Tuesday, November 23, 2010

1. The handouts and online readings were all interesting to me in some way or another. A lot of them taught me to look at design in a new way -- while I cared about design before, I feel I know have a much better understanding of technicalities with design and know how to apply a lot of new concepts to my own life. Writing about it was difficult but rewarding, because of how much it helped me to improve my writing as a whole just to write something short (but technical) 1-3 times a week.

2. I learned a lot about writing and my writing style and how to write about certain subjects from taking this class. I've always wanted to get better at analytical and technical writing, especially in condensing it; the resources and advice I've received in this seminar made a huge difference, I feel, in improving and polishing my technical writing.

3. All of this information will be of so much use in the future, both for writing papers for any class and for examining design in the real world (or perhaps also in classes!). This was a very valuable class for me, and I'm sure it will continue to be valuable in the future, both in classes and out.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Secret to Turning Consumers Green

1. The author's main points in the article that there are simple and very easy ways to influence consumers to act green in their consumption habits. The article lists a number of ways, mainly financial influence (showing how being green can save money, whether through conservation - smaller utility bills - or higher taxes on environmentally unfriendly products and services), that people can become more earth-friendly consumers. Statistics and social influences are also popular mechanisms for influencing consumers - using numbers and ideas to say "everyone else is doing it too" is a proven successful way to get consumers to do what companies and governments want them to. the article also lists the benefits both environmentally and fiscally of becoming a green consumer.

2. I think I would be less influenced by peer pressure advertisements than by green advertisements, especially after seeing this article. I am not necessarily a crazy rebel or anything like that, but knowing that companies specifically say "everyone else is doing it" to get you to do something too doesn't necessarily seem like a good thing to follow in every case. (In the case of being green, people should just be green because that's the right thing to do, not because everyone is doing it. But that is just my opinion.)

3. I bought a can of shaving cream because it was packaged in a can made of recycled materials. It is not very good shaving cream, but at least I can recycle it again and that makes me feel better about it.

4. A specific example of a product becoming environmentally friendly is the redesign of the bags for the snack food Sun Chips. The chip bags were remade out of a new material so they would be 100% biodegradable and more efficient to make than foil & plastic bags. If I remember correctly the bags were done away with because consumers hated them - the new material was extremely loud and obnoxious - but the idea was a solid one and I definitely appreciated it and bought into it. Many companies are also designing green cleaning products, with chemical-free formulas, recycled/recyclable packaging, and (in some cases) fractions of the cost donated to green causes. Other examples of green products include recycled paper products, paper products made out of materials other than trees (banana paper, anyone?), pesticides, toys, cars (hybrid/electric cars), energy-efficient devices like (microwaves, toasters and refrigerators) and, to use an example from the article (though this is more a service than a product), the method hotels are beginning to employ to use less energy, water, and detergent by allowing guests the option to keep towels more than a single day.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Specialty Clothing Retailers This Fall...

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.''

I find this quotation to be very suitable to get across the whole point of the article. It definitely expresses the idea that reflective design is a powerful marketing tool in advertising - targeting the ideal consumer and expressing to them just why they would be interested in the product with reflective elements showing through the design of the advertisement.

2. 

 

The advertisement campaign I chose, which I feel is iconic, is the very strange and somewhat vintage aesthetic that the Marc by Marc Jacobs high fashion label has used as long as I can remember. The specific run of ads that are featured here are from a recent ad campaign featuring Victoria Beckham. Beckham is a style icon as well as a sex icon, so her modeling for Marc Jacobs combined with his naturally quirky style gives the brand both sex and unique appeal. The images of her popping out of shopping bags is unusual and definitely sparks a reaction in the viewer, whether one of inspiration or confusion; but most importantly, it is something that clearly echos the statement above which identifies reflective design as one of the most important parts in selling name-brand clothing that is found in boutiques or specialty stores as opposed to department stores.

3. Brand image has everything to do with which brands certain people will and will not buy. Brands specifically market to certain kinds of people, using music or sex appeal or classical fashion to appeal to tastes and needs of all different types (just, not at the same time). Some brand images cause me to steer clear of buying their clothes - I tend not to shop at departments stores because a lot of the clothing is all focused on the brand name, and not on any actual remarkable style or silhouette of fashion. I feel the people define the clothes, because people are the ones deciding what to buy; and just because you wear Hollister one day does not mean you can't wear Marc Jacobs the next, even though one is commonplace and one is crazy. The clothes may appear to define the person if a person finds a style that they feel comfortable and happy wearing all the time, but just because they dress in a certain way it does not necessarily indicate a certain thing about them (for example, I may wear an ugly Salvation Army sweater, but it is because I am cold and desperate not because I am poor or especially partial to ugly sweaters) (well okay I am both of those things but that is beside the point).

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Biggest Mistakes in Web Design

1. This article relates very much to the design concepts we have learned about in class so far in that it highly emphasizes user-friendliness when it comes to designing a website. For almost each and every example, the author explains how very crucial it is that a website design be as user-friendly and clear to understand as possible. The functionality and simplicity of design that websites should ideally possess reflect the same ideas that apply to functionality of products, store layouts, and everyday utilities: they must make coherent sense immediately and not require too much thought, action, or direction to use. If a person cannot figure out a website within a few seconds, the website loses traffic to a website with a superior design and user-friendly interface.

