" Final Blog Post"

1. Of all the assigned readings, I found the readings from Norman to be the most interesting and rewarding. Norman's readings focused on the aspects and principles of design which made his readings more interesting because he was able to touch on topics that as a user you realize but never really express your thoughts in words. During the weeks of reading the chapters from Norman's book, I found myself paying close attention to a product's design and if  it didn't function properly I would shake my head and say " bad design". I continue to do it to this very day.

2. The most important things I learned from seminar were the guidelines to a good presentation and ways of communicating. These are things I can use throughout my school year and throughtout life. I learned that a presentation shoud be clear and concise because the audience has to be able to follow along and understand the presentation. The audience shouldn't get confused.I also learned what not to put on a Powerpoint presentation. The idea was learned through experience and from seeing these Powerpoint presentation "DONTS" I am able to create a powerpoint that has the audience in mind. I also learned through dily class discussion, ways to communicate ideas to a group of people.

3. I can use what I learned in seminar to help me with Presentations in other classes or also presentation I'll be doing in the near future. I can use the communication techniques to help with group discussions or in any enviornment  that I may have to commnicate my ideas.

"The Secret to Turning Consumers Green"

1.The author's main point is about how peer pressure can convince people to change their bad habits.Our behavior often boils down to that old mantra: Monkey see, monkey do.

2. I think a advertisement using peer pressure to make me change my bad habits  will influence me just as much as a advertisement promoting green. I am motivated to go green  by listening to statistics on the enviornment as well as my friends telling me to recycle.

3. I brought a pair of jeans that was made out of  100% recycled  material. These jeans weren't better than a normal pair of jeans, they just had a different look.  I wanted them because I thought the whole idea was pretty cool.

4.Some products that are becoming enviornmentally friendly are water bottles that use less plastic, clothing companies using recycled material, and light bulbs that use less energy.

Specialty clothing retailers this fall want to let shoppers know that they, too, are a brand"

1.''Today brands are built emotionally,'' Ms. Lastrina said. ''You have to get a message across and show what the brand ideology means to her life.''The above quote relates to clothing advertising and brand identity in that it explains how companies appeal to emotions when dealing with the image of their brand because people today relate brands with an emotion to the advertised image.

2.Clothing companies that have iconic advertisements are Nike, Ralph Lauren , and Gap. This ads implies that the brand, Nike, can be wore by even the most "girly-girl" type of females.Nike markets to mainly sportsmen. This is so because of the utility that comes with the products. An athlete is more likely to go a sports shoe designed and marketed by Nike more than a person who detests sporting and exercises.Nike sells sports apparel and athletic shoes.Nike is involved in the production of goods for a wide variety of sports, competing with every sports fashion brand in existence. Nike also sells the brands image through the swoosh logo and "Just Do it " motto.The swoosh simultaneously represents athleticism, competition and victory.Just Do It" means don’t think, don’t ask, don’t talk about it, don't regret it, just do it. The visual displays alongside this motto coincide with this notion.

3.Brand images sometimes influence my purchasing decisions.I am really influenced when I am going shopping  for a certain style or look.I believe that the clothes defined the people or the image the person is trying to portray.Most of the people  who wear expensive clothing do so because they want to be associated with people who are wealthy.

"Cookie Cutter Housing: Wrong Mix For Subdivisions"

1. Harrison's main point was that Consultants are afraid to put their reputation on the line to challenge the ordiances of subdivisions.He felt that if every engineer thought more about the quality of life of those living in the developments that they engineer, this would be a much better world.He also added that the planning industry needs a massive overhaul to replace our obsolete system with one that results in sustainable development. Minimum-based regulations are recipes that guarantee that only minimal cities will be built. Cities are the foundation of our society.

