1. What do you think are the author's most important points?
"Start with the end in mind" It is a lot like going on a trip. If you don't know where you are going before you get in the car with will end up driving in circles or getting lost.
"Know your audience as well as possible" You can't successfully give a presentation written for PhDs to a group of middle schoolers.
"Keep it simple" Your audience is never going to remember everything. Coming up with a main question and three main points will help you figure out what to emphasize.
2. How might you apply his advise to your own presentation?
Knowing the audience is easy. They are my peers and we have been learning about design together, so we all know roughly the same amount. The main question is whether or not our product is designed well. Our three main points will most likely reflect Norman's three types of design, Visceral, Behavioral, and Reflective. Our end goal is to prove that we know what we are talking about and are able to communicate it.
3. What do you think presentation preparation has in common with product design?
Visceral design certainly factors into a presentation. Handouts and Powerpoints should be pleasing to look at. Presenters should also dress well. Like a good design, enough information should be given to the audience that they don't need to do research to understand it. It should also be well organized. A presenter is basically selling his idea, it needs to be appealing to the audience.
4. Briefly discuss the areas of design you would be most interested in exploring.
I would like to explore how designers test their products on real people and how they collect and interpret the information. I would also like to learn more about how advertisements are designed.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
"Emotional Design" Questions Part Deux
1. Select a brief passage from Chapter Three Emotional Design by Donald Norman and post it on your blog. Explain why you thought it was interesting.
An interesting exception to these problems comes when designers or engineers are building something for themselves that they will use frequently in their everyday lives. Such products tend to excel. As a result, the best products today, from a behavioral point of view, are often those that come from the athletic, sports, and craft industries, because these products do get designed, purchased and used by people who put behavior above everything else. (82)
It is easy to get wrapped up in criticizing designs but this passage helps explain why some designs work well. I feel like this idea could be applied to many different types of products. One of the most important parts of design is identifying the group that you are trying to sell to. It doesn't always makes sense for a person from that group to design the product, but extensive research should be done. This research should help the designers identify problems the consumer didn't even know they had, and then they should be solved.
2. Norman uses the terms Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, Reflective Design. Do these categories seem useful to you? Would other names or phrases make the category clearer?
Behavioral Design makes sense for the term but it should simply be called Ease Of Use. Reflective Design has the most confusing definition but once it is understood , it does relate to the term. I can't think of a better name for it. The word visceral meant absolutely nothing to me before reading this chapter, and still means very little. This should be called the Wow Factor. The nice thing about Norman's terms is that they all end in the word design, this makes them fit together nicely.
3. How could a designer decide if Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, or Reflective Design is more important for a particular product? Are some types of products more visceral, behavioral, or reflective?
The main type of design should be based on the target consumer. As my passage for question one states, athletic and craft industries put behavioral design above everything else. Many things for teenagers should focus on Visceral and Reflective Design. They should have the wow factor and should communicate the desired message to a teenagers peers. Many items that are marketed as wedding presents should have a strong Reflective Design, they should have a sentimental value.
An interesting exception to these problems comes when designers or engineers are building something for themselves that they will use frequently in their everyday lives. Such products tend to excel. As a result, the best products today, from a behavioral point of view, are often those that come from the athletic, sports, and craft industries, because these products do get designed, purchased and used by people who put behavior above everything else. (82)
It is easy to get wrapped up in criticizing designs but this passage helps explain why some designs work well. I feel like this idea could be applied to many different types of products. One of the most important parts of design is identifying the group that you are trying to sell to. It doesn't always makes sense for a person from that group to design the product, but extensive research should be done. This research should help the designers identify problems the consumer didn't even know they had, and then they should be solved.
2. Norman uses the terms Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, Reflective Design. Do these categories seem useful to you? Would other names or phrases make the category clearer?
Behavioral Design makes sense for the term but it should simply be called Ease Of Use. Reflective Design has the most confusing definition but once it is understood , it does relate to the term. I can't think of a better name for it. The word visceral meant absolutely nothing to me before reading this chapter, and still means very little. This should be called the Wow Factor. The nice thing about Norman's terms is that they all end in the word design, this makes them fit together nicely.
