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?
"Usability os a complex topic. A product that does what is required and is understandable, may still not be usable. Thus, guitars and violins do their assigned tasks well (that is, create music), they are quite simple to understand, but they are very difficult to use. The same is true of the piano, a deceptively simple looking instrument. Musical instruments take years of dedicated practice to be used properly, and even then, errors and poor performance are common among nonprofessionals. The relative usability of musical instruments is accepted, in part because we know of no other alternative, in part because the results are so worthwhile." This passage strikes me as particularly interesting, even though it is not one of the main points that Norman is making. The design of musical instruments are specifically tailored to a. make a certain sound and type of music, and b. to allow the user to utilize it with the greatest ease possible. That does not mean that all instruments are simple (look at the organ for example), but they are necessarily complicated for the type of desired sound. We tolerate the difficulties of instruments (and even the fallacies of their designs) because we have yet to find a better way. There is room to expand upon this topic... possibly a niche market?
2. Norman uses the terms Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, Reflective Design. Do these catagories seem useful to you? Would other names or phrases make the catagories clearer?
Visceral is affective because it implies the "gut response". I relate to Behavioral as well, because it implies the actions and inherent functions of the object. Reflective, however is a bit confusing because you can reflect on many things. It's un-specificity, though, may be intentional... after all the reflective property is the hardest of a ll three to define.
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?
Depending on the audience the product is intended for, the emotional appeal will vary. People of an older age and more money to spend (specifically middle aged men) will be more likely to buy a decked out, viscerally attractive, sports car than a 15 year old girl. People of a certain profession will be more attracted to behaviorally sufficient products because they have a specific use for them (i.e. a Mechanic will need a wrench more often than a lawyer). Everyone, above the age of about 3 or 4, is attracted to reflective items. "Mommy, I want the red toy because Billy has one."- Ben, age 7 "I shop at American Eagle because it is just so 'in'."-Fran, age 14. "I am going to buy the Webber grill because it will not only make us more popular with the neighbors, but I'll look at it and feel more manly". -Rod, age 57.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
"Emotional Design" Response
1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?
The article prefaces the definitions of visceral, behavioral, and reflective emotional designs. It then takes those emotional design elements a step further and shows their practical implimentation and connection to the previous chapter's points. The chapter climaxes with this point: "If you want a successful product, test and revise. If you want a great product, one that can change the world, let it be driven by someone with a clear vision. The latter presents more financial risk, but it is the only path to greatness." People don't really know what kind of potential product they might want unless it is sitting right in fron of them. Surveys and questionares are useless, the only way to get a reaction is revise revise revise (this is applicable for behavioral design only.)
2. How does this chapter compare to the earlier writing (The Design of Everyday Things) by the same author?
It takes the psychological approach a step further. Something that I find interesting that Norman covers more fully in this chapter are the marketing techniques for different stores. The first chapter adressed the qualities which make a product and advertizing scheme good (duribilty, etc.) Now, he offers insights into the ways in which designers and sales people manipluate their customers using all afore mentioned aspects.
3. Give examples, from your own experience, of 1) something that succeeds as Visceral Design, 2) something that succeeds as Behavioral Design, and 3) Reflective Design success? What do you think makes each thing successful?
1) A pair of Buckle jeans that I have, to me, succeed as visceral design. They are "designer jeans", i.e. the pockets are embellished for no reason other than appearance and cost an arm and a leg too much. Yet even know the price and the fact that they would probably fall apart after a while of good ware, I bought them... because they "just looked so good".
2) My Chaco sandals, in my opinion, are just about the ugliest shoe to ever grace the market. Their large rubber sole makes them look like the aftermath of a beach shoe/hiking boot collision. Yet, they are the most function and wonderful water shoe I have ever worn. I bought them because I spent my summer leading tubing and rafting trips down the Sandy River, and needed something that would never fall off my feet and wouldn't be too heavy to swim in.
3) After seeing the play Wicked, I bought a t-shirt (overly priced as it was) at the stand outside of the door. I did this for two reasons: 1. So I would remember the experience and cherish the event, and 2. So other people would know I had seen the play, making me seem "cool" and like a very theatrically adept person.