2. I feel the most important point he makes is the idea that you must be able to tell what the company and their website are/are about immediately. The example of the philanthropic organizations who do not accurately express what exactly they do is a very clear example which definitely reflects upon how frustrating and distorted a website and its purpose can really be. I also think the websites with completely abhorrent designs are important to consider (animated rainbow backgrounds with running cats and cheap, 1990's clip art? Gag).

3. Websites must be clean, clear, and easy to read. The user must be able to tell what it is for immediately and have no problems navigating among the different pages. The layout should be instinctual and easily functional: the links should match up with the page the user is trying to get to, and there should be all expected pages available. Colors should not clash and contrast should be high enough to create emphasis on the elements on the site that matter (the text, links, and images). There shouldn't be any unnecessary, distracting elements (like excessive ads), and the typeface above all should be clean, standard, and of a legible size.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Future of Retail

1. The thesis of Negroponte's article is not very explicitly stated, which makes it confusing initially. If I were to give it a thesis, I would say "Stores have become mere showrooms for products; in order to obtain maximum benefits from a shopping experience, people can now shop online instead."

2. This article definitely discusses ideas similar to Norman's theories on user-focused design. As Negroponte examines different types of stores, he focuses heavily on the effect shopping in a physical store has on a person. For example, he explicitly believes bookstores are not for buying books, but rather for the social experience of seeing other people shop for books, to meet in a cafe, and to visualize oneself "bumping into the unexpected." Visiting a store makes you feel a certain way that you don't feel sitting at home on a website. Shopping in and of itself is an experience, one that would be lost if shopping were totally converted to a digital phenomenon.

3. His ideas are certainly still relevant today, as many websites for shopping are crucial to certain  shopping activities we can't do in stores (if there are certain stores products don't sell or don't have in stock, or for certain sites that don't have a physical counterpart, like Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and so on). However, his prediction was that stores would die out in favor of digital shopping, and I don't find this to be true at all. I believe the two coexist, because each serves a necessary purpose that the other may not be able to serve -- the stock and convenience of the internet versus the physical and emotional experience of shopping in a store. Plus, buying groceries online just sounds dumb. How do you know if anything is fresh before it gets to your house?? How do you know if a shoe fits if you can't try it on on a website? Some products just make more sense to buy in a store.

4. I would imagine a lot of things would remain the same with the dynamics of shopping between the internet and physical stores. As previously stated, and as stated in the article, each serves a variety of important purposes and neither can be done without. So I feel, unless there is a revolution in the methods of shopping one way or another, the two shall continue to coexist and be similarly necessary for quite some time.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Evaluating downtown Kzoo

1. The first thing I notice about downtown Kalamazoo is the architecture. It is a strange mix of older, more "typical" business buildings (brick, stone, iron, and window-shopping-friendly store fronts) and more contemporary buildings (like the huge, modern-looking mostly-windowed Radisson hotel or the Epic arts centre, constructed of metal and glass panels). The first place we explored, the mall on Burdick, is a one-way street (north to south) paved with brick both in the street and on the sidewalk. It is a very pretty street, focusing more on walking space with minimal parking along the edges of the driveway; it is not very functional for cars (as Mike memorably put it: "It looks like someone made a mistake"). The street is lined with businesses and storefronts, each one quite different looking to suit the style of the store or service inside. Along the thick, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, there are benches and plenty of plants and trash cans/ashtrays and cigarette receptacles. In some areas along the mall, you can find sculptures or advertisements.

2. The driving in the downtown area is very difficult for people unfamiliar to the area, and can be frustrating even if you know the layout of the one-ways. Downtown also doesn't feel particularly safe, since there is no real security that can be consistently seen. The parks are much less attractive when the fountains don't work and there is graffiti on the ampitheatres.

3. The section I selected is the entire section about window shopping in Whyte's "City." It was interesting to me to look at the windows in downtown Kalamazoo, which are very conducive to window shopping in both older and newer buildings. Whyte claims that window shopping seems to be a dying phenomena, but in Kalamazoo I don't find this applicable. In NYC, according to Whyte's studies, windows and doors are becoming smaller, difficult to see through, or completely unnecessary. However, in Kalamazoo I found both old and new stores to be window-shopper-friendly; there is a huge bank of windows at the main entrance for the mall which shows off women's clothing etc., and the newest buildings - again, the Radisson and the Epic - contain stores and restaurants whose insides are clearly visible through windows (Most notably the mess of toys and games available at the Nature Connection in the Epic Center). I feel this has been maintained in Kalamazoo because of its desire to be a largely pedestrian area.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

1. The main purpose of each of Whyte and Gibbs's writing is fairly fundamentally different, owing for the fundamental differences in their writing and approaches. Gibbs focuses on main streets, and their ability to act like places of commerce and shopping. Whyte, on the other hand, analyzes cities as a whole - so while he mentions commerce and shopping heavily, he focuses more on the aspects that cities have that you would not find on a main street in a small town. Gibbs tends to mention a lot of what is pleasing or detrimental about a main street - mostly in visuals and expenses - and while Whyte mentions these, he also explores a lot further into the other senses and sensory cues as well as space, time, and the accomodation and manipulation of masses of people in city streets. Gibbs writes with an enthusiasm that Whyte lacks in his technicality; but because of the depth of exploration Whyte uses in his writing, I find his writings a lot more useful to the topic.

