Final Blog

1. What seminar readings, exercises, or assignments were most challenging, interesting, or rewarding for you? Why?

The most challenging thing that we did in class this year was the Wikipedia paper. This piece by far was the most challenging because it was completely factual. Also, finding relevant and useful data to support our topic was very difficult. The most interesting thing we did this year was build the chair at the beginning of the year. It was very interesting to see how each chair turned out and what the design was for each. The most rewarding was reading The Design of Everyday Things. This piece made me have a better understanding of certain aspects of design and of possible flaws in current design processes.

2. What are the most important things you learned in this seminar?

The most important things that I learned this year in this seminar were how to spot flaws in design and how people react to certain design aspects. It was really interesting to notice that I am beginning to spot flaws in design in my everyday life. I notice things in the real world and think how a certain designer would not approve of it. It was also very interesting to learn how people react to design. Companies, stores and even streets are designed a certain way for a reason. Sometimes it helps the user or sometimes the design is used to deceive them.

3. How might you use this learning in the future?

I might use this in the future because I would like to open my own business. Opening my own business would definitely include aspects of design such as advertisement, architecture and the luring of the customer. The things that I learned in this class will be applied to my future. I feel as if I am already applying certain concepts and ideas in my everyday life.

Behavioral Architecture

1. What are examples of architectural design that you consider to be epic failures?

An example of architectural design that I consider to be an epic failure is doors. Some doors are designed in a good fashion and signs or visual clues tell you whether to pull or push on the door. However, some doors you have no idea how to open them. I have also encountered doors that you know you are supposed to push them. The only problem is you don't know what side to push on. Another failure with doors is the placement. I have been to store (meijer) where the entrance is on the left side. This can be very confusing to the user since we are a very right-handed culture.

2. Good, Bad & Ugly. Choose a building on K campus & analyze its behavioral and visceral usability.

A building that I think has good architectural design is Hicks. Not only is Hicks very appealing, but it is also very behaviorally sound. When inside Hicks you know how to get to a certain place. The visual aids and clues help a lot in navigating through it. The aspect that I like the most about Hicks is the openness. If you are confused about how to go to the second floor you can just look. Everything is so wide open that you can see the stairs and possible routes to your destination.

3. What is the flaw in the current design process? How could this problem be fixed?

The current flaw in the design process is the lack of feedback. People must first use a building and experience the good and bad aspects of it before a substantial amount of feedback can be administered. I think that this is a very difficult problem to address. During the design process of a building you must think of every aspect and consider all possible pros and cons of the design. This will help to predict the possible flaws in the design.

Ads Fads and Consumer Culture

1. Select a brief passage from the reading and post it on your blog. Explain why you thought it was interesting.

"One can broadly be defined as cultural behavior and the other as people's or perhaps the collective unconscious. Focusing on individuals or groups of individuals in test studies frequently concludes that advertising plays no significant role in decisions making. An examination of advertising as a cultural phenomenon, on the other hand, suggests something quite different..."

I find this passage very interesting because I have always thought of advertising as a way to deceive the consumer. I feel that advertising plays a huge role the decision making process and is one of the main contributors to a consumer purchasing a product. TV has played a huge role in the deception and advertising of products. I feel that television tends to lean towards the second diagram describing how revenues are increased due to advertising. Businesses use television as their main source of advertisement and therefore revenues get larger and larger.

2. What do you think were the author's key points?

The author's key points about advertising were basically outlining the idea of deception and subliminal messages to the viewer. For example on TV, advertisements are very psychologically deceiving and trick the viewer into feeling something that the company wants them to feel. He understands that everything in our world today is based around the television and advertisements are seen all over the TV. This is a great way for companies to get their idea across while entertaining the possible customer.

3. Why is it important to have a psychological understanding when it comes to advertising?

Advertising is intending to be entertaining and through this entertainment the company can deceive and trick the consumer into feeling a certain way. Nearly all commercials, posters, billboards and ads try to force the consumer or recipient to have a feeling about their product or company. This psychological game is very tough to realize. If you have a good understanding of advertising and different techniques used to deceive the consumer then you will be able to recognize the advertising that is trying to trick you vs the advertising that is legitimate.


