Author: bethbarbis

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Thoughts on Chapter 6

I found several things about chapter six interesting, including how design is currently a “cultural backdrop” for our world. A designer chooses subtle decisions that can be seen as insignificant, but then can be amplified when sent out into society. Because of the time gap in-between designing a product, creating the physical version and mass producing, and sending out the product to users, it becomes difficult to map out a cultural shift to a specific design choice. I found the idea of amplification of a design decision interesting, because mass production causes identical objects to be sent out, the designers voice is then “multiplied.” The chapter also touched on invisible manifestation, and how there can be consequences to the things we use even though the changes in our lives are so subtle we don’t notice. (pg. 87)

I also agree that technology can be a positive force of change, but that potential has not been reached fully. The book talks about how even though this is true, it places digitization at the heart of the discussion for the future, instead of how we use that technology to create positive change and interactions. The book says “The digital age cannot be empowering without empowering someone.” The book goes on to give some specifics on this, including how cell phones have not helped us be more empathetic but have caused accidents, the internet hasn’t helped tensions with hate speech and talks of politics and religion, and it has not helped feed the hungry. But to solve these problems we have to understand what we’re trying to do with design and technology and design simply from there.( pg. 92)

The chapter also goes into a bit more detail on the negative impacts of technology in our own lives. I did not realize at first how much I look up things on google. Any question I need answered or word I don’t understand, I google. The book says this increased dependency on technology creates huge possibility, but also can lead to personal intellectual regression. Since most of us don’t even notice how present this is in our lives, as it slowly crept in on us, it affects a large number of people in an immediate fashion. This may be a long term road to disaster of not knowing things on our own when technology fails. (pg. 93)

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Objectified Response

Objectified was a very intriguing documentary to me. It helped point out things about designing that I have not given a lot of thought to, such as how much design goes into objects and how everything we interact with was designed very specifically to meet the needs of the user. Designers have to think about the majority of people that will be using the objects and design for them and not the individual. While I do believe this is important, I also think sometimes focusing on the individual can help pinpoint problems and can help identify problems that a mass of people are experiencing. This would be like the peeler that is designed in the documentary for arthritis. It can be hard for them to use small and simple objects, but without the husband noticing his wife struggling, it would not have been brought to the attention of designers as a problem that needed a solution.

The documentary also brought up some questions about design that I had not given thought to previously. For example, what will happen to the design, as not everything lasts forever? What happens when it serves it’s purpose? It can be hard to create something that eventually fades from existence, so how do you create something that stands the test of time? This may be related to environmentally friendly materials that will not harm the environment when disposed of, but also should make designers think of it’s usefulness now and whether it will still be needed or it will become obsolete by users. Building things to be permanent was once normal, as disposing of these objects was not thought of as a problem a while back.

I also found it very interesting how the designers personality comes to play. From talking about the first time a designer saw an Apple product and the amount of personality it had, to the authenticity of the product to what it is. This would be like the faces on the cars and how humanistic elements are being handled on inanimate objects. The design should be, as mentioned in the documentary, authentic to what it is, emotionally and functionally.

One thing that really hopped out to me is that the individual character being given to something that is mass produced can be hard, and that’s what designers should be looking for. With art, if you like something or are moved by it, it is affecting you personally because that moment comes to you as you are viewing the art. Designers should strive for that kind of emotional impact on the users, especially because the objects are used so often they become a part of “the family.” People attach memories to objects, and as the one designer mentions, we can hold on to objects longer because of this by remembering them as “the chair dad always sat in,” or “the vase that mom always used.”

I also found it particularly interesting that we design from familiarity as well. It was mentioned that cameras were designed at first due to film, but now, even though that design isn’t necessary, we still use the same shape of cameras for DSLR’s even though it does not necessarily need to be that way. We notice bad design, from poorly designed hotel rooms and chairs, and we are uncomfortable but do not fix it. We do not give much thought to the tools and objects we are using, even though they have been designed for us.

Design is much broader of a topic than I originally thought and this documentary helped bring some of the aspects of design to my attention. I particularly liked the variety of designers and how they all spoke of their own personal ways of designing, but they were all mostly saying the same thing. I love that design is so personalized but at the same time so consistent.

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Chapter 3,4, & 5

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

Ethnographic tools are used to construct visualizations between individual components to help understand relationships. These tools, such as reading ecosystem diagrams, journey maps, and concept maps. These tools can help map out exactly how a user will interact with the product. In online banking, using these diagrams can create an overall better understanding of the system in place. If you have multiple ways to reach something, how are those connected? Is that relationship immediately apparent? These tools help the designers focus on what works, what doesn’t, and can identify problems that were not apparent.

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

A design is finished when the user has had all of their needs met from the design, or when the designer decides the work is done. This is definitely subjective though, so it’s up to who is making and using the design.

Some people may believe the amount of money they make is what allows them to call it successful, while someone effectively making a solution to a problem could be a successful design to someone else.

The purpose of the design depends on the designer/user and how they individually create and use the product. If a designer creates something for a specific purpose, the user has the freedom to use the product for another purpose, even though that is not what it was intended for.

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?

I used to be a Nikon lover and after several camera fails, I decided to switch to Canon. When I first came here I was disappointed that it was a Canon school, but after talking to many of my peers my preference changed. I see the brand as being “better than Nikon,” even though I have nothing except my personal preference to back up that statement. From my failures with the quality and lifetime of Nikon’s products, Canon just seemed the better and more reliable company. I see them as more high-end in branding now because of my experiences.