2. Probably what I love the most about an urban area is the architecture and the lights. (Whyte is perfectly correct when he states that lights attract.) The atmosphere of a city, especially a large one like New York, is one that you can't find elsewhere due to the nature of a place that needs to accommodate so many people. Plus, seeing how theory behind retail works in action in big cities is fascinating. However, at times, other sensory cues - especially sound and smell - can be revolting and repelling out on the streets. And, cities are dirty and crowded. However, something about the life and vibrance of cities - which both authors take care to examine properly - is fascinating to this small-town girl.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

City - Chapter 6

1. The main points of this article were for the author to express what he feels makes a successful design of an urban street - including traffic flow and selling products to passers by. Using example from New York City and Tokyo, he describes a variety of types of streets, architecture, and advertising techniques to manipulate crowds into moving and acting a certain way in a city, including buying and traveling to places.

2. Whyte and Norman have very similar ideas to the approaches of design: They study trends in design, explaining why things are the way they are, out of both functionality and visual appeal. Norman discusses stores and products exclusively in the readings we have discussed so far; Whyte addresses the functionality of a city as a whole as well as the construction of cities to serve certain purposes, especially here drawing customers to businesses. Norman separates design in to three categories: visceral (sensual), behavioral (functional), and reflective (emotional/mental). Whyte, on the other hand, addresses what makes a place memorable and worthwhile to be in: Sensual elements included in the presentation of city streets and the businesses that line them, such as smell, sounds, lights and signs, and so on, manipulate the memories of the customers as they navigate the streets. People can be affected to buy, enter certain stores, move in a certain way, and have certain experiences based upon their surroundings in a city or a store. Whyte also evaluates trends in cities, and how cities have developed over time (such as the success of second-stories and brownstones, or the fading usefulness of windows and doors in drawing a crowd into a store).  Both address how culture affects the design of their respective subjects of study - Norman, stores, and Whyte, cities. By comparing and contrasting New York with Tokyo, Whyte addresses what is successful in a city and what is not - creating a synthesis through studies of both cities.

3. An urban area, according to Whyte, must have very powerful sensory cues in order to function properly and be recognizable as a successful design. The senses must be ignited by this place, making it attractive or at the very least memorable. Thus, the smells, sounds, visuals, and sometimes even touch (like, for example, the blind man) can all trigger something in the frequenters of the street that make it a successful urban design (similar to reflective design in Norman's theories). Whyte also carefully details the importance of space and spatial setups in urban design. The size of a storefront, corridor, sidewalk, etc can all affect the way people react to it. In the narrative about the shop owner who constantly moves a sign to catch people's attention, Whyte proves that space and size cause people to react differently to their surroundings; and thus, spatial relations become an important factor in cities, especially crowded ones where small sidewalks must be shared by a large number of people. The appearance as well as the physical presence of people in a city must come together in order to make a successful design, something especially important in a large city that must both flourish for its own means and also support lives and careers.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

What Main St. Can Learn From the Mall

1. Gibbs considers a number of different design concepts when evaluating shopping centers. First, he examines the details in the decor and structure of a main street area. There is a fine line between tasteful decor and distracting shoppers from doing actual shopping - if they spend too much time looking at the setup of a location, they will breeze straight past storefronts. What colors and thematic elements do designers apply to the design of a main street? Attention is paid to the outdoor/patio furniture, the plants, the topiaries, the lanterns, and even the materials used to make the sidewalks. He also focuses on the organization of certain areas: for example, the difficulty of navigating a courtyard which might cause shoppers not to bother with the location at all. Cleanliness and organization not only makes it easier to shop, but also gives people reassurance that the location is safe and filth-free.

Next, he evaluates the basics of shopping logistics. Like Underhill, Gibbs notes how shoppers always turn to the right: for Underhill, upon entering a store, and for Gibbs, whilst driving in certain direction (people drive on the right side of the road, and are very unlikely to turn left to go shopping on a whim).
The parking lot of a shopping centre should be appealing: like making the customers feel as though they have arrived at a special place, somewhere new and unique. Storefronts also need to be attractive to call customers in, as well as showcasing the products the store sells.
Clothing stores should never be located next to restaurants, Gibbs says; and the direction in which a clothing store or restaurant faces is very important to a good experience both for the owners/workers of the store and the customers.
The products sold at a store can easily be made more attractive by helping the customer visualize the lifestyle that surrounds those products in practical use; like a pricey stationery store displaying its wares in a sophisticated office-like way. Likewise, different shapes and spaces can imply different meanings and standards of products and the people who sell them. Above all, it should be obvious from the outside what a store is selling.

2. While I understand and see the parallels between the ideas of Main Street and shopping malls, I feel the two should remain distinct and separate. What Gibbs points out early in the article is how shopping malls are becoming less of a popular, successful trend; in this case, it would be any business's main focus to move in a different direction. Main streets have the advantage of decorating, landscaping, and architectural freedoms that shopping malls won't necessarily have; and the developing trend toward more metropolitan methods of shopping just means that perhaps malls are passe, and outdoor shopping is a more enjoyable experience now.