Link to Wikipedia Paper

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_State_Aztecs_football

Fashion Design

1. Why is fashion so reflective, when it could be purely functional and behavioral? (Why do people feel an impulse to express and redefine themselves through their clothes?)

People feel a great impulse to purchase clothes that reflect themselves because they want people to know who they are. What a person is wearing can tell you so much about them even before you get to know them. Every person is unique and has their own sense of fashion and clothing. What the person chooses to wear can give you hints about what type of person they are or what type of mood they are in at that time. The world is a very judgmental place and the first thing people notice about a person is what they are wearing. We can redefine ourselves simply by changing our shirt or wearing a different pair of shoes.

2. Jones discusses the importance of time as it relates to fashion-why does fashion change and evolve, instead of remaining static and functional?

Fashion does not stay static simply because people want to be different. As said above, all people want to be unique and have their own style and look. If fashion was static then they would not be able to express themselves and differentiate from others looks. Another big factor in changing fashion is popular celebrities and well-known people. What our idols wear has a huge impact on what the rest of the world will wear. Celebrities are always changing their style to keep up with the latest trends and start new ones of their own. This all returns to the idea that people want to be unique and separate themselves from one another. Fashion is one of the easiest ways to do this.

3. Based on the reading, make a checklist of principles to consider when designing a garment.

• Comfort and feeling
• What it is made of-Fabric
• Style of clothing
• Use-When will this garment be used (environment)
• Will it sell? (Trendy? Price?)
• What will others think? (Reflective)
  

Simplicity is Highly Overrated

1. Identify the thesis statement of this essay.

Because the people want the features. Because simplicity is a myth whose time has past, if it ever existed.

2. Identify at least three points the author makes to support this thesis statement.

Make it simple and people won’t buy. Given a choice, they will take the item that does more.

Haven’t you ever compared two products side by side, comparing the features of each, preferring the one that did more? Why shame on you, you are behaving, well, behaving like a normal person.

Yes, we want simplicity, but we don’t want to give up any of those cool features. Simplicity is highly overrated.

3. If you were to write an essay on this same topic, but with an opposing argument, what would your thesis be?

People want things to be simple. With simplicity comes a better understanding of the product and a much better chance to sell the product on the market.

Downtown Kzoo

1. Write a short evaluation of Downtown Kalamazoo's business area using specific examples from Friday's observations.

The downtown Kalamazoo business area is a very interesting place and a lot different from many other parts of Kalamazoo. The downtown area is filled with small shops and one way streets. There is very limited parking on the streets, but there are several parking garages near the downtown area. For the vehicle it may be very difficult to navigate through the downtown area if you are unfamiliar with the city. For people on feet it seems like a great experience. Walking through downtown Kalamazoo can be both entertaining and relaxing. There are plenty of benches and seats to rest when you need and shops all along Burdick St. You can also go inside to Mall Plaza and get away from the cold in the winter. I also saw that there were several restaurants and a few food markets in the area. Overall downtown Kalamazoo has a lot to offer to the ordinary person.

2. Give at least three recommendations to improve the downtown.

• One improvement I would make to downtown Kalamazoo is the addition of drinking fountains. I did not see any drinking fountains for the people walking down the main streets. They had several benches and garbage cans, but the addition of drinking fountains would make the experience that much better.
• The second improvement I would make is more signs. I would add directories throughout main street to show which shops/stores are near and how to get to these places.
  
• The last improvement I would make is possibly something very attractive to bring people to this area. It seems that downtown Kalamazoo has a lot of unknown stores and shops that people would not really know anything about. If there was something that was very recognizable it may bring people in who are not just from Kalamazoo.
  

3. Select a brief passage from the article about Robert Gibbs ("What Main Street Can Learn from the Mall" by Steven Lagerfeld) or the reading on public spaces (from City by William Whyte) and relate it to Kalamazoo's downtown. Use specific observations from Kalamazoo to illustrate the point.

THE CITY
"At the opposite extreme from Lexington are the suburban shopping malls. Their walkways are wide-thirty feet or more. Originally, they were wider yet. The first regional malls had lots of green space, and their central walkways as much as fifty to sixty feet across."

