•What information can ethnographic tools give you to improve the interactivity of an online banking website?
Ethnographic tools can increase the overall experience of online banking. For instance, if you view the journey maps, then you can determine which pages are most frequently visited and create quick links, or even what information customers most frequently need help with and can introduce more interactive aspects to create an ease of usability. By introducing more online interactive services, you will be able to provide a richer banking experience to your customers.
•At what point is a design finished? What makes it a success? What is its purpose?
While a designer is never fully done or finished with a project, there is a point where it is ready to be released to the public and the market. There are almost always aspects of a design that can be improved upon, however, the purpose of design is to create a usable and enjoyable experience for the user. Once a product reaches a point of usability and enjoyable performance, it is finished.
•Identify a product family you use regularly (can be anything from technology to consumables except for coffee). How has its branding affected your use, relationship, and experience with the product?
A product family that I use on a daily basis is art supplies. Being a graphic designer and enjoying fine arts, I tend to naturally love sketching out everything I possibly can on the daily. I lean towards Prismacolor products and its branding has definitely affected that decision. Growing up I would use whatever I could get my hands on for my projects. However, Prismacolor has a very artistic and some could even say controlled chaos look about it. I love that because I am a mess when I am creating things and I can relate to their branding. Also, their products create a great experience, I have never had anything to complain about.