3. I think the architecture and maintenance of buildings are extremely important in evaluating a main street. The buildings and store fronts must be kept clean and well-designed through time. Similarly, the outdoor decor and arrangement of benches, tables, plants, fountains and displays, etc. needs to be well thought out and convenient for traffic. The location should be good and encourage shoppers to feel safe. Likewise, the article mentions traffic and how traffic flow should be good (whether in cars or on foot). The locations of stores and restaurants should be logical directionally, especially for restaurants and stores whose clothing products need to be protected from the sun.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Wikipedia Article

The Wikipedia article I have written to improve writing skills for this seminar is now online! It is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronophotography , and as of an hour after its posting it has not been deleted or changed!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Retail Analysis

1. I visited the retail store Eddie Bauer for my analysis. It is not a store I would normally shop at, and I have not been inside of it since it has had a style makeover. It seems to market to adults who are interested in outdoor activities, like hiking, camping, and climbing, or simply those seeking comfort, warmth, and quality.

2. a. The appearance of the store from the outside is very clean and clear: there is a white neon sign displaying the company's insignia on a charcoal background. The windows and doors are simple, transparent glass. The clothing you can see from the outside is organized and neat, and you can see touches of the siding, ceiling, floors, and so on from the outside.
b. The sounds inside the store vary between soft popular/adult alternative rock (I don't know who any of the specific artists were) and nature sound effects. At one point, a TV displaying a pretend feed of mountain climbers cut in sound effects and something like a radio broadcast over the loudspeaker.
c. The merchandise is laid about neatly on tables and hung on floor racks, and racks and hooks on the walls. All the displays are thematically similar, made of warm woods, metal, and with neutral colors.
d. The floor is wooden along the specific sections of clothing (women's on the right, men's on the left) with a section of flagstone paved along the middle of the store.
e. The signs on the walls both advertise the clothes and the situations in which they could ideally be used. Right now, heading into the winter season, they display pictures of mountains and mountain climbers in extreme conditions (wearing Eddie Bauer clothing, of course), and also proclaim the details of certain sales, specials, and new products. (there is also a television that kind of acts as a moving sign with constantly changing details.)
f. The cashier area contains the largest banner showing outdoor sports and clothing. The countertop is sleek and smooth, structured maybe like an outdoor checkpoint or something with its metal structure. It is surrounded by accessories (mostly men's), extra merchandise, and gift cards.

3. I feel this company tries to project an image of comfort and sport that one would hope to find in nature. The store has a very natural feel, mostly being decorated with wood, stone, and images of mountains, sky, and clouds. The layout and floorplan are very organized and neat, perhaps unnatural but in a way which offer an organic flow from display to display, and most clothing and accessories are made in neutral or earthy tones, something that also reflects the ideas of nature and natural sport.

4. The store is rather calming and so the customers were all very calm as well. They moved slowly among the displays and stopped to seriously consider a lot of products instead of just breezing past everything. Also interestingly, most (if not all) of the store's customers are not at all the type it seems to market to -- think middle-aged bargain-hunting women with glasses and bowl cuts as compared to young, adventurous, mountain-climbing types. I don't recall seeing a single male customer, only young boys tagging along with their mothers. The men's side of the store was completely unoccupied except perhaps for women shopping for their husbands, boyfriends, and/or fathers.

5. I was somewhat taken aback by the design of this store, never really having been inside and not really knowing exactly what or to whom they were marketing. I was guessing the store would be much more casual, perhaps less outdoorsy, and definitely found the discrepancy between target consumers and actual consumers hilarious if nothing else. I also thought it was interesting how well they pulled off earthy, natural side of the marketing - while I'm not attracted to extreme sports and their products are not my usual taste, the side of me that does appreciate nature and earthiness actually kind of wanted to buy a scarf or a hat or something (another plus that has pretty much nothing to do with the store's design is that almost all their products are made with natural materials - cotton, cashmere, fleece, wool, feathers. Who knew!). In all, I'd say that alone means the design of the store was successful.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Egg Drop

For Wednesday, I designed and built an egg drop container with my partner Sanjay (blog available here: http://designintelligence121292.blogspot.com/ .) We brainstormed ideas to try and make the container as protective as possible for the egg inside. We did a little bit of research to find some ideas on structurally sound containers. We knew we needed to have buffer zones along the outside of the container, so that these attachments would take the beating from the fall instead of the egg inside. Likewise, we added some structure to the main container by adding supports on the inside of the box so it would not dent or collapse on impact. unfortunately, what we didn't account for was the potential for the box to be topheavy - the one place where we didn't add extra buffer zones, expecting it to land on the bottom, was the part it landed on. It flipped in midair during the fall, and the egg broke. However, we did learn through our own failure and other groups' success just what it takes to build a protective container.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

The Science of Shopping

1.The most important points of this article are the various different identifiers of how and why we shop. Companies are reacting to new research in shopping behaviors - namely that people don't shop as often as they used to, and shopping habits vary vastly between male and female shoppers. How do stores set up their merchandise in order to sell optimally to a fickle market of consumers? According to this article, a number of variants are extremely important, even which side of a walkway a store is located on and what types of businesses surround the store. I feel that the observations about how a store is decorated and how it is set up to sell between men and women is extremely important, noting all the visual research that Paco Underhill conducted to understand styles of shopping and the way that men and women make shopping decisions. The aesthetic and physical setup of the store even influences shoppers - a store that makes them feel a certain way or think certain things about the product they are buying can have all the influence in the world, and likely the aesthetic of a store reflects the ideas behind the brand or the product they are selling. All of these together, plus other factors, are important to consider when trying to design and sell a product as well as a place in which to sell it.