I find this passage very related to downtown Kalamazoo, but in a sort of opposite way. Whyte discusses Lexington Ave and says how the sidewalks are much to big. He noted that the sidewalks were up to thirty feet wide and used to be up to sixty feet wide. However, in downtown Kalamazoo I noted that the sidewalks seemed to be the perfect size. There is not too many people trying to walk on the sidewalks at one time and this makes it very easy for the people to maneuver around. I watched people walk by each other on the sidewalks and realized that they had a very easy time getting by one another. I think that this is one of the very well designed aspects of downtown Kalamazoo.

City/Egg Container

1. To what extent do Whyte and Gibbs approach city design from different perspectives? Do you find one more convincing than the other?

Based on the two readings I found that Whyte focuses city design on the details and not so much extreme design techniques. However, Gibbs is very big on drawing the consumer in and keeping them there. Whyte focuses on things such as the sidewalk and trash cans. These small aspects make the city a better place, but do not necessarily keep the consumer in. Gibbs focuses on the larger aspect of design such as stores and stories. He wants the consumer to feel drawn in by the cities design. Also to enjoy the experience so much that they come back for more. I tend to agree with Gibbs side of city design. I feel that drawing in people and giving them an experience they will never forget leads to the most success.

2. What elements of an urban area are particularly attractive to you? What elements repel you?

What draws me into an urban area is a lot of action. I like people to be around and things to do. Most of all I enjoy being outside. Rows of stores and shops really make me enjoy my experience. What repels me is too much traffic. I enjoy people, but not cars. Plus if I do drive to a destination I do not enjoy finding a parking spot.

EGG CONTAINER

Rob and I designed our egg container. We knew we wanted to put our egg in a box, but did not know how to protect our egg from being smashed. We decided that air pockets were the best idea. We used zip-lock bags. At first we were just going to use small air pockets and wrap the bag in rubber bands to keep the air in. However, we decided to blow three bags up about halfway. We then wrapped the egg in one bag and put the other two on the outside. Using tape we connected the bags together. Then we placed the bags in a box that we cut. The first test was successful, but our idea failed on the second test. The air began to deflate out of our bags and I think that is the reason for the failure. If we were to do it again I would probably figure out some way to keep the bags inflated longer or use something else for air pockets.

http://rrdesignintelligence.blogspot.com/

City

1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?

I think that the author's key points in this chapter were very basic. People want their things to be functional and design is not a big part. The city should have functional aspects of it such as a sidewalk without holes, a trashcan that can actually hold trash, or walkways big enough for the amount people that will be walking on them. Whyte thinks people want things to be basic and the design to be basic. A well run city will be very functional and design will be of less importance.

2. Compare Whyte's ideas on design to Norman's concepts that we studied earlier. What's similar? What's different?

Whyte and Norman both focus on the behavioral part of design. How well the street, door, or sidewalk works/functions is what matters. Whyte is a big believer that the function of the particular part of the city is very important. Both author's also consider the idea of mapping. The placement of particular items help to show the function. What is different, however, is the idea of feedback. Norman believe in immediate feedback from a certain item. However, I think that Whyte believes in delayed feedback. People may respond differently to certain aspects of a city.

3. Create a checklist, based on Whyte's chapter, that could be used to analyze an urban area.

Analyze an urban area...

• Street accessibility and lanes
• Sidewalk size
• Pedestrian Safety
• Entrances to store/business
• Lighting

Main Street

1. List the criteria Robert Gibbs uses to evaluate a Main Street.

Gibbs looks critically at a "Main Street" when evaluating it. He looks for small details in not only the street itself, but also in the surroundings. He analyzes the sidewalks, trees and moving space. He also analyzes the stores and shops that surround the street. How the shops are placed and what type of advertising the shops do to bring in the customer. He also wants to make sure the street makes sense. This means that everything is organized in a way that is logical to not only the shop owners and city, but most importantly the customers. Based on the type of store, restaurant or shop is being placed on the main street, will determine where the it should be located.

