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Review #3

The two sites that I took a glance at were sixpennkitchen.com and no9park.com. The both of these websites have a very modern and blocky type layout, which works well with emphasizing certain material. The material that is highly emphasized is the pictures that are placed on each tab. The blocky type layout also sets a nice balance to the page because everything is ordered and symmetrical. With both of the site’s design layout being so balanced, it is easy to create a visual hierarchy to show what the most important things on the page are.

If you notice on both of the websites, they are broken down into different areas. With the Six Penn Kitchen, these areas include the headlines with all of the different tabs on the top and the body below it, whether it holds pictures or text. As far as the No. 9 Park goes, it is arranged a little differently with the logo and tabs on the left side of the page, a header for what page of the site you are on up top, and the body of information below it. Though they are arranged differently, you can still tell that they are clearly broken down into different areas.

One thing that both of these sites have is unity. The layout created for the each of them creates a sense of unity among the site because everything is in order together and nothing seems cluttered.

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Website Review #3

For my two sites to compare I chose Burgatory and Smokey Bones, both of which are restaurants in the Pittsburgh area. Surprisingly enough to me, these two sites are very different from each other in the way that they are setup. Both of them have rotating images as soon as you get to the page but after that the Burgatory site is much different from Smokey Bones. Burgatory has a top, centered navigation bar at the top then as you scroll more information appears. Where as Smokey Bones site is just that initial page with rotating images and the navigation bar is on the left side going down. Both of these sites are strong in the sense of Unity in the fact that you take in the website as a whole at first then you start to take in the minor details of the website. In my opinion both of these sites also have a strong use of Emphasis. Both have a large gallery with rotating images as soon as you get to the site, this emphasizes the fact that you are on a restaurant website and what you are looking at is food. As far as Balance goes I think Burgatory’s site is done a little bit better just because of the fact that there is more information after the images at the top, the website is not just taken over with images like the Smokey Bones website is. Then looking at Layout, I also feel like Burgatory does a better job of executing its website. Everything just seems to flow a little bit better and the site just feels like it does when you are in the restaurant itself which is an interesting thing. The overall setup with the gallery at the top and the rest of the information once you scroll makes it not so overwhelming when you are trying to navigate the site. All in all; looking at both sites; I would give the win to Burgatory for a better overall site.

Websites:

http://www.burgatorybar.com/     http://smokeybones.com/

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Review #3: Restaurant Comparison

I focused on two local restaurants, Six Penn Kitchen and BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse. At first glance, both websites seem fairly similar in terms of the type of content that they provide: menus, location, about page, and some links unique to their establishment. In regards to balance, Six Penn Kitchen seems to appear more balanced in terms of layout on the homepage. The logo is in the middle with three links on either side. On BJ’s website, it isn’t as aesthetically pleasing because of the imbalance on the navigation bar. There is a location/shopping cart in red at the top right corner that throws off the look, at least for me. Looking at the unifying qualities of both websites is interesting, because of the overall quality it speaks to the user. Six Penn Kitchen does a much better job keeping in theme on every single page of their website. The color scheme is consistent throughout with the black, grey, white, and green. BJ’s is consistent for a few pages by keeping the same background and basic layout, however, when you move to the “Our Craft”, “Our Beers”, and “My Rewards” sections, they change theme and it kind of throws everything off as a user. A far as emphasis is concerned, the sites are very similar. Both sites put the most emphasis/attention on their logos by making them the largest thing with the most color at the tops of their pages. For layout, Six Penn Kitchen’s menu reads like a typical menu you would see in a restaurant. BJ’s is more of a boxy/square layout that shows the categories of food that they offer that you have to click on to see the dishes. Six Penn has a more straightforward layout that is much easier to find exactly what you’re looking for with the least amount of clicks; BJ’s is the exact opposite.

Let’s look, now, at both sites in regards to Krug’s 5 “things”:

  1. Both sites create a clear visual hierarchy in the way that it is clear that all tabs are at the very top of every page in the navigation bar. Each section from the navigation bar then has a certain amount of pages under that category.
  2. BJ’s uses more photos on their menus-almost only pictures, which is overwhelming. Six Penn Kitchen has some pictures on their homepage but there aren’t any pictures on their menus, which makes it more clear but a little boring.
  3. Both sites do a great job at breaking pages into clearly defined areas that makes it easy for the user to find what they are looking for. However, I think that Six Penn Kitchen does a slightly better job than this, because BJ’s has too many things that need to be clicked to get your wanted end result.
  4. Both sites make it very obvious what constitutes a clickable link by either highlighting specific links or making it known that its clickable when you move your mouse over the graphic (like their logos to go back to the home page).
  5. Six Penn Kitchen does a better job at minimizing noise by having a small amount of clicks to get to the wanted end result (typically the menu). As stated before, BJ’s has a lot of unwanted noise by creating so many subcategories within their menus.