2.This article changed my views on the concepts of "subdivisions".Before, I thought subdivisions were a good development to our society. Now, I feel that because so many subdivisions being built in an area look so similar that it takes away from the the feel of subdivisions.Subdivisions are a positive addition to city layouts in that they give a different look from apartments style buildings in the city. Urban sprawl is not a negative henomenon because it give people opportunity to have homes on bigger lots for lower prices and less noise and pollution from the city.

3.Based on the area of subdivisions where I reside, I feel the author's viewpoints were true.Mainly because the subdivision developments are similiar with the structures of the homes, designs, and layout(spacing form street to house and between houses). It seems as though the consultants were designing based on ordiances.When I look down the street on which people live, both Subdivision and Master Planned Community have the exact same feel.

Biggest Mistakes in Web Design 1995-2015

1. The reading relates to the concept of user-focused design that we have discussed in class. Vincent Flanders focuses on the design flaws  and how these flaws have negative impacts on the user when it comes to websites.He used real examples to help emphasize his point that some websites are deisgned without the user in mind.

2.The point I felt was the most important was that you should be able to look at the home page of any site and figure out what the site is about within four seconds. If you can't, the site is a failure.This is the most important because identifying a website is the first thing that has to happen for a user to continue looking at the site.If a site doesn't give any clues as to what it is or what its about the user will more than likely exit the website and move into a more user-friendly website.

3.Design factors I feel are important  for a webpage are of the following:
Easy to Understand and Use
Clear and Readable
Helps visitors
Simple and consistent navigation

The Future of Retail

1. Negroponte does not explicitly state his thesis in his well developed article. However, if there were a thesis for his article, it would probably sound like the following:
The internet ,with online shopping options, is systematically sidesteping retailers by dealing directly with manufacturers and online wholesalers.

2.This reading is related to Norman's concepts of user-focused design. Negroponte and Norman both consider the consumers when dealing with store design and it effects on consumers.They also, focused on the aspects on design that create a easy experience for consumers.
For example, Negroponte focused on the ease of internet shopping and the diffuculty of a store design.

3.Negroponte ideas are relevent to today.Possibly because his predictions may have been made a couple of years  too early.Before, consumer complained about stores and prices but still continued to purchase those items. Now that the internet is beginning to become more easy and convienent with internet shopping websites, less people are continuing to buy items from stores they get frustrated with.

4. The retailers who create the best customer experiences across all channels will more than likely thrive in the future.The retailers who get customers the right information in the right way at the right time and with the best overall customer experience will garner the most loyalty among customers.The retailers who fail to meet the consumers needs will more than likely fail in the future.

Downtown Kalamazoo

1.The downtown area of Kalamazoo gave me a feeling of  a small town atmoshpere, which differs tremendously from large cities like Atlanta.Downtown Kalamazoo is car-friendly, in that the traffic signs are located on each block to inform the drivers of one way streets and it also provides parrallel parking and parking lots/garages(parking is limited). The area is also pedestrian friendly, with sidewalks on every street, cross walks and cross signals. However,like most urban areas,there were streets that gave off a sense that there was little to no security. Burdick Street is the "Main Street" of downtown Kalamazoo.The area had a good mix of retail stores,some of them were clothing and shoes store, restaurants,art galleries, and furniture stores. Burdick Street's design was overwhelming but effective. There was lots of plants, landscaping and decorative patterned sidewalks. The sidewalks and landscaping were both distracting but the landscape actually served a good purpose. The sidewalks were big so the city used plants took up space and pushed the pedestrians close to the window displays.The area was also filled with benches and tables which served its purpose and also took up space like the plants.The boutique style shops were attractive and they gave off a sense of a small town atmosphere.Also, there were generators like the movie theatre called  The Rave and a rock climbing place called Climb Kalamazoo that attract people to the area.

2.To make the Downtown area of Kalamazoo better, I would recommend the city buy more simple items. For example, the lamp post could be a little less decorative.Also, I would recommend the city add more attractions to the area to draw more people. Lastly, I would recommend the city revamp some of the areas that look older.

