Ames' syllabi

Chapter 6 starts out by explaining cultural norms pertaining to technology. The way we use technology whether it’s speaking loudly on the phone or spreading Internet memes, we are making cultural norms. In a somewhat recent culture shift, it has become acceptable to explore technology and to understand that it’s for everyone to use. Designer’s main focus though is the users usability of the design, although there’s more to design than that. Designers also have to look for a unusable solution for the given design problem based off of what people expect out of it and the given information. In the end it’s up to the designer’s philosophy and the client’s demands that challenge cultural norms. Through mass production, a designer’s design can be experienced by millions of people. This design can also have a meaningful impact on the user’s life without them knowing it. A design can also go through a delay be the public sees it. Even if the world’s views have changed, the product will still come out with its previous motive. The design is also diffused with all the other external influences on people, but it can still have an impact on larger decisions. The chapter also discussing rejecting usability because designers learn the basics and easy ways to solve problems but to accurately solve a user-centered process, one must have a complicated solution. Then the book mentions discursive design, which is perceived as design provoking public communication. This makes the design more social by constantly changing human behavior. Toward the end of the chapter, the book explains the positives and negatives of the “digital age” and how negative behavior has shifted through design. This is explained by how much we as a culture are dependent on technology to get through the day, complete simple tasks, and unfortunately decline in knowledge. Designers will still design things that might not be needed, and there will always be a job to do and a problem to solve.

 

Chapter 6 of Thoughts on Interaction Design, “Judgement and Shifting Negative Behavior,” discusses the different decisions that a designer must make and the elements of society and culture that need to be taken into account when making these design decisions.  Although usability is an integral part of a design, there is much more to the creative process than designing for optimal usability.  Essentially, people must look beyond the surface of the design and the surface of the function and usability in order to grasp its significance.  Thinking about the deeper meanings of what is occurring in he world will lead one to creating something that challenges both the designer and the user in profound ways.

The chapter also discussed discursive design, in which a design is intended to provoke thought and spark discussion among people.  Ultimately, this transforms what the purpose of design is, for it becomes a form of commentary, something to be picked apart and analyzed rather than acknowledged and dismissed.  This kind of design is much more interactive on the part of the user and is an important stage in the evolution of design as something larger than itself.  Design becomes a catalyst for critical thinking and analysis.

Ultimately, the chapter reflected the ideas that design is a complex process and way of creating that alters based upon the ever-changing world and people around us, which makes it so challenging to define and pinpoint.  The designer takes on a number of different roles in the process, and the user must adapt as well based on changes in the design presented and how it should be responded to, thought about, and discussed.  This intricate web that has been weaved of designer, user, and design will only become more complicated as time passes and society progresses.

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

Ethnographic tools can provide some insights on the ways in which people live and what they value.  If an online banking website can use these tools to better understand the lifestyles of their customers, they can improve the interactions between the user and the interface.  Studying people can reveal how they respond to particular prompts and situations, and understanding this is part of the design process, for an effective design will be built upon the research in order to best serve the user/customer.

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

One could certainly argue that a design is never truly finished.  However, when someone feels confident enough that the design does its job in an efficient manner, it can be considered finished for the purpose of the job.  If the designer can see that something should be tweaked, he or she should tweak it before considering it done.  One way of measuring both whether a design is finished and whether or not it was a success is by seeing that an outsider can understand and use the design in the way it was intended by the designer to be understood and used.  Ultimately, the design’s purpose is to solve a problem and make life easier.  If it can do both, it has fulfilled its purpose.

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?

One product family I use regularly is Apple products.  Its branding has affected my use with their products in that they all work in much the same way and are easily connected with one another, so the uniformity that is part of their brand has simplified how they are used.  I feel almost connected to the brand because of Apple’s presence in my life; I am even using an Apple product to complete this assignment.  They are involved in many aspects of my life, which has resulted in a positive relationship with Apple.  As a result, my positive associations with the products help to promote generally positive experiences with the brand and offer it a favorable position in my mind as the consumer.