All in all, Six Penn Kitchen did a better job than BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse at drawing in my attention. This is because of their sleek layout, minimal noise, and clear and consistent layout.

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Review 3

For this assignment, I looked at the websites for Il Pizzaiolo (http://pizzaioloprimo.com/) and Six Penn Kitchen (http://sixpennkitchen.com/news-from-the-corner.aspx). Both restaurants that were chosen are found in the city of Pittsburgh.

Six Penn Kitchen, at the time of this review, had some photos on their homepage that were aligned to the left side of the page with huge amounts of blank space to the right. The balance of the website is odd on other pages just by them all be center-aligned or left-aligned with way too much blank space. Il Pizzaiolo, however, had photos accompanying their text on almost every page.

 

As far as unity was concerned, everything seemed to belong on the website for Il Pizzaiolo. The text of the headers accompanied the paragraph text, the photos fit and weren’t awkward at all, and the color scheme just worked. The website for Six Penn Kitchen really dropped the ball on this one. The simple coding and the lack of effort left a lot to be desired when it came to unity in their department. The photos are awkwardly placed, the text is hard to read, and when the website is in its smallest/simplest form, it just doesn’t work.

 

The emphasis on most pages for Six Penn Kitchen are often lost with the giant logo in the middle of the screen. The colors of the text draw your eye, but make it hard to stay anywhere. As you navigate and scroll through the Il Pizzaiolo website, things subtly shift and change. These changes make the emphasis adapt to where you are on each page and where you should look.

 

The layout of these websites are quite similar, however, there is one major difference. Both of these websites use a top bar and use it to navigate throughout the websites. Il Pizzaiolo makes the bar scroll with you and has an additional side-scrolling bar for each element on each page. Six Penn kitchen highlights the page you are on and leaves you there, if you scroll down you have to go back to the top to use the bar again.

 

The main principles of Steve Krug’s book seem to be relevant in both, but dominant in Il Pizzaiolo.  The websites rarely make me think, but I am less satisfied with Six Penn Kitchen’s design and layout. The wording is a lot more condensed and easy to scan on Il Pizzaiolo’s website, and no matter where I go I can get back or go forward with ease. Six Penn Kitchen loses in all aspects in this fight and should consider renovation.

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Review 3: MadMex versus Six Penn Kitchen

I chose to review the websites for MadMex and Six Penn Kitchen. When first reviewing the sites I analyzed and compared the aesthetics of the sites. In my opinion, I favor the overall look of Six Penn’s website. In terms of balance and unity the site does a great job, for instance you can view all of the important information without even scrolling. MadMex’s website lacks unity and balance because of the negative space in its homepage. The introduction on the first page exceeds in length the size of the image to to the right, and throws of the unity and balance of the page. Six Penn’s website has a much more balanced and cleaner layout than MadMex. The images on Six Penn’s site stand out more because of the simplicity of their layout and the background color choice. MadMex uses a multiple earth toned colors that make the site more chaotic. Six Penn’s color choices most definitely help to emphasize the images and information on their site.

Krug has five important “things” to make users see and understand a website. The first thing is to create a clear and visual hierarchy on each page. Without a doubt, Six Penn Kitchen does a phenomenal job at creating a simple layout that highlights the important information while making it obvious what is clickable. Six Penn Kitchen’s website is made very easy to navigate for users. MadMex is fairly easy to navigate, but in comparison to Six Penn’s site there is definitely room for immprovement. MadMex could benefit from emphasizing key information with a more simplistic layout. The next thing Krug lists is to take advantage of conventions when creating a website. MadMex does not take advantage of conventions; I feel that they could have used better styling to make links and things that are clickable stand out more. Six Penn does a great job with the convetnions of their website. The colors and styles used, especially the navigation bar at the top are the first thing the eye is drawn to. The next important thing is that pages are broken up into clearly defined areas. Six Penn does an excellent job at this because each page is clearly defined. Not only is the site well organized to begin with, but it also uses stylistic techniques to section of information, like dotted and solid lines. This consistently keeps the whole site well organized and clean. MadMex on the other hand could do better with its organization, and needs help in styling to keep the sight organized. Important information does not fit all on one page, and the site has a lot of pop ups which adds to the chaos. The fourth thing that is important is to make it obvious what is clickable. I think that both sites do a good job at this. However, Six Penn takes the lead once again just because the stylistic quality is better. One thing I do not like about MadMex is that the text in the navigation bar is the same color as the site’s background making this information fade into the background. Lastly, the fifth important thing is to minimize noise. My feelings on which site did this better should be clear at this point. However, just to clarify Six Penn did a much better job at minimizing noise by keeping a well organized, consistent style pattern, and well sectioned site. MadMex uses too many colors and the content does not fit the page well.

