们马上可以体验看看的选择，在电影运镜与真实物理效果上，也确实比 Pika 之类 AI 生成动态画面的成品更突出。
而现在，只要电子表格的格式支持〔有些比较复杂的表格会无法正常显示〕，上传文件〔或连接 Google 电子表格〕后，可以在 ChatGPT 中直接「载入」完整表格内容，还可展开表格进行讨论。 把表格展开，就会变成左边是电子表格，右边是 ChatGPT 问答，我们能够一边对照电子表格，一边进行提问。〔很像其他第三方的 pdf AI 问答工具的设计，例如： ChatDoc〕
ChatGPT Plus 之前分析 Excel 时还有一个问题，就是他针对整份文件做分析，如果我想单独分析其中一部分数据，就要在提问中做各种描述与限制，让 AI 理解我要处理哪一部分的数据内容。
现在这个问题就迎刃而解。 如图我可以在 ChatGPT 的电子表格浏览窗口中，先点击需要分析的字段，然后在右方提问下指令：「统计每个人的支出总金额」。让 AI 明确知道我想针对哪几个字段做整理或分析。
Recently, I heard that Coursera has a UX design course developed by Google’s design team. This course covers the entire design process and teaches us how to present our portfolio, prepare interviews, and the like.
It is necessary to enroll in this course even though it is designed primarily for beginners and fresh graduates. It would enhance my English skills on one hand, and deepen my understanding of Western design practices and culture on the other. Since the term “UX design” is called out by Western designers and I am eager to compare Western design cultures with those I’ve experienced in China.
So I enrolled in this online course, trying to spare my time on it. Such as during lunch and dinner breaks on weekdays, or parts of the weekend. I completed the whole certificate within two months. And now I’d like to write down what I learned from this course:
Introducing concepts I had never heard of. Despite my 5+ yoe in a wide range of companies, from startups to large corporations in China, those new concepts opened up a lot of room for me to explore.
Enhancing my listening and reading skills. The course covers plenty of video and reading materials that include industry jargon that translators cannot provide. Moreover, certain phrases and sentence structures are repeatedly used throughout the course. I think my reading skills and speed are slightly improved.
Pointing out concepts like accessibility and equity early throughout the course. I used to think only seasoned designers or well-developed products consider these aspects, however, they are mentioned early on and repeatedly. These concepts resonated with me and will truly influence my work.
Elaborating comprehensive and detailed guidance for designers to prepare their portfolios, resumes, and interviews. They not only tell us what content should be included in our portfolios, but also how to prepare for interviews at different stages. I resonated with these instructions as well, since I did think those details over when looking for a new job.
I have consistently tried to think about and expand design boundaries through different aspects, which requires a breadth of knowledge. Here, I will share several new concepts along with my personal understanding.
Affinity diagram
This is a method of synthesizing that organizes data into groups with common themes or relationships. It can be used in different stages of the design process, such as during brainstorming or after collecting users feedback. The example below focuses on the latter.
After collecting a batch of user feedback, the design team condense each piece of feedback into a single sentence and write it on sticky notes. Then we post them up on a whiteboard or digital tools like Figma. Then the design team look for sticky notes that reference similar ideas, issues, or functionality and collaboratively organizes them into clusters representing different themes.
When I first learned about this approach in the course, I realized that this approach is similar to another method called “Card sorting” that was included in an article I translated earlier named [English to Chinese Translation] How we rebuilt Shopify’s developer docs. Both methods involve clustering sticky notes, naming these groups and summarizing the themes or relationships.
However, card sorting is implemented by external participants and aims to uncover users’ mental models to improve information architecture; Whereas affinity diagramming organizes a large amount of raw data to show the team which problems users are most concerned about and consider high priority.
This concept refers to an individual’s ability to gather, communicate, and create content using digital products and the internet. For example, senior adults or those living in areas with poor internet infrastructure may find it difficult to understand interfaces and functionalities, they are considered to have lower digital literacy.
In contrast, young people, especially those working in the information technology industries, are typically familiar with new software and concepts, and can quickly adapt to them.
This course does not dig deeply into this concept, rather, it emphasizes the importance of understanding our users. If our product targets a broad range of users, it is good to consider the needs of users with lower digital literacy. Moreover, this factor should also be considered when recruiting participants for usability tests.
This concept refers to a group of UX methods that trick users into doing or buying something they wouldn’t otherwise have done or bought.
In the course, instructors clearly point out that this is an unethical and not a good practice. Businesses may lose their clients’ respect and trust once clients realize that they have fallen into deceptive patterns. I will share a few interesting examples that the course provided.