2. Think critically of Gibb's argument. Do you think "Main Street" should be a mall?

Main Street should not be a mall because people should not feel forced to a certain place. I feel that making a main street a mall, would make the consumer feel as if they are being pressured or tricked into shopping. A main street should be somewhere a person can go to get to other locations. Using the main street allows the consumer to make life easier. However, if a mall is now placed on a main street it becomes busier and slows down.

3. Make your own checklist to judge a Main Street. What things do you think are important?

Important aspects of a main street...

• Accessible by both people and cars
• Usability
• Several driving lanes
• Sidewalks for pedestrians
• Lighting
• Entertainment/Shops/Some sort of reason to go to main street
• Keep up the pace: Shouldn't slow down too much

Packaging

1. To what extent is packaging important in marketing a product? Give an example of how a package influenced your decision to buy (or not to buy) something.

I think that packaging is one of the most important aspects of marketing a product. Packaging speaks for itself and there is no need for someone to try to convince you that the product is good. Packaging brings the consumer in and buy itself is a very big part of whether or not the consumer will purchase the product. The products use and abilities are still more important then the packaging, but it is still plays a very large role. I have been influenced to buy something based on its package when I know there is something I want. For example if I know I want to go to the store to buy deodorant, but I don't really care what kind, I will most likely buy the kind with the most appealing package.

2. What other products have iconic packaging?

Other products that I believe have iconic packaging are McDonald's french fries and Gatorade. The french fries container is known all over the world. The red and yellow container catches your eye and you know it is from McDonald's. The shape of the container is also very recognizable. A Gatorade bottle is like no other bottle. It is plastic like most soda and water bottles, but with a much different shape. The rounded top gives it a different look that sets itself apart from all other bottles. Also the design of the wrapper makes it very appealing. The lightning bolt and color of the wrapper let you know the flavor of the Gatorade.

3. What usability issues exist for packaging? Give examples of particularly good or bad packaging from a usability perspective.

When I think of bad packaging design I think of products that are packaged in tight plastic such as batteries and electronics. This plastic cannot be opened by hand. Instead you must use scissors or a knife to get the package open. When you do get the package open you must deal with the sharp edges of the plastic. I think there would be a much easier way to package items other then this rough plastic.

Retail Analysis

1. What store did you observe? Who do they market to?
I evaluated Banana Republic. Their market is for adults both men and women.

2. Briefly describe the following
a. appearance of store entrance:
From the outside the store looks very clean and professional. I noticed that there were not any crazy colors. It was mostly black and tan colors, but was still very appealing to the eye.
b. sounds:
The store was constantly playing music that was soft, but loud enough to hear. The music was very upbeat and interesting. I did not recognize the songs, but it seemed like they were from an older genre.
c. how the merchandise is displayed:
The majority of the merchandise was displayed on tables and on the wall. There were a few racks throughout the store, but very spaced out. The tables were black and made the clothes really stand out. On the walls the clothes were hung up and did not have much depth to them. Meaning there was not a lot of clothes behind a certain type of shirt or piece of clothing.
d. floors:
The floors were wooden and seemed very professional. They were clean throughout the entire store and were finished.
e. signs:
There were signs throughout the store representing the type of clothing that was being sold. Some of the signs included denim, cords, chino, mix & match, and business with style. Along with these signs there were also signs that would show which pieces of clothing were on sale.
f. cashier area:
The cashier area was in the middle left part of the store, splitting the men's section in half. There were three registers and one person working at the registers at that time. The registers and check out area seemed very clean.

3. What image does this business try to project? Give specific examples of design elements that reflect this image.
This store tries to project a very professional and business type of atmosphere. The racks and clothes are all spaced out nicely and everything is very classy. The trim and colors are black and tan and make for an adult store. The wooden floors also give the adult store feeling.

4. How did customers interact with various elements of the store's design?
The thing that I saw that the customers interacted mostly with store was obviously the clothes. All of the clothes were spaced out very well. Every rack, table or wall display had plenty of room to navigate around and take the time to thoroughly look at the clothing. Other elements of the store's design were the colors and sounds. Both of them seemed very adult like and professional. I already explained the colors, but the music was also very professional. It was not too loud and was very relaxing to me.