3."One of the virtues of street trees is the way they channel the walkway and moderate the scale of the right-of-way. A very wide sidewalk without treee is not a comfortable space. This proved the case walks with Chicago's North Michigan Avenue. Along one stretch  the sidewalks were made thirty feet wide. This proved such a surfeit of space that it was decided to fill it up a bit.They put in trees and grassy plots with chain around them.They did this so expansively that the walkway width was narrow to about ten feet."

The above passage is from William H. Whyte's  "City" .In the downtown area of Kalamazoo, they basically used the same method on Burdick Street as Chicago's North Michigan Avenue. Burdick Street has the large sidewalks so they used grassy plots with tree and plants to cover most of the walkway as well as tables and benches to make the sidewalks narrow.

Whyte/Gibbs

1.Whyte and Gibbs analyzed the sidewalks, window displays, and placement of plants, seating, and trash cans. but their approach to the city design were from two different perspectives.Whyte's  perspective is from a bystander wacthing and analyzing how the pedestrians interact with the city design.His  focus was on the effectiveness of a short distance form the storefront and the streets, the importance of  landscape like large trees, the way pedestrians interact with their surrounding and the importance of a crowded but flowing pedestrian crowd. Gibbs' perspective was from a professional who looks at the flaws of the city design. His focus was on how to improve the city, but eliminating the landscape he thought was unneccessary and creating automobile traffic.Whyte was more convincing to me because his focus was based on the people who enjoy the city design. He pointed out all aspects of the city design and even if some things were flawed he explained how the pedestrains found other uses  for the failures. He showed how the crowd dealt with the city they flow into daily.

2. The elements of a urban area I find particularly attractive is the atmosphere. I like the congested sidewalks full of pedestrains quickly flowing through the city, the vendors who hassle the pedestrains , the restaurants, the stores, and style of the building. The feeling I get of not being safe repels me from the city.

"CITY"

1.The author's key points in the chapter were based on the elements he believed made up the good street. He described the good street as having buildings flush to the sidewalk, stores along the frontage, and the doors and windows on the street.To distinguish the description from many existing streets he presented them into enitrely new terms. The good street was now one that has a multiple-access block, continuous fenestration,and rhythmic repetitions of entry points.The author also focused on simple items like benches, clocks,drinking fountains and trash containers that if placed in relation to its use would make them succeed functionally on the good street.

2. Whyte's ideas and Norman's concepts were similiar in that they both were geared toward the behavioral and reflective design aspects. In an example, Whyte appealed to behavioral design when talking about trash cans. He notes that the trash can was a failure as a container to hold garbage but succeeds as a shelf, table, desk,stand,and footrest for a passerby.He appealed to reflective design when he talks about the concept of a good street giving off a homely sense. Whyte's and Norman's ideas about the visceral aspect of design were different. Norman believes the the visceral design is one of the more important factors because it deals with the initial reaction from the consumer that makes them want a product , the "wow factor". Whyte believes that too much good taste from designers with the same good taste results is bland conformity.

3.To analyze and urban area I would use the following checklist:

• Stores along the frontage
• Doors and window on the street
• Building flushed onto the sidewalk
• Basic amenities have good  relation to its use
• Second-story activity with windows
• Seating
• Trees
• Sidewalk (broad enough)

"What Main Street Can Learn From the Mall"

1.The criteria Robert  Gibbs uses to evaluate a a Main Street are:

• Sidewalks- Are they so beautiful that they draw theshoppers attention to the ground rather than the store front and window diplays? Are they so grimy they oush shoppers away?
• Shade Trees and Planter boxes- Do they block the shopper's view of shop windows and signs?
• Benches/tables/Chairs- Are they placed together in a way that discourages poeple to walk through them?
• Security- Is there a mall security of some sort to ensure a safe enviornment for shoppers?
• Stores-Are the window displays design to get the shoppers full attention?