The article prefaces the definitions of visceral, behavioral, and reflective emotional designs. It then takes those emotional design elements a step further and shows their practical implimentation and connection to the previous chapter's points. The chapter climaxes with this point: "If you want a successful product, test and revise. If you want a great product, one that can change the world, let it be driven by someone with a clear vision. The latter presents more financial risk, but it is the only path to greatness." People don't really know what kind of potential product they might want unless it is sitting right in fron of them. Surveys and questionares are useless, the only way to get a reaction is revise revise revise (this is applicable for behavioral design only.)
2. How does this chapter compare to the earlier writing (The Design of Everyday Things) by the same author?
It takes the psychological approach a step further. Something that I find interesting that Norman covers more fully in this chapter are the marketing techniques for different stores. The first chapter adressed the qualities which make a product and advertizing scheme good (duribilty, etc.) Now, he offers insights into the ways in which designers and sales people manipluate their customers using all afore mentioned aspects.
3. Give examples, from your own experience, of 1) something that succeeds as Visceral Design, 2) something that succeeds as Behavioral Design, and 3) Reflective Design success? What do you think makes each thing successful?
1) A pair of Buckle jeans that I have, to me, succeed as visceral design. They are "designer jeans", i.e. the pockets are embellished for no reason other than appearance and cost an arm and a leg too much. Yet even know the price and the fact that they would probably fall apart after a while of good ware, I bought them... because they "just looked so good".
2) My Chaco sandals, in my opinion, are just about the ugliest shoe to ever grace the market. Their large rubber sole makes them look like the aftermath of a beach shoe/hiking boot collision. Yet, they are the most function and wonderful water shoe I have ever worn. I bought them because I spent my summer leading tubing and rafting trips down the Sandy River, and needed something that would never fall off my feet and wouldn't be too heavy to swim in.
3) After seeing the play Wicked, I bought a t-shirt (overly priced as it was) at the stand outside of the door. I did this for two reasons: 1. So I would remember the experience and cherish the event, and 2. So other people would know I had seen the play, making me seem "cool" and like a very theatrically adept person.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
"The Design of Everyday Things" Response 2
1. Select a brief passage from Chapter One of "The Design of Everyday Things" 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 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."
This passage was particularly interesting to me because it sparked many questions in my head. First of all, what if the designer avoids the natural affordances of his/her materials and creates something intentionally divergent, or as Norman might put it, difficult? One might consider this artistic. Wouldn't there be a way to play with the natural affordances of material in a way that does not detract from the functionality of the product? The glass train car was functional, and people understood how to use it. I feel like the only way to really make developments on a product are to search and stretch it's limits. After all, rolling and bouncing are not the only uses for a ball. Consider the ball and socket design; the ball is neither rolling nor bouncing yet it is one of the most useful innovations ever designed, affecting science and industry all over the world.
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?
Even though people demand different types of products than they did 20 years ago, we still want the same qualifications in a product. Norman addresses the psychology of objects, and in the past 20 years, that psychology has not diverted. What someone might have wanted 20 years ago in a brand new TV (durability, status, functionality, etc.) we might want today for our new iPhone. All of the design principles that Norman touches upon, visibility, appropriate clues, feedback, natural affordances etc., still need to be present. In my opinion, Norman over exaggerates the effects of bad design on our everyday lives (i.e. it's not such a big deal if I don't understand which way the door opens the first time...I'll just try again then move on) but the way he describes how good design affects our lives is very prevalent. One always appreciates when something is easy and works exactly like it looks like it should.
3. Based on this chapter, what factors would you include on a checklist for evaluating the design of a product?
Will it withstand the test of time? Are its functions visible? Are the affordances of the materials taken advantage of? Is there feedback when an action is performed? Is it simple enough for the everyday Joe? Are its dimensions, colors, weight, and all other visual aspects appropriate to its function? Would it be appealing to a customer? Does it fill a gap in the current market?
Cheers,
Megan
"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 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."
This passage was particularly interesting to me because it sparked many questions in my head. First of all, what if the designer avoids the natural affordances of his/her materials and creates something intentionally divergent, or as Norman might put it, difficult? One might consider this artistic. Wouldn't there be a way to play with the natural affordances of material in a way that does not detract from the functionality of the product? The glass train car was functional, and people understood how to use it. I feel like the only way to really make developments on a product are to search and stretch it's limits. After all, rolling and bouncing are not the only uses for a ball. Consider the ball and socket design; the ball is neither rolling nor bouncing yet it is one of the most useful innovations ever designed, affecting science and industry all over the world.