3. How could a designer decide if Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, or Reflective Design is more important for a particular product? Are some types of products more visceral, behavioral, or reflective?
The main type of design should be based on the target consumer. As my passage for question one states, athletic and craft industries put behavioral design above everything else. Many things for teenagers should focus on Visceral and Reflective Design. They should have the wow factor and should communicate the desired message to a teenagers peers. Many items that are marketed as wedding presents should have a strong Reflective Design, they should have a sentimental value.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
"Emotional Design" Questions
1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?
Visceral Design focuses on the "wow factor", the instant feeling of desire when you see something pretty. We like things that are symmetrical, smooth, colorful and taste or smell sweet. The look, feel and sound of an object are more important that the taste or smell. Behavioral Design focuses on how well something works. What does it do? It should preform this task well and it should be easy to use. Designers should test the prototypes of their products on real people. They should discover needs that people don't even know they have. Users should be able to learn how a product works once, and be able to remember it forever. Reflective Design is about the message of a product, what it means in the culture it exists in. It can be about the memories it brings up or the message it sends to others. The reflective level also deals with customer relationships.
2. How does this chapter compare to the earlier writing (The Design of Everyday Things) by the same author?
The Design of Everyday Things is about Behavioral Design. It does not go into what makes a design pretty or how designs can have a greater meaning to a consumer. This chapter is different because it goes more in depth into how research should be done before and during the creation process. It focuses on designers fixing problems that people don't know they have or can't put words to. This also also focuses more on how to make an item appealing to people, how to grab people's attention and then keep it.
3. Give examples, from your own experience, of A) something that succeeds as Visceral Design, B) something that succeeds as Behavioral Design, and C) a Reflective Design success. What do you think makes each thing successful?
A) The quilt I bought for my dorm room succeeds in Visceral Design. When I saw it, I immediately wanted it. I didn't think about how much it cost or how warm it would be, I just knew I has to have it. It is made up of many brightly patterned fabrics and the design is circular, the fabric is soft but not flimsy.
B) My Nikon D5000 camera succeeds in Behavioral Design. The buttons are all clearly labeled, easy to find and easy to push while holding the camera. I never had to read the instructions to figure out what each setting is for, there is a convenient button with a question mark on it that gives a short synopsis of what the current setting does, but even that is not always necessary.
C) I bought a macbook over the summer and it is definitely a Reflective Design success. I have had a positive relationship with Apple for 5 years because of ipods so I was willing to pay the extra money for a mac. I hate to admit it but it also makes me feel cool. It also deals with a lot of Visceral Design element, there is no word for it but pretty.
Visceral Design focuses on the "wow factor", the instant feeling of desire when you see something pretty. We like things that are symmetrical, smooth, colorful and taste or smell sweet. The look, feel and sound of an object are more important that the taste or smell. Behavioral Design focuses on how well something works. What does it do? It should preform this task well and it should be easy to use. Designers should test the prototypes of their products on real people. They should discover needs that people don't even know they have. Users should be able to learn how a product works once, and be able to remember it forever. Reflective Design is about the message of a product, what it means in the culture it exists in. It can be about the memories it brings up or the message it sends to others. The reflective level also deals with customer relationships.
2. How does this chapter compare to the earlier writing (The Design of Everyday Things) by the same author?
The Design of Everyday Things is about Behavioral Design. It does not go into what makes a design pretty or how designs can have a greater meaning to a consumer. This chapter is different because it goes more in depth into how research should be done before and during the creation process. It focuses on designers fixing problems that people don't know they have or can't put words to. This also also focuses more on how to make an item appealing to people, how to grab people's attention and then keep it.
3. Give examples, from your own experience, of A) something that succeeds as Visceral Design, B) something that succeeds as Behavioral Design, and C) a Reflective Design success. What do you think makes each thing successful?
A) The quilt I bought for my dorm room succeeds in Visceral Design. When I saw it, I immediately wanted it. I didn't think about how much it cost or how warm it would be, I just knew I has to have it. It is made up of many brightly patterned fabrics and the design is circular, the fabric is soft but not flimsy.
B) My Nikon D5000 camera succeeds in Behavioral Design. The buttons are all clearly labeled, easy to find and easy to push while holding the camera. I never had to read the instructions to figure out what each setting is for, there is a convenient button with a question mark on it that gives a short synopsis of what the current setting does, but even that is not always necessary.
