Author: tjcst526

• What information can ethnographic tools give you to improve the interactivity of an online banking website? (pp. 48-54)

The different types of diagrams can help give information to improve interactivity of a banking website. An ecosystem diagram (pg 48) gives user engagement points. It illustrates the various system touch points, and can give the banking site information on how to structure things. It will show them how the user will interact with their site and find them. This is valuable information and can help improve the relationships between users and the their interaction choices. A journey map (pg 50) actually describes the sequences the users take as they go through the different touch points. This is used to hypothesize how this site will be found, navigated, and learned. This can help the site focus on how intuitive they need to make the site, where to place the site, and the process that users go through. It can help with best case-scenario steps, or focus on failures and deviant paths to help make the site more interactive. This can help direct users to the right place.

• At what point is a design finished? What makes it a success? What is its purpose? (pp. 54-62)

A factor of success in design is the relation from form to function. Can you convince users that the form you created is what it is supposed to look like? If form does not relate to function anymore, how can you relate form to emotional and social qualities? These are important questions to answer in design. (pg 56). The proper understanding and use of signification also plays a role in success (pg 56). Design can have a lasting and substantial effect on the world. Every design decision matters. (pg 57). Visual form is one of the most basic methods to be successful. The purpose of design is to improve all aspects of human life. (pg 60). Design has many stages, but is finished when it begins influencing the outside world. In a sense though, it can never be finished if the design has longstanding effects on the world.

 

• 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)

Labtops: The branding, particularly by apple, has affected my relationship and use of the product. Apple markets with a lot of integrity and attention to detail (pg 79-82). They focus on the most minute details and have created a strong trust between their products and consumers. This affects how I view my labtop, and enhances the experience of using it. I feel very mindful when using it, there is no unnecessary clutter or details. Everything is very sleek, professional and virtually perfect, which in turn makes the experience a very smooth feeling to it. Using my Macbook for designing makes me feel more professional. This is because of their marketing and design choices. Apple pays attention to the concept that consumers will pay the premium price for the premium experience (pg 82). I did not really enjoy the price, but the experience definitely is worth the price and then some. It creates a poetic interaction, which keeps bringing me into their products (pg 83).

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

Interaction design makes up the different technical aspects and requirements that are used as tools to create interaction and the creative ideas to tell a narrative. It is usually filling the roles of interaction designer and information architect. (pg 41)  It is becoming an expert in how humans relate to each other, the world, and the changing nature of technology and business. (pg 17) The process starts with building a scenario that includes a product and a person. Then a story is created with precise details. Finally, the principles of the story add a point of view and the main goal of the story. (pg 23) Another important part of interaction design would be participant observation. The product needs to fit into the culture in which it exists. (pg 25) An industry challenge would be the expert blind spot. It is the fact that the designers have a bias towards their work, and they think that others will know the same information they do. It is forgetting what it is like to be a novice as you become more of an expert. Localization is also a problem. Point of view also affects the industry. Having an open mind affects the design process. Finding the right mix between creative and analytical skills is crucial to be a successful designer. ( pg 31) The overall messiness of the process of design can be hard to interpret as designers and especially clients. The “over the wall” problem affects designers because of the lack of communication between designers and engineers. Designers need to communicate their creativity to a large organization. It is more than just being creative. (pg 52)

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

Interaction design merges the worlds between designer and artist. It is a dialogue. Interaction design is a creative process focused on people. (pg 20) It creates an argument, but also invites the user to help create the dialogue. (pg. 14)  It is the creation of dialogue between a person and a product, system, or service. (pg 15) The field is relatively new, recognized for roughly 20 years, and it evolves as fast as technology and communication does. It draws knowledge from cognitive psychology and the art world respectively.  It is also closely related to disciplines such as interactive design, product development, and marketing. (pg 17) The difference between marketing and interaction design however is that interaction design focuses on actual behavior gathered from small groups and uses qualitative data. (pg 28) The heart of interaction design is that it should be user-centered, and that the only way to understand what users want is to interact with them. (pg 39)

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? (pp. 41-56)

The goals of the apple website are to show off their products and to display what there products are about. It shows the sleekness and style that their products embody. It’s goal is to direct people to purchasing their products and them come back for support if needed. It displays their different line of products and grabs your attention. Once you purchase something, there website switches up from a guided process to a more open place to find what you need to fix or troubleshoot your new purchase. The support part of the sight lets you have more reign to search for what you need help with.

What are the functional specifications of Facebook’s wall? If you are not on Facebook what are the specs for the signup page? (pp. 72-75)

There is a search bar at the top of the page with a navigation hub where you can check notifications and other features. On the actual page there is the status box to post in. There are several shortcuts on the left of the feed. On the right of the feed there is birthdays, trending, language choice, and finally there is messenger all the way on the right.

What are four architectural approaches to information structure? Find one example of each. (pp. 94-106)

The four different approaches are hierarchical, organic, sequential, and matrix. An example of a hierarchical would be apple’s main site. It starts at one place and then branches off into others and gives you more specific options to choose from. An organic site would be wikipedia or superbad.com. It has no real set sequence and the path can change differently every time. A sequential website would be checkouts on sites where you can purchase something such as Amazon. It leads you directly to putting in the information and processing the order. Finally, a matrix site would be ThinkGeek or Amazon not including the checkout.

What percentage of The Huffington Post index page is navigation, and what percentage is content? What about Google, Wikipedia, and Etsy? (pp. 116-134)

Huffington Post is roughly 80% content and 20% navigation. The main navigation is at a bar at the nav bar at the top of the page with scrolling content below. The content is interactive though and you can click on the stories to go to your desired page. Google’s homepage is roughly 90% navigation and 10% content, because the content displayed when you search something is only a portion. There is instead navigation to go to the site. Wikipedia is pretty close to google’s homepage with the ratio. It is roughly 80% navigation. When you search something, the navigation goes down to 20% with a navigation bar on the right side and content everywhere else. The content can be interacted with and keywords can navigate to different pages. Etsy’s homepage is roughly 30% content and 70% navigation. It has a nav bar and a search bar, but provides some content as you scroll down. It has a mix of information and different navigation buttons to shop for what you want.

How does http://landor.com guide the readers’ eyes and focus their attention on what is important? (pp. 144-155 )

They use different design principles to really guide the experience. They use hierarchy and dominance to show each item in importance. It starts out with their welcome blurb very large catching your eye to read it. They also use color to take notice from the background and focus it on the welcome blurb. Then, as you scroll down the color changes and the products become what is important to see. After the presentation of the dental products, it opens up to scrolling through different projects and such. It operates in such a way as that you have to scroll through each item to keep going, and this causes you to look through them one at a time. They continue to use color to emphasize things and it goes on as well.