2.Deciding whether Main Street should or should not become a mall is a hard decision. Based on Gibbs theories about mall, if they decided to make Main Street into a Mall, the building will not only will it lose its uniqueness but it will also change the way Americans view Main Street.It will no longer be the site of the American town.If they decide to keep Main Street exactly like it is now, there will be shoppers who dicsontinue their shopping experience there because they feel it lacks certain ways of a shopping mall(variety of stores, enviornment.etc.)The best place for Main Street is in the middle.There it will be able to have its unique strengths and unique markets while surviving commercially.

3.My criteria to judge a Main Street would be similar to Gibb's criteria. I would judge Main Street based on the condition of the streets and sidewalks, they way the chairs, tables, and benches are spaced, the organization of stores based on functionality, the aspects that assure comfort, and the storefronts. I consider these to be most important elements because when they are not used properly and effectively they can deter a shopper from even entering Main Street.

Wikipedia Article

My wikipedia article is on The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia. It can be found using the following link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Contemporary_Art_of_Georgia

Retail Analysis

1. I observed the store Meijer,which is a hypermarket chain in Grand Rapids that markets to the general public.

2. Before walking into Meijer, I noticed the unique design structure of the outside. On opposite ends of  the outside of the building, were grey concrete paneling on the building and between them were glass windows.Above the building was a large translucent wall that gave off natural light to the customers and cashiers at the register.After walking inside, I noticed it was so quiet that I could hear low to minimal noises like shopping carts rolling, scanning noises from the register and could even hear people conversing.The merchandise was displayed under the headings in which they fall.The floor was pattern with blue and light blue tiles, grey and white tiles, and brown and tan tiles. There was blue signs above each isle and blue or reds signs within each isle.The cashier are was very large. They had a self-checkout section and a regular checkout section.

3.Meijer tries to project a consumer centered enviornment through its simple structure.The signs in Meijer, for example, are placed pacifically to help the consumer find its way through the store.Each sign has a legible script and others have images that reflect the products being sold in that area.

4.Customers in Meijer interacted to the store's elements in different ways. Some customers that walked in with a shopping cart, strolled through each isle carefully looking at certain products. The customers that didn't have a shopping cart, came in and brought what they needed and left. Most of the consumers looked and touched the products they were buying and others did so because they were interested.

5.The interesting part about the design of Meijer was the subheadings in each isle. Where I am from, stores only have the big sign in the center of the isle to help guide the consumer and once you find the isle you have to scan the whole isle. In Meijer, I could look down each isle and see in words wher the flour, sugar ,or etc was located.

Egg Container Experiment

The Egg Drop experiment wasn't a quick and easy task for me , considering I didn't have any  experience with egg drop experimnets in previous school years.It took a couple of meetings before Joe and I were able to come up with a design that we could build out of the limiting supplies we owned. When Joe and I first met to discuss the how we were going to design the container, we talked about and wrote down ideas.We decided to use a cardboard box with a small closed container in the middle holding the egg in place and soft material to surround the egg. The idea of the box stayed the same but some components changed. We cut the box down to a smaller size and instead of the closed top container we used a Bigby's coffee cup.

Joe and I took a couple of days to build the design, because we decided to modify the design for a better survivorial rate.After we finish builing the egg container, we decided to decorate the box to make it appealing to the eye.Since we used black tape to piece the box together, we went for a black and orange "K College" theme.

Watching the egg containers fall from the second and third story was really fun, especially when watching the egg container made by my partner and I.Our egg container survived the fall from the second story but did not survive the fall from the third story. I was impressd by the fact that even though our egg cracked from the third fall the design on the outside didnt show any signs that the egg was broken. Our container did open from the impact of the first fall, which could have been a determining factor to why it didnt't last the second fall. Overall, I was pleased with the egg container's success rate but if I could design it all over again, I would add components from  the other groups designs to make our egg container better.