Confirmshaming: Making users feel ashamed of their decision. For example, a subscribe button on a news website usually reads “Subscribe now / No thanks”. BBut if the service provider wants to manipulate readers’ emotions, the text might be changed to: “Subscribe now / No, I don’t care about things around me.”
Urgency: Pushing users to make a decision within a limited time. For example, an e-commerce website might give you a coupon that is only available for 24 hours, prompting you to purchase items without a thoughtful consideration. The course doesn’t judge these marketing strategies or promotions; instead, it suggests that we should avoid putting pressure on users. As designers, we should try our best to balance business promotions and avoid manipulating users’ emotions.
Scarcity: Making users very aware of the limited number of items. For example, a popup or attractive advertisement stating “Only 5 items left in stock.” The course suggests that designers should concentrate on helping users to understand products better, rather than using designs to encourage impulsive buying.
It is really interesting that these deceptive patterns are so common in the Chinese e-commerce industry that it might seem unusual if those strategies were to disappear.
This seems to reflect cultural differences between China and the West. In China, core team members, such as designers, product managers, and operators, collaboratively discuss how to induce and prompt users to make a hasty decision. Also, we regularly hold reflections to discuss and share insights on how to deeply incite users’ motivation.
In 2018, I landed my first job as a UI designer at an e-commerce company. One of my main tasks is designing promotions, such as “claim your vouchers”, “flash sales ending in N hours”, and creating illustrations of red pockets and flying coins, and the like. I didn’t really like these approaches at that time, so I eventually turned to the B2B and SaaS industry, focusing more on UX design.
Although I am not fond of these types of designs, these seem to really help companies grow and generate income. We could stabilize our employment only if our company were earning profits. Perhaps that is an inextricable cycle: obviously, deceptive patterns are unethical and bad as they are inducing and annoying our users, but we must continuously implement these approaches and think about how to make them more effective.
The course thoroughly explains a concept called “implicit bias”. It refers to the collection of attitudes and stereotypes associated, influencing our understanding of and decisions for a specific group of people.
For example, imagine you’re designing an app to help parents buy childcare. To personalize your onboarding process, you start by displaying bold text saying, “Welcome, moms. We’re here to help you…”
This is an example of implicit bias, since it excludes every other type of caregiver, like grandparents, guardians, dads and others.
In addition, here are some interesting biases the course introduced:
Confirmation bias. Refers to the tendency to find evidence that supports people’s assumptions when gathering and analyzing information.
Friendliness bias. Refers to the tendency to give more desirable answers or positive comments in order to please interviewers. This usually occurs in usability tests, where participants may not share their honest feedback because they are afraid that real answers or negative comments might offend interviewers and be considered unfriendly.
False-consensus bias. Refers to the tendency that people tend to believe that their personal views or behaviors are more widely accepted than they actually are, and consider others’ opinions to be minor or marginal. For example, an optimist might think that most people around the world are optimistic; or designers can easily understand iconographies and illustrations they created, they might assume other users might easily to understand too.
I was shocked when I was learning this part. I strongly resonated with these biases which I had never perceived before. After all, the course lets us be aware of these biases and provides approaches to help us avoid falling into these pitfalls.
I listed some concepts above that I had barely encountered in my workspace. Becoming a UX designer appears to require a broad range of knowledge, such as design, the humanities, psychology, and sociology. I am now interested in psychology after completing this course.
Listening and Reading Proficiency
There are plenty of listening and reading materials involved in the course. Typically, each video lesson is accompanied by an article. If there are additional knowledge points, a single video might be accompanied by two or three articles.
Most instructors in the course speak with American accents. They also speak slowly and clearly, which makes me comfortable and usually allows me to understand without opening closed caption. Sometimes, I need to rewind a few seconds when they are speaking long sentences with many clauses or introducing new concepts, and I will open closed captions if I am still confused.
It is worth pointing out that the course contains lots of industry jargon, and I resonated with this because I used similar approaches or processes in my workspace by using Chinese. As a learner, I created a spreadsheet to record expressions that might be useful, such as:
Above the fold, the content on a web page that doesn’t require scrolling to experience;
Deliverable, final products like mockups or documents that can be handed over to clients or developers to bring designs to life.
Digital real estate, space within the digital interface where designers can arrange visual elements;
Firm parameters, refer to rigid design boundaries or limitations like time, project resources, and budget.
I think it is valuable to collect this industry jargon because it is authentically expressed, which can’t be translated by common translation tools. This will be helpful for me to read design articles and write blogs in English.
Accessibility and Equity
Accessibility
The course introduces several assistive technologies, such as color modification, voice control, switch devices, and screen readers, which can help people with different types of disabilities to use our products easily.