5. What did you find interesting about the design of this store?
The thing that impacted me the most in this store were the colors and the sounds. However, the smells of the store and the temperature were also very big factors for me. The store was at a perfect temperature and made it very easy for me to stay in the store. Also the smell of the store made me want to stay. The space that was available to navigate made this store extra relaxing.

Science of Shopping

1. What points from this article do you feel are most important?

There were two points about good store design that I thought were very important. The first was Paco's idea about stores being on the right. I thought that his airport example was very true. I know that I would definitely be willing to cross the aisle to get something to eat, however, I may not cross just to browse in a store. However, if the store was on my right side I may take a minute to go inside and possibly make a purchase. The second point was his idea about clothes being placed on tables. If the clothes are placed on tables, like in Gap, then the customer is much more likely to pick up the item and feel it. The more interaction the customer has with the item, the more likely he or she is to buy it.

2. How much do you personally feel you are influenced by a store's design?

I personally don't feel very influenced by a store's design simply because I don't like to shop. When I go shopping I know what I am going to purchase. It is nice to have things organized to help me find it; however, most of the the time I know exactly what I am looking for and where I need to go.

3. Make a check list you could use to analyze a retail store like Paco Underhill does.

-What is the purpose of this store?
-Why is this store intriguing to me?
-What do I first notice about the store?
-How does the layout of the store help me?
-Is there helpful clues to aid in my search for an item?

Mistakes in Web Design

1. How does this reading relate to the concept of user-focused design that we have discussed in class?

This article relates to the topics we have discussed in class because you should focus your content on the main points you want to get across to the reader. There is no need to add unwanted information in the writing or presentation. The concept of have a good web design follows many of the same principles for other things such as a good presentation. You should focus on your main points and completely explain them. Other skills such as content, good contrast and keeping it simple for the reader are also very important in web design.

2. What points do you feel are the most important?

The two points in this article that I think are the most important are "A man from Mars can't figure out what your web site is about in four seconds" and "Site lacks heroin content." The first major point shows that you must get your main point across immediately. You should be able to view a website that you have never attended before and know what it is about within a few seconds. This forces the producer of the site to get his point across immediately and focus his attention on what he wants the viewer to learn. The second main point makes the reader want to come back to the site after they have visited it. The website should have great appeal and be very user-friendly.

3. Create your own list of important design factors for a webpage.

1. Simplicity
2. Focus on main points
3. Content
4. User-Friendly
5. Attractiveness/Contrast
6. Links to pages (Not one page!!!!)
7. Low text/More Pics

Know it All

1. What do you think were the author's main points in this article?

In Schiffs article "Know it All" she describes the Wikipedia website and compares it to the Encyclopedia Britannica. I believe her main points in this were about the community of Wikipedia and the reliability of the information. First of all, Wikipedia is not created by experts or professionals. Wikipedia is a collection of articles posted and edited by everyday people. Wikipedia contains over one millions articles, mostly composed by people sitting at home on their computers. This leads into Schiff's next point of reliability. Since Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, can you trust the content that is in the article? However, Schiff explains that the text is edited and re-edited every minute to ensure the correct information is being posted. Although there are some vandals, Wikipedia management try's to dispose of their edits and post the correct content.

2. An important part of credible writing is selecting good supporting evidence. Select a passage from this article that illustrates the effective use of supporting detail. Explain why you think it is particularly effective.

The real work at Wikipedia takes place not in Florida but on thousands of computer screens across the world. Perhaps Wikipedia’s greatest achievement—one that Wales did not fully anticipate—was the creation of a community. Wikipedians are officially anonymous, contributing to unsigned entries under screen names. They are also predominantly male—about eighty per cent, Wales says—and compulsively social, conversing with each other not only on the talk pages attached to each entry but on Wikipedia-dedicated I.R.C. channels and on user pages, which regular contributors often create and which serve as a sort of personalized office cooler. On the page of a twenty-year-old Wikipedian named Arocoun, who lists “philosophizing” among his favorite activities, messages from other users range from the reflective (“I’d argue against your claim that humans should aim to be independent/self-reliant in all aspects of their lives . . . I don’t think true independence is a realistic ideal given all the inherent intertwinings of any society”) to the geekily flirtatious (“I’m a neurotic painter from Ohio, and I guess if you consider your views radical, then I’m a radical, too. So . . . we should be friends”).