To read my partner Joe Jones blog post  about our Egg Drop experience visit his blog at http://joejones2014.blogspot.com/

The Science of Shopping

1.The article "The Science of Shopping" introduced a variety of important points on the behavior of shoppers in a store.I felt like the most important point was that the markerters and retailers have to conform to the desires of the sellers. The author talked about Paco Underhill, the man behind the consumer study, and how he is hired to place cameras in the stores to study the patterns and signs of the customers. He reports back to his clients with an analysis on the customers behavior to help the client make improvements in sales. Paco's analysis helps the markerters and retailers because it breaks down the the behaviors by gender and age.The breakdown gives the retailers the opportunity to satisfy the need of men and women both young and old.

2. I believe I am greatly influenced and affected by a store's design. I will leave a store If I feel  there is little to no space to manuever. Just like Paco Underhill mentioned in the article, if I was bumped on my backside I would leave the store immediately.Mainly because a brush on the backside is unexpected when shopping that it seems to interrupt my comfort zone.I am  also influenced by a store's lighting. Hollister, for example, has a dim dark lighting throughtout the store. I personally will not buy anything form inside the store because the lighting makes it difficult for me to actually see the clothing. However, because I like the style of clothing Hollister sells, I will instead buy clothing form the online shopping site. I think I am influenced so much by a store's design because I have certain expections for each type of store.

3. To analzye a retail store, I would use the following checklist:

1. Lighting- Does the store has a dim light setting or bright fluoresent lighting?
2.Scent-Does the store have a perfume/cologne fragrance, scented air fresheners, or no scent at all?
3.Space- Is there enough space to manuever? Are the isles narrow or wide?
4.Arrangement- Are the products grouped into sections they are associated with? Can you distinguish each section?

"Isn't it Iconic" "The Power of the Box- Powerful Packaging Design"

1. Packaging is extremely important when marketing a product. Simply because consumers judge a product by its packaging before they decide to buy the product. If a package is attractive, the consumer is going to want to buy the product. Without attractive packaging, they wouldn't want to buy it in order to try it. Just like when I'm in the store shopping, I skim through the isles until I find something that catches my eye. One example is when I went to the grocery store to buy snacks for my dorm. The first isle I walk by catches my eye, it has almost every snack you could think of but the one I just had to buy was the 12 pack of  "CHEEZ-IT". The traditional color scheme of red and white , as mentioned in "Isn't it Iconic" by Stacey King Gordon, is a color combination that tend to catch my eye of most consumers and the picture of the golden orange baked craker immediately made my decision final. I was going to buy it cause I just had to have them.

2. Some products that have iconic packaging are Campbell's Soup, Skittles Candies, Gatorade, Quaker Oatmeal, and Sprite.These products have simple color combinations that have bold but basic writing,they are different which makes them uncomparable to products in the same categories, they contain exceptional products, and the are upgraded and refreshed at the right times.

3. There are a lot of  usability issues that exist for packaging.Packages that are not able to close after you open them are one of the many issues with packaging. Some packages are problematic because they can't be used on the go so you cant travel with them. Others are designed so poorly that they give you problems when you try to do a simply task like opening the product.Also, there are packages that hold cakes or chewy granola bars,  are an issue because they dont provide much protect to the contents inside, making them more likely to getting squished. A particularly good packaged product isCampbell's soup. The design is simple and attractive, the strong material protects the soup inside so there is no damage if dropped and nothing is able to get inside the can, and you are able to store the can anywhere.A particularly bad packaged product is Dominio Sugar. Its package is paper that doesn't support the grainy contents. Even in the store you can see sugar under the shelves and sometimes when you pick it up it has suger seeping through the creases.

"Know it All"

1. In the article "Know it All" the author's main points were to tell that wikipedia became such a sucess with so many users because it foucused on other smaller topics, emphasize that wikipedia is a skeptical source for information because its often tampered with people's opinions and false statements, and explain that even though its articles are edited frequently its still a good source for information.