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?
Even though people demand different types of products than they did 20 years ago, we still want the same qualifications in a product. Norman addresses the psychology of objects, and in the past 20 years, that psychology has not diverted. What someone might have wanted 20 years ago in a brand new TV (durability, status, functionality, etc.) we might want today for our new iPhone. All of the design principles that Norman touches upon, visibility, appropriate clues, feedback, natural affordances etc., still need to be present. In my opinion, Norman over exaggerates the effects of bad design on our everyday lives (i.e. it's not such a big deal if I don't understand which way the door opens the first time...I'll just try again then move on) but the way he describes how good design affects our lives is very prevalent. One always appreciates when something is easy and works exactly like it looks like it should.
3. Based on this chapter, what factors would you include on a checklist for evaluating the design of a product?
Will it withstand the test of time? Are its functions visible? Are the affordances of the materials taken advantage of? Is there feedback when an action is performed? Is it simple enough for the everyday Joe? Are its dimensions, colors, weight, and all other visual aspects appropriate to its function? Would it be appealing to a customer? Does it fill a gap in the current market?
Cheers,
Megan
Monday, September 21, 2009
"The Design of Everyday Things" Response
1. What do you feel were the author' key points in this chapter?
Visibility is a key component in design. When the effect of a function is visible, it becomes easier and more natural to learn.
In addition designers should take into account the materials with which they use because of the automatically associated response to that material. That also applies to certain parts which indicate a function (i.e. a handle indicates pull).
People need affirmation that their actions are having an effect. Therefore, a good design must include an obvious cause and effect pattern.
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?
There are a set of doors that one comes across when exiting DOW hall that I would consider poorly designed. The problem that I find is that the first door opens swinging to the left, while the second door opens swinging to the right. The first time I tried to get out of the building, I misjudged the first door, then corrected myself, but then proceeded to misjudge the second door as well. Now, I do not consider myself a particularly coordinated person, but I feel that that little door fiasco could have been avoided had the design been improved.
The problem was with visibility, exactly as Norman points out. The fact that the door needs to be pushed rather than pulled is obvious due to the lack of a prominent handle, yet the hinges are invisible. It is almost a better strategy to run into the door full on and see which way your weight persuades it to swing, an unprofitable strategy for one's health.
3. How did the designers of the iPod address the principles that Norman discusses here?
The iPod contains a very handy feature called a Menu, which Norman himself suggested for the intricately absurd phone at his work. The menu serves the purpose of visibility and mapping. Even though there are not many labeled buttons on the iPod, the Menu allows the consumer to see exactly what they are doing and understand the effect of their actions. It is simple (the original iPod at least), even minimalist, yet still user-friendly.
Cheers,
Megan
Visibility is a key component in design. When the effect of a function is visible, it becomes easier and more natural to learn.
In addition designers should take into account the materials with which they use because of the automatically associated response to that material. That also applies to certain parts which indicate a function (i.e. a handle indicates pull).
People need affirmation that their actions are having an effect. Therefore, a good design must include an obvious cause and effect pattern.
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?
There are a set of doors that one comes across when exiting DOW hall that I would consider poorly designed. The problem that I find is that the first door opens swinging to the left, while the second door opens swinging to the right. The first time I tried to get out of the building, I misjudged the first door, then corrected myself, but then proceeded to misjudge the second door as well. Now, I do not consider myself a particularly coordinated person, but I feel that that little door fiasco could have been avoided had the design been improved.
The problem was with visibility, exactly as Norman points out. The fact that the door needs to be pushed rather than pulled is obvious due to the lack of a prominent handle, yet the hinges are invisible. It is almost a better strategy to run into the door full on and see which way your weight persuades it to swing, an unprofitable strategy for one's health.
3. How did the designers of the iPod address the principles that Norman discusses here?
The iPod contains a very handy feature called a Menu, which Norman himself suggested for the intricately absurd phone at his work. The menu serves the purpose of visibility and mapping. Even though there are not many labeled buttons on the iPod, the Menu allows the consumer to see exactly what they are doing and understand the effect of their actions. It is simple (the original iPod at least), even minimalist, yet still user-friendly.