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Thoughts on Interaction Design Response Questions

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

Interaction design, as defined by the textbook, is “ a creative process focused on people.” What this means is it’s a dialogue between the product and the user. Interaction design focuses on satisfying as many users as the design/product/service can. Interaction designers focus on usability and instead of just analyzing the details of what they are designing for, they instead imagine how they could be and what they could evolve to. While usability is a big part, it is just a portion of the large set of characteristics that become important during the dialogue that is interaction design.

Industry challenges could be, as mentioned in the book, how hard the designers job is compared to the artist. While the artist creates mostly for a reaction, a designer (and specifically an interaction designer) has to work for a function and understand all aspects of the product and how they affect the users. This requires more time and a specific way of thinking that requires deeper thought into the problems and benefits of the product they are creating.

What is interaction design, how its evolving. What fields does it draw knowledge from?

Interaction design is about the user, and focused on their needs. This means there has to be communication between the designer and user so the needs and wants of the user are implemented into the final product. This means that a strong purpose is needed for the designs to succeed, as there has to be a benefit to the user. Interaction designers are continuing to try to understand and alter what people do, how they feel, and what they think. The book states that because of this manipulation, the behavior is tightly related to power, politics, and control.

This means it draws knowledge from psychology and sociology, especially because it is so focused on how people act and why they act the way that they do. It is also important that designers know how to create the designs they are making so knowledge is also drawn from developers, engineers, and similar fields that create physical products that interaction designers are trying to create.

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Narrative Description of App

Jerome is having a bad day. This day is only made worse by waking up to an empty gas tank, not being able to pay at the gas pump, and having to wait in line with other grouchy customers for a cashier that isn’t the fastest at ringing people up.

These problems could easily have been solved with an all-in-one app for gas.

The app would be designed for the users needs when it comes to gas stations and an easier time filling your gas tank, along with information and other services. Features are available but can be turned off easily as to not overwhelm the user with unnecessary features, creating a personalized experience.

The app would allow people to pay for their gas quickly with no need to pull out specific membership cards, as they would already be programmed into the app by the user. This helps to avoid errors while paying, along with creating a more time efficient experience.

Another main feature of the app is it’s connection to the user’s gas tank. The user can allow notifications for when their tank is getting low. By having this ability, the user will not be surprised when running late to work with an unexpected stop at the gas station.

The app also caters to saving money for the users. Not only can the app provide up to date information on prices of gas at different stations, it can also connect with the fuel perks and other membership cards to save money for the user. This allows them to compare not only the prices, but the benefits they receive and how best to utilize them.

Now, how exactly does this app work?

By connecting with your bank information in an “apple wallet” way, we safely and securely store your information. Having a dedicated user base to update gas prices, along with the developers, information is always accurate and readily available.

By just tapping the phone to the pump, the app and pump communicate to receive information on the receipt (how many gallons, prices, etc.) and the pump receives membership programs, gift cards, credit card payment, or preloaded amounts. This allows full accessibility to different payment types.

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Week 1 Response

What are the goals of Apple’s website? How does Apple’s website address the needs of a user who has just purchased their first MacBook?

To me, it seems that apples website tries to get new products on the website first, while making other products accessible with a lot of information to view.

For example, when you first get to their web page, the first thing you see is a minimalistic ad for their iPhone 7, that just says “iPhone, This is 7.” with a black and gray iPhone and a gold and rose gold colored ones peaking out of the corners. This information is the first thing you see, and it lets you know they have a new product right away.

If a user has just purchased a macbook, they can easily find the MacBook page, and it shows a tab where you can view mac specs and “find the best Mac for you.” A student buying their first MacBook can find necessary information and easily compare models to find a computer to best serve their needs.

What are the functional specifications of Facebook’s wall? If you are not on Facebook what are the specs for the signup page? 

The functional specifications of Facebook’s wall, to me, is to be a home base for the website, with scrolling available to look through new posts by the user’s friends on the site. This helps to let the user connect with other users through shared content. Also, available are links to messages, pages, groups, games, and other links to explore different areas of the website.

What are four architectural approaches to information structure? Find one example of each. 

The four architectural approaches are hierarchical, matrix, organic, and sequential structures.

Hierarchical structure is made up of nodes that have a “parent/child” relationship with other nodes. The child nodes represent narrower concepts within the broader category that is the parent node. And example of a hierarchical structure is family trees, classification trees (like the classification of living things), and other ways to sort needs.

A matrix structure is a structure that allows the user to move between the different nodes along two or more dimensions. According to the book, matrix structures can accommodate different needs of users, for example, browsing products by different categories. An example of matrix structures would be where structure in a company have dual reporting relationships, like between manager and product manager.

An organic structure is one that doesn’t attempt to follow any consistent pattern. The nodes are connected through a case by case basis and are useful for exploring a set of topics whose relationship is unclear or evolving. An example of an organic structure would be mind mapping as a use of brainstorming.

A sequential structure is one that is a flow of language that follows an order. the book calls this structure the most familiar one to most of us and the use of this structure is better for smaller scale structures like, for example, articles and instructional material.

What percentage of The Huffington Post index page is navigation, and what percentage is content? What about Google, Wikipedia, and Etsy?

It seemed to me the almost 100% of the Huffington Post home pages navigation. While there are titles with blips about the articles, the majority of those are links to content.

Google is the same way, as it is used as a tool to search for content.

Wikipedia is less so a navigational tool, as it’s index page has full content on it. The home page has a featured article that you can read on the same page without the need to redirect you.

Etsy is more of a shopping site, showing you clothing and other content for sale. The information is there right away but for more you are redirected to the products information page, where you can read reviews, comment, or buy the product.

How does http://landor.com guide the readers’ eyes and focus their attention on what is important? 

This website guides the eye downward and through the content, with a few stops along the way to redirect you to content and information about the company.  By leading the eye downwards in a sequential order through examples of their work and articles, they help control where the user is looking and what they have to look at.