2. I don't feel I am intensely influenced by a store's design - or if I am influenced by a store design, I try to keep other factors in mind when shopping there. While I find myself intensely attracted to certain aesthetics within a store - such as Urban Outfitters or Anthropology, both very vintage and kitschy stores, or Banana Republic and Gap, whose aesthetics are very clean and welcoming - it does not necessarily mean I will shop at those stores more frequently or buy items there that I would not buy elsewhere. Stores whose aesthetic does not really jump out at me will not deter me from still spending far too much money there - like Target, which I feel is not the most attractive store to be in, but I buy a massive amount of merchandise every time I go. (However, conversely, if I intensely dislike a store's aesthetic, I am not likely to ever shop there. Think: Hot Topic or the Dollar Store, which give me headaches for the opposite reasons: one is over-designed, one under-designed.) As a female shopper, convenience isn't my priority and so I keep other factors in mind as well, such as the fact that many things you can find at Urban Outfitters are available for a miniscule fraction of the price at a thrift store, and the necessity for certain items (yes, I love these shoes and I love the image they will give me, but do I really need another pair of black flats when I already have at least two?).

3. Retail store checklist!
  • Where the store is located
  • What is displayed on the right hand side (where most people turn first)
  • How the sections are arranged in the floor plan (specifically, segregated men's and women's sections)
  • The aesthetic factors of the store (layout, decor, flooring, music playing, wall colour, scent)
  • How the sections are arranged organizationally (where are the items located? How are they organized and presented? Are things simpler for men, and is there more space for women? For grocery stores, are junk food items located where kids will grab them and want them?)

Sunday, October 10, 2010

"Isn't it Iconic?" and "The Power of the Box"

1. Packaging design can be very important in buying a product. The package is what catches our attention at a store, and what convinces us that whatever product inside is worth buying. Of course, reputation and prior experience with a product can be extremely important in choosing what to buy. But if you are interested in trying a new product or switching to a different product, the package is probably what will attract you to it. Once, I was debating between two different brands of shampoo to switch too when my old brand ran out and I didn't want to stick with it. I actually chose the new brand I did because the bottle it came in was clear; I could actually see the product inside and know the density and consistency of the formula. This was so helpful in knowing what product I would actually be using. I made the same decision about a bottle of soap which was clear and interestingly shaped, as compared to a cheaper brand whose bottle was solid and rectangular. The decorative element of the soap bottle also helped as a decorative element in the bathroom without having to transfer its contents to a separate store-bought decorative soap holder, so when entertaining, the bathroom effortlessly looked nicer.

2. Fast food companies are very iconic: McDonald's, especially, has never drastically altered its logo, and its food packages (especially Happy Meal boxes and nugget containers) may not always be the same they once were, but they appear frequently in commercials and ads because that's what we remember. Other iconic products include Izze and Pom fruit juices (both with distinctive bottles), Starbucks cups, chip and junk food packages (Planter's nut containers, Lays, Cheetos, Fritos, and Doritos bags, cereal boxes, cracker boxes), and store brand products whose boxes reflect the design and logo of the chain.

3. Packaging has to be functional without being difficult to use or distracting. We appreciate packages that make sense to open, create little waste, and don't take up more space than necessary. The box my laptop came in was wondrous -- the lid opened easily and re-closed just as well, with tabs and flaps to keep it secure but not to distract. The padding was adequate to protect the device, but not extraneous as to create extra waste. The shape of the interior cushioned the computer as well as the accessories (charger, extension cord, manuals, and software) without wasting space OR taking up too much of it.  The product mentioned above, Izze juice, has a very distinctive and successful package. Sold in clear glass bottles in varying sizes and shapes similar to those of typical beer or soda bottles, it contains sparkling fruit juice with a simple, colorful, and attractive sliced-fruit design on the front (the design is very similar to the Ciao Bella gelato packaging mentioned in Gordon's article). The clean, white metal cap also looks like a typical beer/soda cap, but it conveniently does not require a bottle opener as it screws off. The juice also comes in small, simple ergonomic cans about the size and shape of Red Bull energy drinks. However, the solid, bright colors and simple logo reflect the company's iconic image while remaining attractive. The boxes both kinds of juice come in are simple, recycled (and recycle-able) cardboard. The earth-friendly simplicity of the product design is what also makes it attractive - the lack of plastic used anywhere in this brand means a steeper price in the store, but reasonably due to the fact that it avoids the use of a limited resource or the staggering amount of energy and money needed to recycle plastic.

