What information can ethnographic tools give you to improve the interactivity of an online banking website? (pp. 48-54)
Ethnographic tools are tools that provide an alternative to traditional quantitative research. Tools such as interviews, observations, and surveys could help improve the interactivity of an online banking website by:
- observe people using the website to see how they react to certain features
- survey users to see if they trust the banking system
- ask if they would refer the system to a friend/family member
- watch users navigate the website to see if it functions the way you intended it to
- conduct a personal satisfaction survey after the first use of the service
- select several random users and interview about their experience using the website
At what point is a design finished? What makes it a success? What is its purpose? (pp. 54-62)
Designers are in the unique position to improve all aspects of human life. When designing a product, it is important to take into the consideration of the user first before the designer puts in theirs. A design is finished once it is functional, easily understood by those who didn’t make it, and it meets consumer needs. After these needs are met, the product is able to be used for human consumption. If the design is successful, it is well reciprocated by users, performs its intended purpose, and meets user needs. The purpose of the design is how designers plan on solving an issue or completing a task in front with their design and how it will impact users in the long run.
Identify a product family you use regularly (can be anything from technology to consumables except for coffee). How has its branding effected your use, relationship and experience with the product? (pp. 78-84)
Ever since I was in elementary school, I was surrounded by Apple products. I was taught how to type on a Mac Desktop computer and was awarded an iPad in Middle school when our school was chosen to test a system develop online learning. I have never once tested or used an Android product because my heart and my opinion has always been set around Apple products. I find it annoying when people don’t have iPhones so I can’t send them emojis. I hate people who don’t know how to navigate through my computer as well as I can. I think PC’s are chunky and unnecessarily large. But the funniest part is, I don’t know why I feel this way. The Apple brand has played a huge role in developing the kind of technology I use and how efficiently I use it. I know how to use universal programs such as Microsoft Word much easier on Mac computers than I do PCs. I 100% will always be an Apple user until someone proves there is something better out there for me (which is very unlikely).