Emotional Design Wrap-Up

1.   "Business versus art or literature: the debate is real and approriate.  In the end, the decision is whether one wishes to be an artist making a statement, in which case profits are irrelevant, or a business person, changing the film or product to make it appeal to as many people as possible, even at the cost of artistic merit." (98)

I really liked this passage because it demonstrates the dilemma many designers face.  They must decide whether or not they should be money driven, or forget about finances and create something that may potentially change the world.  This idea is shown through the film industry, where many of the larger studios create blockbuster hits that are made to bring in millions and stir the media.  The small independent films are the ones that make a difference, that have a strong message that settles into the hearts of the viewers.  In the business world this is also true, because many companies sell out and, instead of helping the people, they only do what will turn a profit.  

2. The visceral, behavioral, and reflective categories are very useful to me.  Visceral, when looked up in the dictionary, is found to signify dealing with instinctive and sometimes unreasonable, raw emotion.  Behavioral design deals with how a product or innovation behaves with its user.  Reflective design deals with status, in which the product reflects upon the user's self-image and how they are perceived by others.  These terms make sense, because they reflect the basic functions of each level of design.  The visceral level involves the physical attractiveness of an object, and how it appeals to the senses.  It invokes emotion in the user, and is what catches the consumer's attention.  Behavioral design relies on the usability of the product, which is directly related to the way the product behaves with its user.  Reflective also accurately describes its level of design, because it reflects the user's self-image and their personality.

3. A designer could decide which level of design is more important for a particular product by looking at the competition.  By surveying consumers and comparing the other products, the designer can find out what the user would prefer.  If the product that users have shown preference before in the past is viscerally designed, then the producer would know to take that route.  If behaviorally designed products have been more widely accepted, the designer would know to put usability at the forefront of their design.  For items of status, such as brand name clothing, the designer knows that the consumer has how they are portrayed in mind, and would therefore focus on reflective design.  Some types of products are, without a doubt, more visceral, behavioral, or reflective.  Items such as clothing, accessories, cars, or electronics such as iPods and cell phones are reflectively designed.  They also appeal to the visceral level, because they must be attractive to the general public.  Things like computers and typical, everyday objects, including appliances, are behaviorally designed.  They primarily must function well, and therefore appeal to the usability-concerned crowd. 

Emotional Design

1. In thiss chapter, Norman explores the three basic levels of design.  Visceral design focuses primarily on the aesthetics of a product, appealing physically to a user.  Many consumers viscerally prejudge a product, and are even willing to purchase it based on looks rather than function.  Second, designers focus on usability, putting emphasis on function over form.  The only concern of this type of design is that it is simple to operate and logical. Simplicity is key.  The third facet of design is reflective design.  Reflective design is meant to be memorable, and to evoke emotion.  It is about the message a product sends, whether that be about culture, status, it's use, or personal meaning. Reflective value is more significant than behavioral design in a product's case.  If a product is rare or scare, it also has a high reflective value. Design by an individual is also addressed as having more payoff in the end if there is success.  Committee design is a safe route to take, but does not generally end in a revolutionary, world changing product.

2. This chapter relates to the earlier writing, because it shows how the fundamentals of design play a role.  Visability is a key component of visceral design, because it relies almost entirely on how aesthetically pleasing a product is.  Usability factors into behavioral design, because behavioral design centers on the ease of which a product is operated.  Reflective design involves visabiltiy and conceptual models as well, because in order for something to evoke emotion or status, or represent culture, it must be aesthetically and viscerally pleasing, as well as have a specific memory or significance attached to its use.

3. In my experience, something that has succeeded at visceral, behavioral, and reflective design is the iPod.  It's simple, sleek design can be described as pretty, and it is visually pleasing.  Behaviorally, the iPod is simple to use.  There are only four (five if you include the hold button) buttons on the entire device, which is all that is necessary to operate the digital music player.  The iPod can do almost anything, including playing videos, numerous downloadable applications, accessing the internet, and of course playing music.  It operates almost flawlessly, and fills the role of everything it promises.  iPods also hold a specific status, making it a reflective design success.  They are easily identifiable, and have managed to undeniably boost and revolutionize the music industry.

Wrap-Up

1. "Technology offers the potential to make life easier and more enjoyable; each new technology provides increased benefits. At the same time, added complexities arise to increase our difficulty and frustration. The development of a technology tends to follow a U-shaped curve of complexity: starting high; dropping to a low, comfortable level; then climbing again."

I found this passage to explain, in a nutshell, the short run drawbacks and long run pros of new technology.  As products become more advanced, they begin to include technologies that the user is unfamiliar with.  It takes an adjustment period before a product actually gains ground in its respective industry, and usability is the most significant factor contributing to success.  The narrower that the U-shaped curve is, the more successful a product is bound to be.  It's important to understand that if a consumer becomes too frustrated by a product because it is too difficult to operate, the technology would be useless. Advancement and innovation must not compromise usability or simplicity. 

2. Even though Norman's book was written twenty years ago, it still relies on basic fundamentals of design, and caters to what the user wants and needs.  Visabiltiy is a key consideration when evaluating a design, because it relies on simplicity. The paradox of technology also still exists to this day.  Anytime something new is created, the same U-shaped curve cycle is experienced, through each trial of the innovation. The simplistic tendency of design will never grow old, because advancements are consistently trying to make life easier for the public.  Norman's ideas are logical and simple, and for that reason will stand the test of time.

