- What information can ethnographic tools give you to improve the interactivity of an online banking website? (pp. 48-54)
By researching and developing both an ecosystem diagram and a journey map, an online banking website could better understand the process by which their site interacts with other products and their users throughout its “life”. An ecosystem map may be able to identify how the website performs on a desktop or laptop versus a tablet or mobile phone. It may also show how the website itself interacts with the physical bank and the bank’s accounting system. The journey map is better suited to illustrating how users of the website will be able to find information they want (how much they have in savings, checking, etc) and how to handle to potential issues (canceling a debit card, changing a PIN number, etc). The journey map can highlight the major points of each user’s interaction of the website from start to finish, including any system errors that may occur.
- At what point is a design finished? What makes it a success? What is its purpose? (pp. 54-62)
A design is finished when its users desire no more improvement, which is almost never. The aesthetic part of design constantly changes with time regardless, as fashion trends grow and recede with time. A successful design allows each user to have “an experience” in which said user is able to track the narrative of their interaction with the design and have the agency afterwards to explain its effects on them. Good design’s purpose is to leave the user with a positive narrative that they can easily communicate to themselves and others so that they develop a connection with the design as well as a familiarity with it.
- 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)
I consistently use Fender products whenever I go to make music. It is a long established and well-respected brand in the music industry that to this day still strives to create interesting and new products while at the same time providing classic devices that long-time customers will be familiar with. From guitars, amplifiers, pedals, and other accessories, I feel I can trust Fender produced items to be of the highest quality and best value. When fellow musicians see that I play with Fender products, they recognize that they are professional grade instruments and devices that command a certain reverence, and in turn treat me with more respect. To many others and I, Fender is associated with longevity, pride, and musical excellence.