2.Wikipedia remains a lumpy work in progress. The entries can read as though they had been written by a seventh grader: clarity and concision are lacking; the facts may be sturdy, but the connective tissue is either anemic or absent; and citation is hit or miss. Wattenberg and Viégas, of I.B.M., note that the vast majority of Wikipedia edits consist of deletions and additions rather than of attempts to reorder paragraphs or to shape an entry as a whole, and they believe that Wikipedia’s twenty-five-line editing window deserves some of the blame. It is difficult to craft an article in its entirety when reading it piecemeal, and, given Wikipedians’ obsession with racking up edits, simple fixes often take priority over more complex edits. Wattenberg and Viégas have also identified a “first-mover advantage”: the initial contributor to an article often sets the tone, and that person is rarely a Macaulay or a Johnson. The over-all effect is jittery, the textual equivalent of a film shot with a handheld camera.
This passage from the article illustrates the effective use of supporting detail.The first sentence states that Wikipedia remains a lumpy work in progress. This sentence introduces the topic. The following sentence, The entries can read as though they had been written by a seventh grader: clarity and concision are lacking; the facts may be sturdy, but the connective tissue is either anemic or absent; and citation is hit or miss, explains and supports the idea that Wikipedia remins a work in progress.

3. Wikipedia is designed to be a web based source to find information, Britannica is designed to be a printed in volumes that can also be viewed online. Wikipedia has a search engine that allows you to type in key words to help assist you with looking for a topic.It also gives you a list of articles that relate to the topic. Britannica online encylopedia perfoms this tasks just as similiar but the Britannica printed version has a different search process. You have to look up the broad topic in the index, find the page number,and then look for the actual topic. Wikipedia is also designed to be edited by users and viewers, Britannica is the oppostie It was designed to be viewed only, giving the perception that the information is based on facts than peoples opinions.The above comparison is how I would compare the two encylopedias from a design perspective.The comparison is based what the two encylopedias encompass, on the actual view of encylopedia and the behavioral functions of each.

"Organization and Preparation Tips"

               1. I Think the author's key points were about content, simplicity, and structure. He had two sections devoted to content. Content is very important when doing a presentation because it is what makes you succeed in your presentation. You do have to limit content so that your audience is not  having tons of data dumped on them in a presentation.Simplicity helps you connect more with the audience. The structure is paramount. Structure brings the ideas together to keep them flowing.

              2. I will take a lot of the author's points into consideration when doing my presentation. I can keep the audience attention by telling a story, making the presentation simple and structuring the presentation in sequencial order.Also, I can help myself by gaining confidence in the material I"m going to do a presentation on by going over it constantly to gain comfort.

              3. Both presentation preparation and product design have to be carefully thought over and processed so that they are good for the directed audience.


2. The areas of design I'm most interested in are the design process from the designers point of view, the elements of design as decided by the designer, and the effects of  trial and error on the designer. I would like to know how they go about trying to design for a targeted audience, what they have to go through to finalize a design, how much work it actually takes to create the design. I baasically want to know everything from a designer's aspect.

Emotional Design -Sept.29

1. The following passage is from Donald Norman's Emotional Design.
            Human responses to the everyday things of the world are complex, determined by a wide variety of factors. Some of these are outside the person, controlled by designer and manufacturer, or by advertising such things as brand image. And some come form within, from your own, privates experiences. Each of the three levels of design- viseral, behavioral, and reflective-plays its part in shaping your experienc. Each is as important as the others, but requires a different approach by the designer.
  I found this passage to be very interesting. Like most of his writing he explains topics with words that we can only related to by instincts.This is what makes this reading interesting. Norman mentions that each design gives off a response, but because it is a response we dont realize that those factors contribute to why we have the products we have and why we dont have other products.

