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.