I find that Six Penn Kitchen catches my attention more than MadMex. To summarize, the main reasons is that Six Penn uses a more appealing color scheme and styling, is more organized, and did a much better job making the site simple to navigate. Also, I personally feel that Six Penn Kitchen’s website has a much more professional look. I think MadMex should consider improving the style and organization of their site in order to more effectively draw customers’ attention.

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Thoughts on Interaction Design ch 3, 4&5_DaneMoore

Ethnographic tools can help in improving interactivity by helping to understand the not just how the language is said (some languages state the name of the person first and foremost before saying the rest of the sentence or question), but also about the symbolic nature and context clues of that culture. Symbols are especially important because the way a design is presented and organized may offend that culture and may become a stigma to individuals who want to do their banking, or make the individuals uncomfortable or give that individual mixed feelings, and make them not want to come back or use a certain service. Positive symbols from that culture can also encourage and help the average individual, assuming that the symbols are placed appropriately.
A design becomes finished when all the necessary (or wanted) functions exist within the design, when it is designed in a way to make it easier to use, and when the design looks attractive and reflects the values and characteristics of the product itself. The design itself becomes a success when people agree that the design meets these criteria, as these are also the design’s purpose.
I like to use Windows’ operating system with my personal computers. Using the Windows system regularly has influenced me to use it more regularly, to the point were I am attached to Windows, even over Mac’s operating system. Because of that, I tend to use Windows when I can, and it has also made me to prefer HP brands of computers over Apple (considering costs, as well).

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Reading Response to Interaction Design Ch. 6

Dane Moore
Response to Chapter 6
I agree with most of what the chapter had to say on how interaction designers must be careful that they put the usability design aspect and all of the attributes concerned with such, and with how the average person (who is not oneself) commonly interacts/would interact with an object first before artistic design. While a product can be aesthetically pleasing and should be, it is of no use if the user does not find the design to be usable, is awkward, or is too complicated to understand. All initial efforts should be to making the product to be easily usable so that the user will want to hold on to the product and become attached to it for technical reasons, which will last longer than mere emotions, which are temporary.
This is not to say that the product can also be aesthetically pleasing, as a product can also have the desirable attribute of looking good along with usability. Still, however, in interaction design, artistic design is subject to usability. This is true with the smart phones; smart phones are compact, light-weight, and has wireless capabilities. With the usability and easy access attributes meet, the artistic look of the smart phone can now be explored. Since the smart phone is slim, it can have a flowing metallic look, even with the appearance of a texture.

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Elements of User Experience Questions

  1. The objectives of the website are to advertise and sell Apple’s products, and to educate and help the customers, both potential, first-time, and long-time users. MacBook users can go to the Mac tab and find out some basic uses of the MacBook, or they can go to the Support page and ask a specific question about their MacBook or scroll through FAQ’s for the computer.

  2. The functional specifications of the Facebook wall include the site showing a current holiday or sport event in which the user has liked or followed, posts from the user’s friends that have been made within the past 24 hours, and advertisements from businesses or subjects in which the user likes or follows or from the user’s friends who like or follow them.

  3. The four architectural approaches to information structure are hierarchical (tree-shaped; nodes have parent/child relationships with other related nodes), matrix (move from node to node along two or more dimensions), organic (no consistent pattern, nodes connected on case-by-case basis, no sections), and sequential (one by one nodes, individual articles or sections). An example of each can be Facebook, Amazon, vintagehope.co.uk, and Pizza Hut, respectively.

  4. The Huffington Post is mostly content that navigates to articles which can be confusing to tell the difference. Google is all navigation, leading to the website in which the user is looking for. Wikipedia is really half and half, since half of the content has links to navigate to another Wiki article. Finally, Etsy is at least 2/3 navigation, with most images being links as well.

  5. The home page focuses on the white bold text stating their mission on top of a yellow-hued image. When scrolling, the text and hue fade to the original color of the image, and more scrolling transitions to another image before finally scrolling through different articles of brands Landor has helped. The article links and their images glide up as you scroll, keeping attention on the boxes and their titles, whether they’re white on yellow or black on white.