I believe this article is particularly effective in its description because it describes what the article is going to be about in its first sentence. It tells us that the community of Wikipedia is responsible for all of its success. It then gives values and numbers that describe the Wikipedia community. With these numbers it gives specific names of Wikipedia members. Then to sum up the paragraph it gives actual quotes from a Wikipedia incident. This paragraphs description gives us a full understanding of the Wikipedia community.

3. Throughout the article, the author compares Wikipedia to the Encyclopedia Britannica, but not specifically on design. How would you compare the two encyclopedias from a design perspective?

When you wish to use an encyclopedia, the thing you want most is factual information. I believe this part of the encyclopedia describes the behavioral aspect of design. In this sense I would have to give the edge to the Encyclopedia Britannica, simply because it is more reliable. However, Wikipedia allows for a wider range and a variety of topics. Along with the wide range of topics, Wikipedia is very accessible and easy to use. However, an encyclopedia may take time to find what you are looking for. This would give the edge to Wikipedia in user friendliness. I prefer Wikipedia, but strongly believe that both resources are great. Which one you use is completely based on the users preference and what they are looking for.

Organization and Preparation Tips

1. What do you think are the author's three most important points?

I believe the author's three main points are content, keeping it simple and confidence. If you do not have information for your topic, then the presentation will be worthless. One the other hand, you must keep your presentation simple enough so your audience can understand it. You do not want to overload them with information and data. Confidence is a very key aspect of a good presentation. People do not want to listen to someone who is nervous or does not know their information. It makes the presentation awkward.

2. How might you apply his advice to your own presentation?

The thing that I will be sure I do is know my content and information. In order to give a good presentation and have the audience comprehend your ideas, you must first fully know the content. I believe this is the most important aspect and will benefit me the most. I will also be sure to keep by presentation very simple. I must present my information in a way that my audience can understand it. This will help them to get a full grasp on what I am trying to present and allow for a good presentation.

3. What do you think presentation preparation has in common with product design?

I think the thing that presentation preparation and design have in common is you must know your audience. In a presentation you must know who you are talking to and their general knowledge of the topic you will be presenting. In product design you must know what type of people you will be selling to. Depending on the type of person that will be using your product will determine how the product will be made. You must also think about the end in both scenarios. You must know what you are going to present and the information you want to get across to your audience. In design you want to have an idea of what you are creating and what the function of the product will be.

Week 9 Design Topics
Building Design
Layouts of Houses
Multi-Story Structures

Emotional Design Part II

1. Select a brief passage from Chapter Three Emotional Design by Donald Norman and post it in your blog. Explain why you thought it was interesting.

"Even after the need for cup holders seemed obvious, German automobile manufacturers resisted them, explaining that automobile were for driving, not drinking... But if the automobile is only for driving, why do Germans provide ashtrays, cigarette lighters, and radios? The Germans reconsidered only when decreases in sales in the United States were attributed to the lack of cup holders" (Norman 73).

This passage is very interesting to me because I can't even imagine a car without a cup holder. The Germans did not think about what the people would want in their cars, instead they thought of the essentials. Design has changed so much and to even consider making a car without a cup holder seems ridiculous to me. This passage shows the importance of watching the people who use your product to see what they want and what they find essential.

2. Norman uses the terms Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, and Reflective Design. Do these categories seem useful to you? Would other names or phrases make the categories clearer?

These three main types of design are very useful to me. When reading what each meant, several different examples of design that fell into each category came to mind. Analyzing a product and putting it into one or several of the categories helps to find the quality of the product at hand. Behavioral and reflective design are very good names for their respective categories, however, visceral did not connect me to the look of a product. Possibly using words such as physical or look would help add the the meaning of visceral design.

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 product more visceral, behavioral, or reflective?

