Thursday, September 30, 2010

"Organization and Preparation Tips" - Garr Reynolds

1. The author makes a very important point by determining who the audience for the presentation is. Two other important points are what the point of the presentation is, and lastly, having confidence in how to get the information across.

2. I will utilize the author's tips by planning the presentation on paper, by either creating an outline or just doing general brainstorming. After this step I will begin with just giving basic information about the topic. Once I have completed this, I will return to the beginning to do a run through to determine how the information flows. If more information, or the addition of stories enhances the presentation I will add them. After the slides are prepared I will give the presentation to myself, speaking out loud. Making necessary adjustments,  I will then proceed to give the presentation to my friends for other feedback.

3. Presentation preparation is much like product design in a few ways. Simplicity is one major commonality between the two. The author states that a presentation should be simple as to not confuse the audience and to stick with what is important. This concept is also used in product design because a product should be simple so the consumer understands and is able to use the product. Another commonality is between designing a product and preparing a presentation is planning. Planning allows the end result to flow with pertinent information or function.

1. It would be super interesting to study testing design, transportation design, service design, and logo design. Each of these interest me and I would like to understand how they work.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Emotional Design (Part 2)

1. "Package designers and brand managers are looking beyond graphic elements or even the design as a whole to forge an emotional link between consumers and brands." "People keep the empty bottles, sometimes refilling them with tap water, which, of course, demonstrates that the entire success of the product lies in its package, not its contents."

The previous sentences come from a passage I found interesting, detailing the design of water bottles. Water is a necessity for living, therefore it seems like it would not matter what type of container it comes in. In one respect, some brands of water, have become more than water. Its seems like water has become classy through a few name brands, although it is still water. This passage also intrigued me because it gave insight of how human behavior is a little peculiar. Sometimes consumers are drawn to some things and not others.

2. Each of these categories fulfills, and also describes, a category of design, especially to how one relates to a product. If I think about it, I am initially drawn to a product because I am drawn to the way it looks. After my initial attraction, I focus on the function and usability. This part is particularly important, to me, because I rarely buy something just because I like the way it looks. Lastly, I incorporate reflective design, because I consider how owning the product is reflected, and I also associate meaning with any given product. Behavioral and reflective design are names that fit the description of the category. I interpret behavioral as how something behaves, its function or use. When I read reflective design I automatically think about reflection, especially personal reflection. Visceral design requires more though, given the definition of visceral. An initial appeal to a product does come for inward from a connection draws you. When drawn to a products appearance, I do think about its use or its cost. Overall, I believe the names suit the description of each category.

3. To answer this question, I think it depends largely on the type of product being designed. I think the two most important are visceral and behavioral design because it applies to most products. The way I interpret reflective design, promotes the idea that reflective design cannot be created by a designer. I think reflective design that will either happen naturally with a product, or it will not. Products that I would associate with visceral design are anything related to appearance -- clothes, shoes and accessories.  Behavioral design is probably incorporated into hand tools and power. Lastly, judging products as fulfilling the category of reflective design is not something I think the designer can create. I believe each consumer establishes his or her own reflective design.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Emotional Design - Norman

1. Norman details three parts of a design that make in successful. He address these key points as visceral, behavioral, and reflective. I think Norman is saying that although we may judge a product by its appearance, practicality, and cost. Consumers also consider how it makes them feel, and what type of memory has been created with that object/product. Even though an important aspect of design is appearance, more importantly is how consumers use the product.
2. In this chapter, Norman takes a boarder view of design. Concepts, mentioned in The Design of Everyday Things, such as natural design, conceptual model, and feedback are crucial, but they make up the visceral, behavioral, and reflective aspects of design.  In this chapter Norman focuses more on how a product attracts a customer and the emotion behind the relationship between the product and the consumer, rather than the functionality of a given product.
3. 1) The Porsche 911 Carrera succeeds visceral design, for me. Even though I have never driven in the car I am simply attractive to the style of the car; my reaction is typically "Wow, I like it" when I see it.
    2) Products that succeed as behavioral design are tools, such as hammer, screw drivers, nails, screws, etc. When I use these products, I use them solely for their usability. I do not choose one hammer over another based on its look.
    3) A necklace I received for my 18th birthday is a product that has succeeded as reflective design. I really love the necklace I was gifted, I associate much more to that product than the product itself.