On the other hand, If it is difficult to get a package open without completely destroying the package or harming the contents, I consider the design a failure. Likewise, if something generates a lot of waste with its packaging, it isn't worth using. As for the former, I find that packages for technological accessories are horrendous - headphones, data storage, computer mice, etc. all come in those plastic shape-conforming packages with welded sides that have to be completely cut open to get the contents out. Then, if you are dissatisfied with the product, it is completely impossible to return it. Frustratingly, I ordered a textbook from Amazon.com and the unusual cardboard envelope it arrived in was so hard to get open that I ripped the paperback's cover trying to get it out. As for a wasteful product, we all remember being in elementary school and having a Lunchable at lunchtime. I particularly remember the pile of trash that the product would generate as I unwrapped the food: first the box, then the shrink-wrapped tray, then the shrink-wrapped individual pieces, then the packets of sauce, the pouch, straw, and straw wrapper for the juice, and the wrapper for whatever dessert the lunch included. The box contained more trash than food, and the waste it must have generated was enough to give an environmentalist an aneurysm. In this way, we can clearly identify why some packages, though they may be adequately attractive or convenient, are still inadequate as far as usability is concerned.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Know it All

1. The main point of the article Know it All by Stacy Schiff is to bring to light the ideology and history behind Wikipedia. While not the most reliable source of reference on the web, Wikipedia certainly has the greatest number of viewers and editors of any reference source currently available, and it is the largest and most readily available (it is free and available worldwide). This article discusses the development and history behind the database, as well as the setup of users, editors, admins and owners, and the knowledge-spreading philosophy behind the huge, free encyclopedia.

2. Last year, Nature published a survey comparing forty-two entries on scientific topics on Wikipedia with their counterparts in Encyclopædia Britannica. According to the survey, Wikipedia had four errors for every three of Britannica’s, a result that, oddly, was hailed as a triumph for the upstart. Such exercises in nitpicking are relatively meaningless, as no reference work is infallible. Britannica issued a public statement refuting the survey’s findings, and took out a half-page advertisement in the Times, which said, in part, “Britannica has never claimed to be error-free. We have a reputation not for unattainable perfection but for strong scholarship, sound judgment, and disciplined editorial review.”

I think this passage is important not only because it shows Wikipedia is nearly as reliable a source as any, but also because it cites the source of the data that supports this statement. The passage doesn't just say, "Wikipedia is as reliable a source as any," but rather says, "Wikipedia is almost as reliable a source as any and here are the numbers and here is the place where the numbers were found." The supporting evidence makes for a much stronger argument.

3. “Wikipedia is to Britannica as rock and roll is to easy listening,” [Wales] suggested.


While this quote does not directly relate to the design elements of the two encyclopedias, it does describe the chasm in the philosophies behind them - which plays largely into the design. Britannica is a professional, well-written encyclopedia which exists for the main purpose of knowledge distribution. Wikipedia, on the other hand, is made to be simple, accessible, and available to people all around the world. Britannica, therefore, has a much more sophisticated and lofty design, while Wikipedia's is simple and clean. The search and editing functions on Wikipedia are easy to use and find, while Britannica is not editable to the general masses (despite the expertise of many in the general masses) and searches using keywords instead of article title. Altogether, Britannica is a more reliable source with more backings and a loftier design that makes it more difficult to use, but at less cost than the trust errors with Wikipedia. However, Wikipedia is easy to use, accessible, and faster than Britannica, and only marginally less reliable.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Organization and Preparation Tips

1. To me, the most important points the author makes are how important it is to be aware of your audience's expectations, keeping your presentation simple, and having confidence. If you know what it is your audience needs to know, you are less likely to miss any of the bases you need to cover in order to persuade them; likewise, these concepts apply to having a simple and proper structure. If you know ahead of time what to say, and in what order, the presentation will make the best sense and be the most marketable to the consumers or heads of a company. However, perhaps the most important component to use is confidence - if you are not confident in the product or concept you are presenting, why should anyone else be?

2. I think all of Reynolds's advice is valuable when preparing a presentation. He helps identify what a presentation needs to include, as well as strategies and tactics for mapping out the presentation in order to make it as simple, comprehensive, and successful as possible. I would be sure to utilize the points mentioned above within my own presentation, as well as also being sure to map out the presentation before diving into the project  and remembering to appear personably in front of my audience.

3. I feel that both product and presentation design are key in advertising and selling a point, most especially a point about a marketable product. Perhaps if the product and presentation have similar angles and similar design techniques, they appear one and the same and the flow makes the presentation and product easier to sell and buy. Many of the points that Reynolds mentions in his article have to do with knowing the product and presentation from the inside out in order to be successful. Therefore, the presenter must make as many connections as possible in the presentation to the product being presented; thus, the audience understands the point and the premise, and the product is advertised to the best ability possible.




In response to the second half of this assignment, I am very interested in advertising and modern product design. I love exploring photography, graphics and typography in design publications, especially these are used when to sell products; and I am quite partial to spending far too much free time dinking around on design blogs seeing the cool products people come up with. (t-shirt tea bags? eco-friendly, reusable, leaf-shaped cord keepers? yes please!)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Emotional Design (Part II)

1. "Just as the scary rides of an amusement park pit the anxiety and fear of the visceral level against the calm reassurance of the intellect, the Diesel store pits the initial confusion and anxiety at both the behavioral level and reflective levels against the relief and welcome of the rescuing sales person. in both cases, the initial negative affect is necessary to set up the relief and delight at the end.... But there is a difference between these two cases.... One is natural, the other not. Guess which will last over time."

I thought this quote was really interesting in how it provides a clear comparison between emotive design and emotion inspired by real-life events (at least, real-life events that aren't shopping). It describes a true scenario in which design (here, of a company and a marketing strategy) can influence people to act a certain way that eventually leads to buying their products, but most importantly causes a mental reaction related to the product in any way at all.