I was tasked with trying to figure out a new way to open a door using only your foot.  I think that this would be a cool and sometimes useful invention to make.  I had a couple of ideas for this project. The first idea I came up with was making just like a hole in the door that would be big enough for a shoe to fit in.  This hole could have a fabric liner so that it would not scratch your shoe of your foot if you are barefoot.  For this product, all the user would do is insert their foot into the hole and simple turn their foot up or down to grasp the door. Then the user would simply just pull their foot back until it opened and then remove their foot.  The door would have to have some sort of spring on it so that once you start pulling it open it would open the rest of the way.  Then it would stay open for a set period of time or until you pull it back shut with your foot.  The next idea I had for this product was using a part of a saddle.  My idea is that you could attach the foot holder from a saddle onto the bottom half of the door.  To open the door,  the user would simply place their foot in the foot holder and pull their leg back to pull the door open.  My last idea is similar to hotel rooms with the key card slot.  My product would have a sensor on the bottom and another sensor that would go in or on your shoe.  The shoe sensor would just have to be waved in front to the door sensor to tell the door to open.  having the sensor in the shoe would make it so that the door would not be opened due to an animal or pet running in front of the door.  I believe that these ideas could all be useful, but all would need more work on them to make them ready to be produced.

Chapter six talks about judgement and shifting negative behavior.  Norms are behaviors that are common for people within a certain culture or group.  If someone thinks that one a design goes against the norms that they believe in then they tend to have a judgement of  the design which could resulting a negative behavior.  Judgements can cause a cultural shift in society if the judgement is spread wide enough throughout the viewers.  This chapter also talks about discursive design.  This is a category of design that treats products as ideas rather than just “instruments of utility”.  The last thing talked about in chapter 6 is shifting negative behavior through design.  Negative behaviors can be shifted by making people rethink their stance on a product. Also,  negative behaviors can be shifted by changing a product and re-introducing it to the negatively influences customers.

Ethnographic tool are research tools like observation, interview, survey and analysis that help you to learn more about certain cultures.  By using these tools you can get information to and for your customers or users in a way that they understand and that is relevant to their cultural ways.  This is a good way to satisfy your customer and get them to return to you or your business.

Designs can be finished at different point depending on the designer and his or her point of view on the design.  Some people think that as soon as someone has tested the ensign and it works for what it is said to then the design is finished.  Others think that its just as soon as the design is able to meet the goals and objectives set forth for it then it is done.  some designers believe that a design is never really done.  They think that it can always be improved upon.  In my opinion, a design is a success if it meets the criteria set forth for it and does so in a way that is easy for the user and is user friendly.  The purpose of a design can come in many forms, but it is simply put as what the intended objective of the product is supposed to be.

I think that Apple products have influenced my life in many ways just since coming to college.  I didn’t get my first smart phone until the end of me senior year of high school.  Also, I didn’t really do much of anything besides basic phone things for the first six months or so.  When I was looking at laptops for college I learned that I needed a mac with as much RAM and memory as I could afford.  Since I got my computer, I started using my phone a lot more as well because the programs and applications as all so similar and run the same from machine to machine.  I love the easy usability of Apple products and how easily you can catch on to them.  Now as I am looking to get a new phone,  I don’t even want to look at anything else.  I don’t want to have to learn to use a new phone and since IPhones are all so similar, I don’t have to worry about that with a newer IPhone.  This is why Apple is my new technology of choice.

Ethnographic tools can provide you info by observation, interviewing, and analysis of people, their social groups and populations. This provides a social and psychological take on people’s activities. These tools can be used to improve the interactivity of an online banking website by checking the user statistics and analytics. This would give you the ability to check what the average user clicks on and morph the page to be more user friendly.

Knowing when a design is finished is within the designer’s mental state. If the designer believes that they can walk away from it and leave it be; then it met their purpose. The design must meet the designer’s criteria, strategy, and goal. Overall a design is never finished because there will always be something to adjust, develop, or change over time.

A product family I use regularly is Dove, and it’s branding has influenced my future purchases with them to try their new products. Their branding shows empowered women wanting to smell, feel good, and feel refreshed. They commercialize real women trying the product and show what harsher products do. This has strengthened the relationship I’ve had with the brand because I can relate to the women and their wants and needs.

By studying the type of people are using your site it is much easier to predict their behaviors. In the case of a banking website ethnography is important because almost everyone uses a bank and many use the banks website to do different tasks. Using a persona and a made up story about that person may help lead to a problem in the site that you would have never thought even was a problem. Knowing that a 65 year old woman who has never used online banking will need more explanation than a 25 year old who is trying to save for retirement. designing for the state of mind that the user is in when using a site is just as important as the features on the site.