C) I bought a macbook over the summer and it is definitely a Reflective Design success. I have had a positive relationship with Apple for 5 years because of ipods so I was willing to pay the extra money for a mac. I hate to admit it but it also makes me feel cool. It also deals with a lot of Visceral Design element, there is no word for it but pretty.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
"The Design of Everyday Things" Questions Part Deux
1. Select a brief passage from Chapter One of The Design of Everyday Things (Donald Norman) and post it on your blog. Explain why you thought it was interesting.
Affordances provide strong clues to the operations of things. Plates are for pushing. Knobs are for turning. Slots are for inserting things into. Balls are for throwing or bouncing. When affordances are taken advantage of, the user knows what to do just by looking: no picture, label, or instruction is required. Complex things may require explanation, but simple things should not. When simple things need pictures, labels, or instructions, the design has failed. (page 9)
I like this part because is shows how simple things can be. It also shows how very small clues can say more than complicated instructions. Designers need to learn to take advantage of what consumers already know and think of as instinctual.
2. Norman's book was first published in 1988 and it still influences designers today. Why do you think this book continues to be influential 20 years later?
Norman's book is very easy to relate to. Everyone has been frustrated while trying to use something. Everyone can come up with the problems but it is more difficult to come up with a solution. This book is relevant because designers are still making mistakes. I believe they always will make mistakes but they should make some progress.
3. Based on this chapter, what factors would you include on a checklist for evaluating the design of a product?
* Does a product require instructions to preform any or all of its functions?
* If it requires instructions, are the easy to understand?
* If it requires instructions, can the user put them away after reading through them once?
* Can people of different generations use it with the same amount of ease?
* Is there some sort of visual or auditory feedback?
* Does the relationship between the action and the response make sense? (turning steering wheel left to make the car move left)
* When used properly, does it complete its task?
Affordances provide strong clues to the operations of things. Plates are for pushing. Knobs are for turning. Slots are for inserting things into. Balls are for throwing or bouncing. When affordances are taken advantage of, the user knows what to do just by looking: no picture, label, or instruction is required. Complex things may require explanation, but simple things should not. When simple things need pictures, labels, or instructions, the design has failed. (page 9)
I like this part because is shows how simple things can be. It also shows how very small clues can say more than complicated instructions. Designers need to learn to take advantage of what consumers already know and think of as instinctual.
2. Norman's book was first published in 1988 and it still influences designers today. Why do you think this book continues to be influential 20 years later?
Norman's book is very easy to relate to. Everyone has been frustrated while trying to use something. Everyone can come up with the problems but it is more difficult to come up with a solution. This book is relevant because designers are still making mistakes. I believe they always will make mistakes but they should make some progress.
3. Based on this chapter, what factors would you include on a checklist for evaluating the design of a product?
* Does a product require instructions to preform any or all of its functions?
* If it requires instructions, are the easy to understand?
* If it requires instructions, can the user put them away after reading through them once?
* Can people of different generations use it with the same amount of ease?
* Is there some sort of visual or auditory feedback?
* Does the relationship between the action and the response make sense? (turning steering wheel left to make the car move left)
* When used properly, does it complete its task?
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
"The Design of Everyday Things" Questions
1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?
If someone knows basic things like that a button should be pushed and that slots are for inserting things, then they should be able to figure out how things work without instructions. Feedback is also an important part of design. If a task is completed successfully, the person should be "rewarded" with a sound or light. A product may have many fancy features to complete a wide range of tasks, but if the user can't figure them out there is no reason for them to be there.
2. Think of a specific object that you have had difficulty using. How did design contribute to making it difficult to use? Does the usability problem arise from one of the principles that Norman discusses in this chapter?
Growing up, the amplifier on my TV was very confusing. We usually kept the volume at negative 60, but the negative sign was not noticeable. So when you wanted to make it louder, it appeared like the number was getting smaller. The only thing that saves it from being a complete disaster is that you are instantly rewarded with the sound either getting louder or softer, so you know if you have turned the knob in the correct direction. This deals with Norman's concept of natural mapping. When the number goes up the sound should get louder.