To decide what type of design to use for a particular product, a designer should consider why he is making a certain product. If the product will be used regularly and must work good, then possibly more behavioral design should be used. If the product is used for decoration or to look interesting then visceral design may be the better choice. However, several products can involve several aspects of design. For example, a nice car can look very good, but also could have very good gas mileage and get you to your destination. Some of these products are definitely more visceral, behavioral, or reflective. I believe that good design will try to combine all types of design, however, other products are made to just look good or do its job.

Emotional Design

1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?

In Donald Norman's third chapter he describes three basic types of design- visceral, behavioral and reflective. Visceral design is very basic and is based solely on physical appearance. Visceral design stresses the importance of color, texture, feel, shape and basically all physical attributes. This type of design is used in hopes of grabbing the consumers attention. Behavioral design basically says that the product does what it is supposed to do. It may not look the best or be attractive to the consumer, but it does its job. This type of design may be used with products that have one lone purpose and may not need to be very physically appealing to the consumer. The last type of design is reflective design. Reflective design is the most complex of the three. It focuses on the message that is being conveyed to the user and the meaning of the product in use.

2. How does this chapter compare to the earlier writing (The Design of Everyday Things) by the same author?

The Design of Everyday Things focuses mostly on the physical attributes and components of design. However, Emotional Design, focuses mainly on the three main types of design in visceral, behavioral and reflective. These three types of design are based on how the consumer is going to react to a certain product. Whether the consumer is buying to product for its looks or for its usability is what the designer considers when choosing the type of design.

3. Give examples, from your own experience, of...
a. Something that succeeds as Visceral Design...

The first thing that comes to mind when I consider visceral design is clothing. Today many people buy clothing based on how it looks. Being comfortable and other factors do play a role in buying clothing, but I feel the look of the piece of clothing is the main factor. I have seen many people who look very uncomfortable in the clothes that they are wearing. However, this may be the new trend or the popular thing to wear, so they decide to buy it even if its uncomfortable on them. I personally feel that I am somewhere in the middle. I tend to buy clothes that I think look the best, but I also do factor in whether I will be comfortable in them. I think clothing is very successful because what you wear plays a big role in what people think about you. This is basically why people buy clothing solely because of how it looks.

b. Something that succeeds as Behavioral Design...

Something in my life that succeeds as behavioral design would be my old Sansa mp3 player. Although I have not used it that much lately, I do feel it does the job it was supposed to do and that is play music for me. It may not be as appealing to the eye as one of the new iPod's, however, it does the job that I wanted it to do when I purchased it. This follows behavioral design, even though the product is simple, it does what it's supposed to do. I think this is successful because people want things that work. I am a simple person and if I want something that plays music, I can get it in my Sansa mp3 player and I don't have to worry about pictures, videos and several unnecessary buttons.

c. Something that succeeds as Reflective Design...

I believe expensive cars such as BMW's, Mustang's, and Jaguar's follow reflective design. Although cheaper cars do the exact same goal (to get from A to B) these classy cars give the owner a certain social standing. They send the message to other people that the operator must be very rich to be driving a vehicle like that. These cars are successful because people care about what other people think. They want to have a high standing and make people notice them.

Passage: Design of Everyday Things

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.

"As I pondered this problem, I decided it would make sense to compare the phone system with something that was equal or greater complexity but easier to use. So let us temporarily leave the difficult telephone system and take a look at my automobile... There are 112 controls inside the car. This isn't quite as bad as it sounds... Why is the automobile, with all its varied functions and numerous controls, so much easier to learn and to use than the telephone system, with its much smaller set of functions and controls?... There are good mappings, natural relationships, between the controls and the things controlled. Single controls have single functions" (Norman 21).

I find this passage very interesting because I believe that mapping is the most important component that Norman describes in his chapter. I believe that a good layout of controls is very vital in making a good design. I find it very intriguing that the car with 112 controls is much easier to use than the phone system with only fifteen controls. This is due to the great mapping of the car. To roll down the window you use the control on the door by the window. To change the radio station you would put a button on the stereo system. To turn the car right, simply move the wheel to the right. The good mapping of the car makes it a very good design.

2. Normans 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?

I think this book is still influential for one main and simple reason: All of the main components of design portrayed in the chapter still are very relevant in today's world. People still demand the component of visibility to understand their device the best they can. They also need good mapping to know how to actually use the different functions of their device. Feedback has always been very important because people demand instant gratification. Immediate feedback has always been and will always be very important in design.

