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
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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.
"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.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
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.
"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.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
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.
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