3. How did the designers of the iPod address the principles that Norman discusses here?
The designers of the iPod use two existing affordances. There is a switch on the top of the iPod to lock it. The color red is shown when it is locked. People already know that switches move back and forth and red is a visual clue that the buttons can't be used. The iPod also has 5 buttons. The center button is for selecting and it's location hints at this. The other four buttons are labeled. The iPod introduces the circular pad which the user moves their figure around to move up and down the lists. If this is not obvious to the user it can be learned in a moment. In general, a person who is used to technology, can learn all the controls on an iPod in one minute. All actions are also rewarded by something happening on the screen or music coming out of the headphones.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
"The Perfect Thing" Questions
1. What elements of the design process does this article illustrate?
Fadell presented three different ideas to Jobs, knowing two would fail. Each had gone through many tests to figure out which one was the best. The team specifically tested to see if the ipod could survive many falls from different heights. They also looked at other similar products and evaluated them to find their strengths and weaknesses. Fadell combined a large amount of memory with a long battery life and a small size.
2. What factors would you use to evaluate a "perfect thing"?
A perfect thing has to be easy to use. While using it you shouldn't question why something like a menu is set up the way it is. A perfect thing should not be able to preform extra tasks that no one ever uses. If extra things exist they should perform as well as the main function. A perfect thing can be customized by the user in both function and looks. It should have the ability to evolve.
3. Whether you own an iPod or not, you probably have some opinions of the product. What do you feel are its strengths and weaknesses.
IPods are easy to use. The click wheel is very intuitive and it has very few buttons. They are also always evolving. My got my first ipod 5 and a half years ago, it was a blue nano. I remember wishing there was a way to search. 2 years later I upgraded to a classic because I needed more space and was happy to find an easy to use search feature. There is also a great deal of variety in the ipod line up. The shuffle is available for people who only want music and not a lot of it. The ipod touch is good for watching movies and using apps. The classic is great for a large music collection. It is profitable for Apple to come out with new ipods often because many people want to get the new, best edition. Ipods are a lot more expensive than other mp3 players, but so many people are willing to pay it that it is not really an issue. Getting a new ipod can be confusing at first if some of the menus are moved around. Since my last switch the alarm clock moved from "clock" to "extras". After about a week these changes become unnoticeable.
Fadell presented three different ideas to Jobs, knowing two would fail. Each had gone through many tests to figure out which one was the best. The team specifically tested to see if the ipod could survive many falls from different heights. They also looked at other similar products and evaluated them to find their strengths and weaknesses. Fadell combined a large amount of memory with a long battery life and a small size.
2. What factors would you use to evaluate a "perfect thing"?
A perfect thing has to be easy to use. While using it you shouldn't question why something like a menu is set up the way it is. A perfect thing should not be able to preform extra tasks that no one ever uses. If extra things exist they should perform as well as the main function. A perfect thing can be customized by the user in both function and looks. It should have the ability to evolve.
3. Whether you own an iPod or not, you probably have some opinions of the product. What do you feel are its strengths and weaknesses.
IPods are easy to use. The click wheel is very intuitive and it has very few buttons. They are also always evolving. My got my first ipod 5 and a half years ago, it was a blue nano. I remember wishing there was a way to search. 2 years later I upgraded to a classic because I needed more space and was happy to find an easy to use search feature. There is also a great deal of variety in the ipod line up. The shuffle is available for people who only want music and not a lot of it. The ipod touch is good for watching movies and using apps. The classic is great for a large music collection. It is profitable for Apple to come out with new ipods often because many people want to get the new, best edition. Ipods are a lot more expensive than other mp3 players, but so many people are willing to pay it that it is not really an issue. Getting a new ipod can be confusing at first if some of the menus are moved around. Since my last switch the alarm clock moved from "clock" to "extras". After about a week these changes become unnoticeable.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Introduction
Hello, I'm Claire and this blog is for the Design Intelligence seminar at Kalamazoo College. I am leaning towards a major in Human Development and Social Relations. I'm from Detroit, Michigan. I enjoy photography, traveling, watching movies and spending time with my family. I'm looking forward to learning more about what makes a good design.
-Claire
-Claire
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