The Porsche 911 Carrera succeeds as visceral design because of its reputation as a luxurious product with a sleek design and high performance. I believe tools succeed as behavioral design because they are simply designed for usability. I believe the only difference between two of the same tools may just be that one fits better to your hand gripping... but this goes back to usability, not appearance. My necklace has succeeded as reflective design because it is beautiful. Because the necklace is beautiful, I enjoy wearing it. When I wear it I feel special, and I am reminded of all those who support and believe in me, and I am reminded of the memories created that day.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Donald Norman Part 2

1. "Designing well is not easy. The manufacturer wants something that can be produced economically. The store wants something that will be attractive to its customers. The purchaser has several demands.In the store , the purchaser focuses on price and appearance, and perhaps on prestige value. At home, the same person will pay more attention to functionality and usability. The repair service cares about maintainability: how easy is the device to take apart, diagnose, and service? The needs of those concerned are different and often conflict. Nonetheless, the designer may be able to satisfy everyone."

In my opinion, Norman makes a crucial point in this paragraph. Although designing is not easy, he states that it is possible to fulfill the desires and needs of all those involved in the life of a product. He shares who is involved from start to finish.  This is interesting because there are numerous products that are simply a pain to use, and therefore cause problems for the other groups involved in the process.  If we know products can be designed well, why do consumers continue to support designers who do not satisfy everyone? I also found this passage interesting, because I was not aware of how many different areas are involved in a product; it is actually quite amazing.

2. In this chapter Norman makes points that are true and timeless to any product regardless of the time in which it is, or was, produced. I believe these are relevant today because his points are true. In order to design a product well, the designer needs to seek feedback and should also include the aspect of natural design and visibility. Using a product should make sense. Designers glean from Norman's chapter because he addresses these points, because simplicity is really what consumers seek.

3. The simplicity of using the product is definitely important. If the product is too complicated with the amount of controls and functions I would rather save myself the headache. I will also look into the factors I had previously mentioned: appearance, size, comfort, style, durability, cost, quality, and practicality.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Donald Norman

1. Norman is making several important points in this chapter. I believe one important point is that certain products are just designed poorly. Sometimes there are too many functions but not enough controls.  That said, numerous products are overwhelming and a little over the top. In some cases simplicity is important. Another key point Norman observed is the lack of communication between the designer and the user. A designer cannot create a well designed product if it is not usable by the person who is mostly likely to use it. Another point addressed is that a product is successful if it incorporates natural design and does not need much explaining.
2. I recently encountered a product in Welles Dining Hall that I had difficulty using.  I wanted to add milk to my coffee, so I attempted to use the milk dispenser like any other beverage dispenser. I pushed the handle down but felt resistance. I stopped and tried to figure out why I was having trouble. After some contemplation I tried pulling the nozzle up rather than pushing down. Fortunately this worked! First, the product lacked visibility because there was no signal as how to release the milk. The product failed to incorporate natural design because it was not usable in the way you would assume. Rather than pushing down to release the milk, I had to pull up.
3. Ipod designers addressed Norman's principles by creating a simple product that was than tested by others for feedback. In addition, the number of functions is about equal to the number of controls. The user is not overwhelmed. The ipod is well designed because it is easy to understand and it is usable. The product also incorporates visibility by simply including a little picture for the forward, backward, pause, play, and menu button.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

"The Perfect Thing" Steve Levy

1. The process of developing a functional and attractive MP3 involved numerous elements. Fadel and Ng evaluated products that were similar and had the idea out there. Together they wanted to create something that would have a long battery life, would be pocket size, would be able to store more than 30 songs, and would have a sleek appearance. Evaluating existing products allowed Fadell to brainstorm. With his new ideas he sought the knowledge of others to answer his questions. Then Fadell spent time creating real life versions to experiment with its appearance and weight. The article also illustrates the step of the design process of presenting the product to receive feedback.
2. In order to evaluate the "perfect thing" I consider its compatibility with iTunes and my existing operating system. Other factors would include its ability to store all of my songs, appearance, and my ability to understand how to use it and all of the features.
3. As a current iPod owner, I am happy to say that it is a great product. I believe it to be worth every penny. The size of the ipod is ideal, it has a long battery life, and it is also easy to use. On the other hand, I am not a fan of the shake to shuffle feature. It is inconvenient and I feel it is easier to hit the next button. I would enjoy the ability to store songs on my ipod but be able to exclude some songs on the shuffle feature. Sometimes I listen to shuffle and I end up skipping many songs I do not want to listen to at the time. For example I have Christmas songs on my ipod. I want to keep the songs on my ipod but exclude them from shuffle.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Opening

I watched a documentary during the summer titled 'Objectified.' Numerous people, especially those in the field, spend a lot of time and put much thought into how and why things are designed the way they are. I learned about the design of a special kind of toothpick designed in Japan. The toothpick was designed in such a way that the top could be easily broken off so it could be identified as used. This feature would also provide for a rest for the end of the pick utilized if the user wanted to set it down. I would recommend this documentary, especially to those interested in design, because it is informational in an entertaining manner.