2.Viseral design , behavioral design and reflective design seem to be useful categories but the categories could be a little more clearer by renaming the categories.For viseral design, I would rephrase it as  "Natural Reaction to a Design" because this level has to do with your instinctual reaction to a design. I would rename behavioral design to be the "Performance of a Design" because this level has to deal with a design's function, usability, understandablilty, and physical feel. Reflective design should be called the " Message/ Meaning of a Design" because this level has to do with the image your trying to portray as the person buying the design or it could be the meaning the design portrays.

3. I think that a designer will have some trouble deciding which level of design is more important because eventually their product will have to adhere to all three levels of design.Since each level of design is as imporatant as the other they cant be underweighed or overweighed.In my opinion, most porducts are reflective because its what the product means to you as in individual. Everyone has different items they own that bring back memories or has special meaning.

Emotional Design

1.I felt the authors key points were based on the three levels of design. He used viseral design(the natural reaction to a design), behavioral design( the performance of the design) and reflective design(the meaning of the product based on values and culture) to explain why we love or hate everyday things.He uses real life experiences to show how these play a big role in your emotions toward a product. Every level of design is important and no level is greater than the other.

2.This chapter is similiar to the chapter in the earlier reading "The Design of Everyday Things" except Norman takes a different approach on the topic of design. In the earlier reading , he focused on what made the design work but in this reading he takes his focus to a different level when he brings in the emotional side of a design. This reading answered what aspects of a design makes consumers buy the products even if they are not good concetual models, while the earlier reading answered what makes a design a good product.

3. There are some products I feel succeed viseral deisgn, behavioral design and reflective design. The iPhone 4 is a design I feel succeeds viseral design, perhaps Apple products in general, because I'm always astonished when seeing those futuristic designs.It is successful because at first glance it gives me this "wow" factor.Screw drivers are tools I feel succeeds in behavorial design because I use them just for its purpose. The design doesn't matter with this tool,as long as it a screwdriver I'm going to use it to unscrew a screw.It is successful because it does what it is suppose to do, perform. Jewelry and accessories succeed as a reflective design because the items are used to show meaning. For example, I might wear a a pink bracelet not just to match but to associate it with  my grandmother who is a breast cancer survivor.It is successful because it provokes personal images and rememberances.

The Use of Everyday Things- September 24

1.    A device is easy to use when there is visibility to the set of possible actions, where the controls and displays exploit natural mappings.The principles are simple but rarely incorporated into design.Good design takes care, planning, though. It takes conscious attention to the needs of the use. And sometimes the designer gets it right.

I found this passage above in Donald Norman's "The Design of Everyday Things" to be very interesting.It really makes you thinnk about designs and how a majority of these designs fail to satisfy the poeple. After reading the passage, as an opinion, I felt like designers go about designing things by themselves to make their ideas come to life and to be unique. As if  they are building things to suite an audience that is more compatiable with them and while doing so they lose sight of the general public who, in most cases, like the simplicity, visibility and  affordances of a good conceptual model.

2.  Norman's book still continues to be influential 20 years later because he shows the importance of design in our everyday lives. He uses real life examples to convey the consequences and effects of a bad design. The actual topic of his book also has an influential impact on the books long term success mainly because products are designed everyday and consumers will always have to deal with having a bad conceptual model that rarley gets feedback ,doesn't show visibile sign, or has more controls than it has buttons.All the criticism on designs makes the designers take time to really test a design to make sure its right.

3. Based on this chapter, the factors that I would include on a checklist for evaluating the design of a product is its visibility, natural mapping, affordances of materials used,simplicity, and whether or not its a good conceptual model.

The Use of Everyday Things

1. I feel like the author focused on the Principles of Design(visibility, mappings,and affordances) and how if used right or wrong can make or break a product.He used the Principles of design to help emphasize the problems the arise when trying to understand the use of everyday things. Visibility, the most important aspect, means the correct parts must be visible and the design must convey the correct message. He illustrates problems with visibility when using the example of a friend who had gotten confused between a set of glass doors because the door design didn't provide signals that naturally indicate where to push the door. Other problems were from natural mappings, what you want to do and what appears to be possible. Visiblity indicates the mapping between intended actions and actual operations. The principle affordance, which refers to the perceived and actual properties of the product, provide how something operates. However, the problem with the affordance of objects is when a simple object needs intructions to mke the design work. The author also focused on conceptual model  then diagnosed that if the design provides a good conceptual model it helps us predict the effects and make things visible.