Cheers,
Megan
Sunday, September 20, 2009
"The Perfect Thing" Response
1. What elements of the design process does this article illustrate?
The article demonstrates all three elements of the design process: trials, evaluation, and selection. The elements are especially prominent in the presentation of the three potential designs of the iPod to the panel of key people including Rubinstein, Jobs and Robbin. Firstly, each of the three designs demonstrated many trials and tribulations in which the product grew as a result of mistakes. The third of the possible iPod designs was the clear choice because it improved on account of its flawed predecessors. Secondly, evaluation is the process of choosing the finalized product and testing to make sure that it is at its highest quality. “Too complicated, Jobs sniffed.” Jobs rebuffs a model that is not up to snuff. Finally, selection is the act of deciding upon a satisfactory product. “This time Jobs’ please was obvious”.
2. What factors would you use to evaluate a “perfect thing”?
Factors that I would consider to be especially important when designing and creating a “perfect thing” would be the ability to be consistently functional, efficient, durable, easily repairable (including a good service to support it), and visually attractive. Functional - it must to be reliable and work the majority of the time. Efficient - in our modern world, no one wants to wait around for things to get done. Durable – protection against the inevitably of braking. Easily repairable – in case something does go wrong. And visually attractive because no matter how functional or any of the rest of the factors the product is, the consumer will lean towards the most visually appealing product.
3. Whether you own an iPod or not, you probably have some opinions of this product. What do you feel are its strengths and weaknesses?
I personally am not particularly tech-savvy, as demonstrated by the fact that I still own one of the original iPod minis (which I inherited when my sister upgraded). With that being said, even though the battery life is about 2 ½ hours and it only holds about 1000 songs, it still is in complete working condition. That is the mark of a good product. Even after it has been surpassed by it’s high-tech sisters, it has withstood the test of time in the previously stated departments of question 2.
Cheers,
Megan
The article demonstrates all three elements of the design process: trials, evaluation, and selection. The elements are especially prominent in the presentation of the three potential designs of the iPod to the panel of key people including Rubinstein, Jobs and Robbin. Firstly, each of the three designs demonstrated many trials and tribulations in which the product grew as a result of mistakes. The third of the possible iPod designs was the clear choice because it improved on account of its flawed predecessors. Secondly, evaluation is the process of choosing the finalized product and testing to make sure that it is at its highest quality. “Too complicated, Jobs sniffed.” Jobs rebuffs a model that is not up to snuff. Finally, selection is the act of deciding upon a satisfactory product. “This time Jobs’ please was obvious”.
2. What factors would you use to evaluate a “perfect thing”?
Factors that I would consider to be especially important when designing and creating a “perfect thing” would be the ability to be consistently functional, efficient, durable, easily repairable (including a good service to support it), and visually attractive. Functional - it must to be reliable and work the majority of the time. Efficient - in our modern world, no one wants to wait around for things to get done. Durable – protection against the inevitably of braking. Easily repairable – in case something does go wrong. And visually attractive because no matter how functional or any of the rest of the factors the product is, the consumer will lean towards the most visually appealing product.
3. Whether you own an iPod or not, you probably have some opinions of this product. What do you feel are its strengths and weaknesses?
I personally am not particularly tech-savvy, as demonstrated by the fact that I still own one of the original iPod minis (which I inherited when my sister upgraded). With that being said, even though the battery life is about 2 ½ hours and it only holds about 1000 songs, it still is in complete working condition. That is the mark of a good product. Even after it has been surpassed by it’s high-tech sisters, it has withstood the test of time in the previously stated departments of question 2.
Cheers,
Megan
Friday, September 18, 2009
Blog Intro
I am looking forward to this seminar because it is unlike anything I have ever previously studied. In addition, I have the persistent tendency (as I am sure many of you do as well) to question the world around me: why it works the way it does and how we can affect it. The products people design are part of the artificial environment we have created for ourselves. And how effectively we interact with our creations defines, or at least helps structure, how successfully we relate to each other and in turn the rest of the world. Broad connections, I know. But that is also why I am excited about this seminar: the applicability of the subject matter. I hope to study material that will make me question the world immediately around me, as opposed to the abstract general realm to which we so often refer.
Cheers,
Megan
Cheers,
Megan
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