3. In order to evaluate the design of a product, I would primarily make sure it was simple to use.  Instructions should not be necessary to use a product, because if the design accomplishes what it should, the user should have the ability to operate it with minimal difficulty.  It should also have immediate feedback, so the user knows that the action they have taken is the correct one.  The more features a new technology has, the more feedback it should have as well in order to accomodate the advancements.  The natural mapping should make operation of the product obvious.  For example, if you wanted to turn the volume of something up, you should have to push an "up" button, and vice versa.  Constraints must be set as well, to visibly trigger the mind into knowing how to operate it.  Conceptual mapping is also significant to visibiltiy, because it logically shows the user exactly how to work the product and it's features.

The Design of Everyday Things

1. I feel that in this chapter, Norman is expressing what he views are necessities in design. He understands that design should be focused on the user and consumer, not on who designs it. However, there is a fine line between being excessively simple, and not simple enough, both of which make it difficult for the user to interact with the product. The principles of design are addressed, such as visibility, accessible clues, usability, feedback, and mapping. All of these contribute to how the user navigates their way through the product and accomplishes whatever they desire with it. He also goes through the different psychologies of it, and that i words/pictures/etc are needed to convey how something should be used, the design has failed. Conceptual models describe how the object is to work, and is another aid at the user's disposal. The designers have a difficult job because all facets of production have a different desire. If each is not met, the design fails and does not reach a functional or successful market. The paradox of technology is explained, which states that although new technologies are designed to make life easier, life is made more difficult in the short run because one must figure out how to use it.

2. A few summers ago, I was going on a three week long trip to Europe. The trip took me to France, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. In order to document my vacation, my parents invested in a new digital camera for the family...It was the newest Kodak, complete with a special zoom and a bunch of other state-of-the-art features that I didn't understand. There were five buttons down the side, two buttoms for zooming (in and out), and a cursor with four directions. I was unable to take full advantage of these features because the menus were seemingly impossible to navigate. They used terminology I did not understand, cued different images to appear on the screen that I did not know how to use, and made the camera far more intense than what was necessary. Visibility was great until you went into the menus, which I did not know how to navigate. There were not appropriate clues either to show which of the options I may have found most useful for the type of picture I was taking at the moment. Feedback was good, except on the camera, you did not always know what options were set when a certain picture was taken. For example, if you had chosen a nighttime setting, the device used a preconstructed flash, zoom, pixel, etc. package, making it difficult to reenact if you desired.

3. The iPod's simplistic design makes it relatively easy to get through even the most extensive of music libraries. Jobs made sure that there was a minimum amount of buttons to be used, with one for the menu, and the basic play/stop/back/forward buttons. The mapping is self explanatory, with each button meaning exactly what its function is. Feedback is automatic, because when you select a song, it plays, and when you choose to stop it, it visibly stops. There did not need to be clues, because it was understandable from the beginning.

Apple Genius

1. The manufacturing of the iPod employed all steps of the design process.  As mentioned in the article, previous MP3 players were cheap looking, held too little music, and were complicated and inefficient.  Steve Jobs decided to build an innovation team that would create a more efficient digital music player.  Anthony Michael Fadell and Stan Ng went through various trials of style, usability, durability, and mobility in the development of the iPod.

Steve Jobs held a board meeting in which other MP3's were evaluated, and another where three prototypes were revealed and discussed.  The first was too complicated and the second had a poor battery, but the third was dynamite.  The failure of the first two brought Apple closer to it's landmark product.

The third prototype was selected based on a sleek interface, its ability to be dropped at least thirty inches and remain functioning, its ease of use, novel design, pocket-ability, and relatively low manufacturing cost.  All parts of the design process were integral in creating the iPod, Apple's revolutionary product. 

2. In order to evaluate a "perfect thing", I would make sure it could survive daily wear and tear.  The material used to make the product must be durable and have a decent cost per use ratio, giving it a good value for what you are receiving.  Company reputation plays a large role, because I would much rather buy from a corporation who has positive reviews and is reliable.  The product cannot be complicated to use so it can reach and be helpful for a large part of the population.  Style is also key, because if a product is not visually appealing, it will be less popular, and I would be less inclined to use it. 

3. Personally, I love my iPod.  It goes with me almost everywhere, because it is highly portable and relatively easy to fir into almost any pocket/purse/etc.  I cannot count on both hands the number of times I have dropped it over my four years owning one, and it still works flawlessly.  It is also aesthetically pleasing.  However, the fact that you cannot sync songs from iPod to computer is frustrating in the even of a computer crash or failure.  Price also is not the best, considering how your version of the iPod will most likely be out of date in approximately six months.  However, Apple is a highly credible company with a wonderful reputation in the computer science world, so you know you are receiving a state of the art, high quality product.  

First few days...

Hey guys I'm Brit Sumyk. From a suburb outside of Chicago (Elmwood Park?)... incredible city. I'm going to miss is terribly.  Honestly, I'm not sure what I want to do with the rest of my life, although I'm considering business, psychology, economics, or education; I have yet to narrow it down from there! So far I have to say that I'm loving K College! The people are awesome, staff friendly, everyone is beyond helpful, and it's great to finally be on my own. Can't wait for a great next four years!