2. I find the phrases Norman uses in this chapter to be very straightforward and descriptive. While at first I had trouble understanding Reflective design, I feel it is key to realize that the term covers a lot of bases and ideas in design, something that is very different for Norman who tends to like to keep things simple. If I were to make a suggestion to Norman, I may suggest having even further subcategories of Reflective design depending on what each product's purpose serves as far as reflectivity goes (does it influence the way you perceive yourself? Does it define you? Does it cause you to act a different way? Does it cause a change in thought process?), but, depending on the reader, this may only make things more complicated.

3. The type of design a designer focuses on when developing a product lies between the decisions for target consumers and the purpose the product serves. If a designer focuses on visceral design, it is likely a product a person would buy to give off a certain image more than for its utility (like the example given of a plain white t-shirt versus a plain white t-shirt with Gap written on it seeming like two completely different products). Visceral design aims to impress the consumer, who aims to impress everyone else. A behavioral design focuses on the utility, and so may be targeted at consumers who value function over form and/or focuses upon a product that doesn't necessarily need to be pretty (like an industrial-size waste receptacle, for example, or a watch that can withstand more water pressure than any other). A designer will focus on reflective design when developing a product or concept that aims to draw a reaction or emotion from its customers. Reflective design also incorporates visceral and behavioral design while playing off of the mental conditions that may already exist, such as fear and excitement brought on by visual and physical cues. An example of this might be a roller coaster, as mentioned in the chapter, which looks and feels intense, but does not serve its purpose if a person's logic centers vastly overcome their fears. A truly good design incorporates all three; but the focus of a designer may lie in one or two more so than the other(s) due to the type of people and purpose the product is most likely to serve.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Emotional Design

1. This reading focuses on the idea of how we respond emotionally to designs: how we use products, what makes them easier or harder to use, and what causes us to like or dislike using them. Visceral, behavioral, and reflective design play into the marketing and marketability of a product. (These types of design and marketing strategies activate the senses, selling based upon what is sensually attractive, serves a certain purpose, and ) If something is attractive under these types of marketing, does it sell better? (The answer, according to Norman, may is yes, due largely to what society and culture dictates is attractive, necessary, or , and thus, what people are inclined to buy.)

2.  This chapter covers a much wider range of topics than the first chapter we covered by this same author. In "The Design of Everyday Things," Norman examines ideas of what a product needs to be or have or do in order to serve its purpose as an item we can feasibly use to serve everyday purposes. "Emotional Design" goes in depth to discuss designs we appreciate, reasons why we appreciate them, and the structures and theories by which we understand what makes a design we want to buy and keep using for some time. These types of design include visceral (a design that stimulates the senses), behavioral (the function and purpose of the design and how well they are served), and reflective (the "message, culture, or meaning of a product or its use").

3. My USB splitter that I bought for my laptop works very successfully as a visceral design. It plugs into a single USB port but branches into five, so that four devices can be plugged in instead of one. The reason it is viscerally attractive is because it is shaped like a stick figure, which sounds really stupid but in real life looks like a clever idea, and thus attracted me to buy it. A successful behavioral design would be my parents' plasma screen TV, which is crazy functional and noticeably superior to the older tube-televisions in my parents' house. I would say a reflective design success would be, for an example, a building or location with a sleek and stimulating interior design: one mentally reacts to being in this restaurant, and reflects upon being in a place where one should dress or act a certain way. Perhaps an example of this would be the basement lobby of Radio City Music Hall in New York City, whose carpeting, columns, and wall decor all contain dark colors, mirrors, and diamond shapes  to the psychology that these things make the room seem bigger and darker, thus influencing its customers to act quieter and more refined. Each thing is successful as its type of design due to the focuses of the designers and the success they found due to research, modeling after trials and failures of other products, and successful marketing.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Design of Everyday Things (part 2)

1. "The user needs help. Just the right things have to be visible: to indicte what parts operate and how, to indicate how the user is to interact with the device. Visibility indicates the mapping between intended actions and actual operations. Visibility indicates crucial distinctions.... It is lack of visibility that makes so may computer-controlled devices so difficult to operate.

The reason I chose this passage to examine is because I feel it very clearly states the overall idea of the chapter (book in general): That a good design does not take overt amounts of effort to operate and understand.Visual cues are necessary in a design to ensure the user knows its functions and how to utilize them to the fullest extent. (Also, I thought it was funny that the ultimate scary/complicated device mentioned is the VCR.)

2. Norman makes a clear and obvious point when naming elements of design that should be obvious and key elements to designers, but often are not. For example, the visible symbols and cues that lead to functionality of a device are so important for designers to keep in mind when considering their target consumers. If a device is too complicated, most users will never figure out its full capacity (if it has too many buttons, or you must go through a long and detailed process to achieve a particular function, no one will want to waste the time). If it is too simple, like the slide projector with one lone button, actions and reactions will be difficult to link and it will be near-impossible to learn how to use the device without poring over a manual. These are clear and easily-understood basic elements of design that designers should keep in mind, according to Norman, when creating a product that is both usable and successfully serves its purpose; and this applies to all products, regardless of what time period in which it is invented.