A design can not truly be finished in my opinion, there is always a problem that will arise, even if it doesn’t appear for years after the design is in effect. The reading talks about it being finished not when you meet your own goals, or when you like at all, instead the author considers the user the final call in a products completion. Does it work, is there more to do, am I satisfied. These are some of the questions the user will ask themselves, and after those questions they will decide the completion of the project.

I only buy levi’s pants. This sounds crazy considering they are just one of dozens of clothing companies available to me, but there’s a lot going into me wearing their pants. They are cheap in comparison to some brands but definitely expensive in my mind, so really I could just buy lee’s or arizona jeans, but I only buy levi’s. Branding is a very important factor in my buying, and I am somewhat aware of this, but I go along with it anyway. The commercials for the product are typically young people living life free of problems, throwing on a pair of jeans and going out on the town. Then the name and badges on the jeans are pure Americana, and pushes the authenticity of the pants. That’s the whole idea, the authenticity of your clothes, your actions, and your life. Plus they are comfortable and have a great minimalist logo.

 

Listen to what they say about what good design is:

Good design is simple, understandable, clear, and pleasing. It makes people think, “of course it is that way.” It’s making something that becomes of deeper meaning. There was a speaker in the video that used the example of, “the chair dad sat in.” This is the job of designers.

What is a designer’s purpose today? What is their job?

Designers need to make sure the things they make are clear and understandable. Designing is the search for form nowadays. It is about making stuff that people want to buy. In addition, things aren’t forever and companies want lots of new ideas. Designers need to ask themselves, “Am I making something that is a change?”

What should designers do?

Designers should make one thing do multiple things. They need to create an environment where others feel comfortable. Designers should think about what is going to happen, not what has happened already. Design with this in mind: would you buy this?

Do you agree/disagree with any of their statements?

I agree with making things simple and efficient. I believe this goes hand and hand with a really good user experience. I agree that things should feel better with use, as the product is being worn in.

Did they say anything that changes your view on design?

It really got me thinking when the man said about things being extremely hard to design that get better with use. Also, early in the movie a speaker said about worrying about extremities of whatever you are designing, and the middle ground will be taken care of automatically. This was honestly the exact opposite of what I thought designers would do. Additionally, the comment of good design being as little design as possible was a new thought to me.

What is design?

My definition of design is having ideas to improve daily life without users thinking about it.

We recently watched a movie titled, Objectified, in it there were many designers from across the globe and we saw how each handled design differently and creatively. I really agree with Dieter Rams and his definition of Design, design must be innovative, aesthetic, understandable, long lived, consistent, eco friendly, and have as little design as possible. This actually made a lot of sense and I agreed with a lot of what he said and what he thinks design means. I feel that my original ideas of design were in his ideas as well as changing my ideas in to those more sophisticated ideas. I never would have thought of less as more for design, I always wanted my designs to be complex and sophisticated but watching Objectified made me realize that less can and is more when it comes to design. It must be simple for the average user and easily understood across the grid. Simple design is in much of what I see and use today. Everything is made to be as user friendly as possible and will be successful with out all the fancy extras. My Idea of design hasn’t so much changed but evolved, my ideas were validated and some evolved into a deeper understanding of what is a good design and what is not. But also what it takes to brainstorm a good design idea before actually putting it into action.

How do they define design?

The designers in the movie defined design in many different ways some as form, mass production, and others as how we interact with a product.

What makes good design?

Things that make a good design are products that improve things without the user knowing. Also little design/less is more or innovative with pleasing aesthetics. Lastly  sustainability of the product/design is necessary.

What should designers do?

They should make a change in the world or market they are in. They should tell people what to do without them knowing. Also they must look into the future and find better with use for things.

Do you agree or disagree?

I agree with what these designers have said about design and what makes it good. I have always believed the least amount of design the better.

change how you see design?

This movie did not change how I saw design because I agreed with most of what they said already.

What is design? has your idea changed.

Design, good design at least, is the things we don’t think of as design at all. Something should make so much sense as how it is that it wouldn’t make sense looking or acting in any other way.