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Chapter 6 Response

I agree a lot with Jon Kolko’s ideas during this chapter.  One idea is that Interaction Design is the “design of behavior, can contribute to, shift and shape, and even help to control the normative frames that describe cultural change.”  I believe that, as designers, we need to continue to develop and modify culture around us, and hopefully for the better.  Usability definitely plays a role in shaping culture.  When designers create successful new technology, society believes that everything should operate in the same fashion.  For example, take the story about Professor Ames’ daughter thinking that a magazine should operate like a tablet/phone.  She is perfect example as to what society has evolved into, and that it takes time for users to adapt to different operations.  Another idea that Kolko brings up is invisible manifestation.  As this is intriguing, and may help recent graduated students entering the job market by not having a potential job ruined by parting pictures/videos, it can definitely be dangerous.  This anonymity can foster hate, violence, and other societal taboos.  But, on the plus side, it may give people the freedom to be themselves.  Technology advances rapidly, and the delay between when it is finished and the availability in the marketplace can be a hinderance.  One issue I find with society, due to technology advancements, is that there is a lack of communication.  I would rather talk to someone on the phone or in face, but there are many people who can text someone all day, but put in a social environment cannot talk to others.  Technology has made it a lot easier for physical communication to phase out.  I really liked the point in the Discursive Design about designing a product it’s goal is for organic communication.  As my opinions of technology is that it is helpful and useful, I hate it as much as I love it.  One idea that I did not normally think about is that technology can be empowering, which Kolko even stated that it is not a common view.  I admire Kolko for stating that Interactive Designers need to “advocate for humanity at all levels.”  As I am happy blaming technology for societal problems of lack of communication, it is not entirely technology’s fault.  Society let it happen, because it is easier.  As much as designers need to try and incorporate social interactions in designs, society needs to be open to communicating with personal interactions again.

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Chapters 3, 4, and 5

1. Ethnographic tools are used to determine how users experience a product and what can be improved upon. In the case of an online banking website, these tools could be used you can keep track of what features users are interacting with the most and which features they are having the most trouble with. It could also be used to predict some features that users might be looking for but don’t currently exist on the site.

2. In a way the design process is never truly done. It can always be improved upon with aspects being added or removed. However, a design process can be considered done once it is able to serve a user and offer a purposeful experience. Upon reaching that stage it can be sold and marketed.

3. A product family I use every day is drinks. I’ll usually reach for a water or a tea, but I will drink Gatorade if I am exercising or playing a sport. It has been branded as a drink to be consumed before, during, or after physical activity and I associate it with that type of experience.

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Objectified Response

I agreed with pretty much everything the designers in “Objectified” had to say. They’ve spent their whole lives working in the design field so they are able to speak from experience and give a much better idea of what their lifestyle is actually like.
A few things stood out to me that changed how I thought about design. First of all, I never really thought about how almost everything I interact with on a daily basis went through a design process of some sort. Certain objects go through a more rigorous and thoughtful process, but even the most basic items had to be designed by someone at some point. Another thing that stood out to me was the idea of designing objects for “wearing in over wearing out.” The concept of creating items that improve over time and give the user more of an experience the longer they own it is intriguing. I don’t think this applies to everything though. Smartphones are incredibly difficult to design for “wearing in”. The technology is changing so fast, and unless you can constantly take the phone apart and continuously upgrade it on pace with the advances of technology you’re stuck buying a new device every few years to stay relevant.
Before watching the documentary I defined design as the “creation and construction of objects.” My definition after watching hasn’t changed that much but I think that there is more to it than simply coming up with an idea for something and making it. There is thought, observations, and testing that all factor into the creation of something.

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Objectified Response

Ricky Petticord

Designing for New Media

2/27/16

Objectified Response

 

I found Hustwit’s film to be very compelling, as many of the statements and stories from designers across the globe resonated with my thoughts on design and how designers think. Dieter Rams’ points that “good design is innovative design, good design should make a product useful, good design is aesthetic design, good design is unobtrusive, good design is consistent, and good design is as little design as possible” echo my own thoughts on design in how I observe and purchase products, and how I conceive my own ideas.

The points towards the end of the film about designing sustainably piqued my interest because that is not something I typically think about when I think about design. This film brought a lot of things full circle in regards to assessing product the life cycle and sustainable practices in the business world, and how impeccable design can impact the consumer’s longevity assessment of a product.