3. I would, as a designer, be sure that the design of a product does not sacrifice simplicity of use for a minimalist design. Something should be as easy to use as it is to look at; and visual cues should indicate quite simply how the product is put together and how to access its functions (for example, a door needs a plate to show what side it opens on, and there is no reason why a plate should lessen the visual attractiveness of said door). All the pieces and parts should work together toward the common goal, sacrificing neither visual nor operational simplicity.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Design of Everyday Things

1. The key points in the first chapter of The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman (obviously) focuses on  objects we use everyday and how utility designers create objects for everyday use. Things designers must keep in mind are, among other things, visual cues on the objects' purpose and method of use. In simpler terms, designers of everyday things must remember to make objects simple to use, and the objects must have distinct and individual purposes. A failure of a product is one that does not serve its purpose, or worse is designed in such a complex way that it becomes far beyond ordinary and takes too much work to figure out how best to use it.

2. About a month ago, I bought a new Android phone in the mindset that, because my plan limits me to a phone only every new years, I should buy the newest and best-developed phone available. However, it has taken me as long as I have had it to figure out how to use even the most base functions. I believe this is because the functions of the phone are many and useful, but the sheer number of functions make it complicated to do a simple task. Even after consulting the included manual and looking up tech hints online, the phone is far too complicated to learn and use simply.

3. The designers of the iPod seemed to take into consideration a lot of the factors that Norman considers necessary to create a functional, simple product. They are visually simple to use: practically all one must do to use it is click the proper buttons and voila, it plays the song or opens the app you want. There are not too many functions and the functions available do not interfere with another's ability to work (like the impossible teapot with a handle and spout on the same side or the picky slide projector button). It was designed with a simple purpose with simple steps to reach the desired result, with little to no need for visual cues and indicators beyond what it was originally designed with.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

The "Perfect Thing"


1.     What elements of the design process does this article illustrate?

This article ("The Perfect Thing" by Steven Levy) focuses heavily on how much work goes into an extremely successful product. Designers (specifically of the iPod) come together to incorporate a mass of ideas that work toward development and improvement of a product that is in-demand, easy to use, functional, and visually (and otherwise) appealing to consumers. Apple hired/consulted programmers, designers, and software and hardware developers all to contribute to an ultimately successful design of the product called an iPod. They used a trial-and-error system of finding exactly the right functions and necessary elements to make it a successful product, using opinions including the size, weight, ease-of-use, sleek design, physical strength, and then-unparalleled functionality.

2.     What factors would you use to evaluate a “perfect thing”?

I would use exactly the factors listed above to describe the “perfect thing”: a product that people want to buy, which serves a great purpose (whether as a novelty or a necessary object), doesn’t break or die easily, is functional and easy to use, and (preferably) is aesthetically pleasing.

3.     Whether you own an iPod or not, you probably have some opinions of this product. What do you feel are its strengths or weaknesses?

I have been a true fan of iPod products for a long time. I first owned an original Video, now classified as Classic (the kind with a plastic body, not the metal body) and now have a third generation iTouch. I feel this product has a sort of batch of bugs or design flaws that comes with each new model, but all are such successful designs in other realms that the flaws generally get overlooked.
For example, my first iPod was made of a metal back with a soft plastic front. And unfortunately, the plastic was so soft that the screen got scratched just by sitting on a dusty table. However, the quality of the programming and design beneath all the scratched-up surface more than made up for how terrible it looked after just a few weeks. (Plus, this flaw was improved and phased out with the next generation, whose front casing was a much more durable metal sheet.) I adored the click-wheel function of the product and the navigating ease it provided, and every little detail was perfect from the On-the-Go playlist function to the way the music paused for you if the headphones were unplugged. And while I heard and read many negative reviews on the product’s durability and battery life, mine was excellent beyond its warranty: Back when I bought it, it stayed alive seemingly forever and it never broke or even skipped a track when dropped. Nowadays, the front and back pieces don’t always stay together, the battery is plenty weaker, and it was probably dropped a couple too many times since the library is a jumbled mess; but it still generally works properly over five years past the day it was supposed to die permanently.
In contrast, my new(ish) iTouch is practically a miracle of a product. It is amazingly durable, and the glass screen seems practically invincible (the only tiny, barely-visible scratch is from an unfortunately-placed car key). The screen quality and sleek design are just gorgeous. The advertising statement, “There’s an app for that” really is true for almost anything. And perhaps the best improvement over my old Video was the fact that I didn’t have to re-format the OS to download music from both my own Macbook and my family’s HP PC. The only thing I miss is the old On-The-Go; the new program on the iTouch makes it so hard to add songs out of a library of thousands that it is no longer worth it to use that function. Still, one single complaint about the entire product seems insignificant.
Because the obvious attention to detail and consumers’ needs that Apple seems to implement in every product, the iPod is a product that clearly dominates (almost monopolizing, even) the digital music player market. I personally believe there is no question as to why. My current iPod isn’t even the most recent installment in the iPod line, and I couldn’t be happier with the now-outdated product the way it is. It doesn’t seem unlikely to me that this product is as close to the “perfect thing” as this market may ever see, as each new iPod seems only to improve upon something that was even a great product in the first place.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Intro

Hello! My name is Anne and I am a first-year student at Kalamazoo College. I made this blog specifically for my Design Intelligence seminar, and hopefully one day it will be full of intelligent words about design. (It only makes sense.)