Instructors also point out that even people who don’t have disabilities, or who do not perceive themselves as having disabilities might benefit from these assistive technologies. The course suggests that we think these factors over throughout the entire design process. For instance:
Supporting color modification. Features that increase the contrast of colors on a screen, like high-contrast mode or dark mode;
Supporting voice control. Allows users to navigate and interact with the elements on their devices using only their voice. They also mention a concept called “Voice User Interface (VUI)”;
Supporting switch devices. This is a one-button device that functions as an alternative to conventional input methods such as the keyboard, mouse, and touch, allowing users to complete common tasks like browsing webpages and typing text;
Supporting screen readers. Allows users with vision impairment to perceive the content. The course suggests that we write alternative text to images, add appropriate aria labels to interactive elements like buttons, and consider the focus order of elements.
Here is a website that demonstrates the color modification feature:HubSpot.com
On the top navigation of this website, it provides a switch for us to toggle a high-contrast mode. Moreover, it also supports reduced motion effects — if I enable the reduced motion setting on my device, this website will minimize motion effects as much as possible.
Equity
The course also introduces a concept called “equity-focused design.”
Instructors clearly define the difference between “equality” and “equity”:
Equality: Providing the same amount of opportunity and support, everyone receives the same thing;
Equity: Providing different amount of opportunity and support according to individual circumstances, ensuring everyone can achieve the same outcomes.
The course also points out that equity-focused design means considering all races, genders, and abilities, especially focusing on groups that have been historically underrepresented or ignored when building products.
They use a survey question as an example: when gathering participants’ demographic information like gender, it is not enough to provide three options: “Male”, “Female” and “Other”. To make our design more inclusive and equitable, we should offer additional choices, including “Male”, “Female”, “Gender-nonconforming”, “nonbinary” and a blank field. The latter provides non-conventional gender options, uplifting those who might be marginalized in conventional surveys. This approach also aims to balance the opportunities for all groups to express themselves, ensuring their voices are treated fairly and heard.
In this lesson, I clearly faced a culture gap from the West. In fact, I don’t really like to dig into this concept deeply, mainly because I can’t determine whether this approach is right. Sometimes I think it is unnecessarily complicated, but at other times, I recognize that there are people with non-traditional genders around us who may truly be eager to be treated fairly.
When I was learning this lesson, I realized that there was an opportunity to incorporate accessibility features into the project I was recently working on. I will write a new post if this project lands successfully.
In the final course, instructors teach us how to lay out a portfolio and what content should be included. They also inform us the process of interviews and how to thoroughly prepare for interviews.
The guidance they mentioned is for the Western workplace, which may not seamlessly fit in the Chinese workplace. For example:
They point out that designers should have a personal website and case studies regularly. However, Chinese designers prefer to publish their case studies on public platforms like ZCOOL and UI.CN;
They also teach us how to build our digital presence and network through LinkedIn. However, these approaches are not common in the Chinese job market, where the most popular methods are directly submitting resumes and getting recommendations through acquaintances.
They inform us how to handle panel interviews. I have interviewed with a wide range of companies, from startups to corporations, and never encountered panel interviews, which means that the panel interview is not popular in this industry.
I was deeply impressed by how they elaborated on the preparation and important considerations during the interview process. For example:
Research the main business of the company you interview for beforehand, and clearly understand why you are a good fit for the company;
Prepare answers to common interview questions beforehand, such as a personal introduction, your strengths, and descriptions of your case studies;
We should learn how to answer difficult questions using the STAR method, and prepare well before starting an interview;
Adapt the focus and questions according to the interviewer’s role to show you are a professional;
During the interview process, you might be asked to complete a task. Therefore, we should practice the ability to think aloud and clearly define questions, since interviewers might pose vague questions on purpose.
I resonated with the approaches and tricks mentioned in the course that I had previously used, which gave me a strong feeling that I was on the right track.
Additionally, the course also provides detailed instructions on how to pursue freelance design work. For instance:
Clearly identify your target audience and understand why they should choose your service;
Know your competitors, identifying what they can’t provide but you can;
Promote your service and build word-of-mouth by attending online and in-person events, and getting recommended through acquaintances;
Calculate the business expenses, set fair prices for your services, and make financial projections — estimate what your finances will look like in the first month, the first 6 months, and the first year.
Well, above are lessons I’ve learned from the Google UX Design Professional Certificate on Coursera over the past two months. I think that this is an interesting course, although not all content can be applied in my daily work, I’ve also learned the thinking processes and workplace cultures of designers in another part of the world.
I strongly recommend designers reading this post consider to enrolling in the Google UX Design Professional Certificate, by doing this, you might probably gain new insights. The course costs $49 monthly, which is not expensive. It is likely to complete the entire course over two or three months if you have a full-time job.
Things worked as I expected, and I will start my next project in the second half of the year.
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