3. Based on this chapter, what factors would you include on a checklist for evaluating the design of a product?

From this specific chapter I learned three main components of design: Visibility, Mapping and Feedback. After hearing Normans views on these three components, I find them three of the most important aspects of good design. I would include these three aspects in the checklist in some sort of form. I would make sure that mapping is very well covered and the product is very easy to use. Customers want their products to be user friendly and as a producer I would make sure my consumer gets what they want.

Design of Everyday Things

1. What do you feel were the authors key points in this chapter?

Norman's key points in his first chapter were the main components of good and bad design- visibility, mapping and feedback. Visibility explains the how the certain device is used and how easy it is to find the needed button or device. A simple telephone is a great example of visibility because it is designed in a fashion that all buttons and devices are easy to find. Mapping is similar to visibility, but serves a different purpose. Mapping is knowing the certain use of a certain button or device on a particular design. Such as in a car we know that the buttons on the door control the window and locks. The relative location of the object helps to give its use. The last main component is feedback. Norman says feedback is very well known in the science world and helps to see what has actually been accomplished.

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?

Norman focuses some of his attention on the difficulty to use a modern day watch. I have also had problems with watches, but more specifically a stop watch. Stop watches only have two buttons on the top of the device, but serve many purposes such as the time, countdowns, alarms, and of course timing. However, I find that a stop watch is much more difficult to use then it should be. To use the timer you must push the two buttons in some sort of order until you see 0:00, you can finally begin to time. However, if you push the buttons in the wrong order you may set an alarm for yourself or possible change the time of day. With several functions and only two buttons, the stop watch is a difficult device to master. This is a great example of Norman's idea of visibility.

3. How did the designers of the iPod address the principles that Norman discusses here?

The designers of the iPod addressed every component mentioned in this chapter at one time or another. When they first decided to make the wheel they argued about how many buttons should be on the device. After thinking of all the uses for the iPod, they realized that the four main buttons would be sufficient to use this device. They then mapped the buttons on the wheel of the iPod. Placing the buttons on the wheel made easy access to them and allowed the user to not have to remove his/her hand from the device after scrolling. When selecting a certain song or video the user gets instant gratification and feedback in the form of sound. The iPod definately follows the components that Norman specified in a good design.

The Perfect Thing

1. What elements of the design process does this article illustrate?
This article fully illustrates the design process by explaining the creation of the iPod. The process first begins with ideas and brainstorming. Several MP3 players had been created at this point but Apple was looking to add to the simple MP3 player. Several ideas were being thrown around such as more capacity, better durability and visual attractiveness. The iPod was not created by just one person. It took the collaboration of several people and hundreds of ideas to eventually make what we now know as the iPod. The original design of the iPod was created by a simple foam core and fishing weights. Apple then added several new dimensions to the iPod that the simple MP3 players did not contain such as the wheel, visual screen and extended battery life. Eventually, the final product was created and ready for sale.

2. What factors would you use to evaluate a "perfect thing"?
To begin with a "perfect thing" must work and function properly. Other factors that would be an advantage to the owner would be durability, size, weight and visual attractiveness. Also the cost of an item would be one of the biggest factors considering if it is not affordable then all other factors are irrelevant .

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 have never owned an iPod, but I have owned an MP3 player and have had a lot of contact with iPods. I feel that the iPod is a very great product and many owners of iPods have been very happy with their purchase. The good things about iPods is that they are very compact, durable and functional. They contain a lot of memory in such a small device. The only negative things I have ever experienced or heard of with an iPod is the battery life and occasionally the issue of the screen freezing. Besides these minor issues I find the iPod to be a very good product.

About Me

My name is Brandon Casto and I am from Jackson, Michigan. I attended Parma Western High School where I played football, basketball and baseball. My parents are Mike and Diane Casto and I have a younger sister Kelsea who is sixteen and a brother Brett who is eight. In my free time I like to hang out with my friends and play poker. Here at K I am playing cornerback on the football team and I plan to major in business.