2. I have had difficulty using my printer. Printers are usually simple but the DellV313w 3in1 scanner, printer, and copier gave me a run just the other day. The printer has a wireless network connnection so that I am able to print without connnecting a USB to a USB port Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to setup the wireless connection so I will have to use the USB port.The Printer has a USB cord and port, a setup button, and 9 other buttons.Just yesterday, I decided to use the scanner to upload papers to my computer.I manually connected the computer to the USB port.Then, I turned on the computer, put the document inside scanner. Next, I am asked to select an option and then press ok button , but NOTHING HAPPENS. First thing I do is check to see if its connected and press scan to see if it begins, but still nothing.The design had a lot to do with much of my confusion. The 14 buttons are arranged in an unusual order.I didn't know that there was a start button located on the far left side that would begin the print. The designers of the printer setup the buttons in a way to only be appealing to the eye, not to help with controls and processes. The usuability problems arose from mapping. They made what I wanted to do and what appeared to be possible a problem. Nothing is there to indicate that I needed to push this button or scroll this button this way.

3.The designers of the iPod addressed the principles one step at a time. With visibility and mapping , the designer went for a simple look with few buttons each displaying its function. However, they didn't have a power button so they designated the power functions to the play and center buttons when pushed together(an easy combination).They addressed the principle of affordances by making each component perceivable as the actual properties of the product so they were easy to determine its use.One example is the circle scroll. At a glance, the circle scroll makes the mind perceive that a circular movement of the finger could make the scroll on the screen go left when rotated counter clockwise and right when rotated clockwise.Overall, the process of constructing the iPod was thoughtfully and carefully planned, making the iPod a good simple conceptual model.

"The Perfect Thing"

1. The article "The Perfect Thing" illustrates the process Jobs used to produce what he believed to be the "Perfect Thing." He started the process with an idea, "an mp3 player that would work with Apple's iTunes and would not suck". Fadell, the expertise behind the desigining and constructing of the perfect thing, decided what was needed to exceed the popular Toshiba and outdo the tasks of the Toshiba. He and Stan Ng came up with a solution to design a "in your pocket" size mp3 with a greater song cpapcity. Next, they began to make model of an Apple mp3 player. They went through trials of error trying to get the design to an ideal size and shape.Eventually they found the right design solution with  help of Shiller"s idea and Jobs approval. The team started developing the mechanics of the device, producing large numbers, and marketing the iPods.

2. The factors I would used to evaluate "The Perfect Thing" would be the audio performance, physical apperance, battery life, durablility, and storage capacity.

3. As an owner of an iPod, I feel like this product was a huge impact on the industry. Not just because of its physical apperance, but for its portable nature(being able to listen to it practically everywhere), the reasonable battery life, its versatility( you can upload pictures. play games, listen to music, watch movies and etc.), and the numerous accessories available for the iPod. However, the iPod is expensive ( starting at $100) and the size makes them easily acceptable to damage.

Hey Everyone!

Hi my name is Nicole Antoine.I was born in Brooklyn, New York but raised in Lithonia, Georgia. My favorite thing to do is play sports (mainly volleyball and basketball) but I also like cosmetology , making arts and crafts, playing video games, and baking! I recently had acl reconstructive surgery and had to undergo 7 months of physical therapy. That meant in the 7 months I couldn't do anything that was strenuous. In my case  that was very depressing since a big part of  my "life" has to do with sport activities. (You can bet im ready to get back to sports!) Also, I am ready to start the year off at K College. I just hope I can get used to the cold and snowy winters!!!