I would define design as the art of assessing what people want to see, want to use, and the process of creating it. To me, design is materializing something that does not exist by harnessing creative energy and turning it into something functional that serves a purpose. I feel as though these thoughts fall in line with those of Marc Newson’s in the film; designers should always be designing for the future. I do not think that my definition of design has changed since watching the film; I feel that Objectified solidified my ideas and gave me a perspective of how to grow and implement them into my work as I move forward in my career.

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Thoughts on Interaction Design Chapters 3, 4 & 5

What information can ethnographic tools give you to improve the interactivity of an online banking website?

Ethnographic tools can be used to improve the interactivity of an online banking website by providing the designer with information on things such as frequency of use, communication, and usability. If transaction history is buried deep within the site, but is the most used tool, ethnographic analysis could result in an updated layout featuring transaction history on the home page. These tools can also be used to determine if a new mobile deposit function is not communicating clearly to the customer, confusing them and minimizing the effectiveness of the product.

At what point is a design finished? What makes it a success? What is its purpose?

A design is finished when it creates a functional dialogue between a product, system, or service and a person. A successful design enhances the human experience, solves complicated problems, and resonates with an audience to create the highest value of a product for the user. A design’s purpose is to be interactive, desirable, and ultimately, user centered.

Identify a product family you use regularly. How has its branding effected your use, relationship, and experience with the product?

A product family I use regularly is EarthQuaker Devices, a guitar effect pedal company. I was first attracted to their pedals by visual aesthetic, and upon hearing an aural sample they perfectly matched with the functional features of device. EQD’s website is clean and easy to navigate, and unlike many other pedal companies, they create demo videos in house for each of their products upon release. Rather than sift through youtube watching self-indulgent guitar players “demo” a pedal, I know that I can rely on Earthquaker to create a visually pleasing, un-narrated video showcasing all of the pedal’s features the way I would if I was in a store. An EQD pedal’s knobs, jacks, and switches are laid out in an intuitive manner, creating modularity between their products and strengthening brand relationship. The company also stocks their pedals with small independent dealers, echoing their in-house demo philosophy and catering to users who avoid big-box stores such as Guitar Center.

 

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Thoughts on Interaction Design Chapters 1 & 2

What makes up interaction design and what are some of the industry’s challenges?

Interaction Design is made up of constructing a compelling argument and inviting the audience to experience the work; the creation of a dialogue between a person and a product, service, or system. Interaction Designers can be Usability Engineers, Visual Interface Designers, and Information Engineers. However, developing systems and interfaces does not make one an Interaction Designer. Interaction Designers need to be shapers of behavior who’s greatest challenge is to change the way that people behave through elegant and compelling design. While Interaction Designers were previously looked at as the “final step” in the surface level design of an engineering project, the field has taken on a new role in shaping the what, how, and why of industry.

What is Interaction Design, how is it evolving? What fields does it draw knowledge from?

Interaction design is defined in the text as “the creation of a meaningful relationship between a product and a person, identified and created through ethnographic and other user centered design methods.” Interaction Designers differentiate product offerings by working to make them physically beautiful and emotionally compelling. Interaction Design draws from and builds upon several disciplines; Industrial Design and Usability Engineering primarily influence the field, but an understanding  of cognitive psychology, web design, art, business and more all play a heavy role. As more and more Industrial Design and Usability Engineering jobs are being outsourced, the role of the Interaction Designer is becoming exceedingly important. Successful Interaction Design has become a strategic differentiator for businesses looking to elevate their products to a new level, and these designers will be best equipped to take on project management based on skills in culture, creativity, and relationships.

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reading 3, 4, 5

  1. Ethnographic tools can be utilized by an online banking website to show the growth in interest in an account, where your money is going, and the cores in your account(s). A flow chart would help the account holder see where their money is moving and what it is going towards, which could then help that person save money and be more aware of what they are spending.
  2. In the text, it says design is an argument, “the argument has a subtle, nearly invisible, immediate effect on the audience.” Once that is achieved, and the design communicates clearly, it could be considered finished.
  3. A family of products I use very often would be Jeffree Star cosmetics makeup. This piece about integrity made me think of his brand: “integrity to materials requires a sense of respect for both the natural world and the human-made world.” This stuck out to me because he has made all of his makeup vegan, which is respect to the natural world, while also adapting to the makeup crazed culture of today. The cosmetic company is heavily branded with bright pink packaging, and very innovative colors in the makeup world. Jeffree Star, the owner, has really encompassed his brand by being very unique, very pink, and always experimenting with different colors in his own makeup. The branding by the packing and by Jeffree himself has led me to use makeup differently and more creatively.