Objectified provided some interesting insight into the world of design.  There were a lot of prevalent designers with a lot of things to say.  For the most part, I agreed with what they had to say.  It seemed that many of the designers’ main goal, especially the ones who worked for companies like Apple, was making products that are simple and easy to mass produce and sell.  I agree with that sentiment in terms of business sense, but I feel like being able to mass produce something shouldn’t be the first priority.

I really liked what the one designer said about “focusing on the extremes”; that when designing for a target audience, you should focus on the outliers, because they are the ones that need your product the most.  I believe the example they used was gardening tools and how they had designed grips that would accommodate weaker hands.  Their argument was that the average, healthy person’s hands would be fine with regular handles as well as their design, but people with arthritis or something similar would only be able to work with their handle design.

One thing that one of the designers said that really stuck with me was “can we do the job of six parts with just one”.  I think that’s a really good thing for us as designers to strive for; to be able to simplify as much as possible, especially if you’re designing for mass use.  I also really appreciated the guy who said “a good design shouldn’t have to cost more”.

I would define design as basically everything man-made.  Anything that has been built has been designed in some way, whether it’s a computer interface or a coat hanger.  At some point somewhere down the line, somebody had to design how a product would look and how it would work.  I think that definition has more or less stayed the same throughout the years.

elements of the user experience:

• What are the goals of Apple’s website? How does Apple’s website address the needs of a user who has just purchased their first MacBook? (pp. 41-56)

The primary goal of Apple’s website is to sell their products to consumers.  Other goals include informing their customers how to use their products, provide support, and also maintain their product’s image of creating sleek, simple devices.  Apple offers information about how a MacBook works for a user who has purchased one, as well as offering support services if the need for them arises.

• What are the functional specifications of Facebook’s wall? If you are not on Facebook what are the specs for the signup page? (pp. 72-75)

The functional specifications of Facebook’s wall are to connect its users together on one forum.  It’s also a space for corporate sponsors to place advertisements for their business.

• What are four architectural approaches to information structure? Find one example of each. (pp. 94-106)

The 4 architectural approaches are Hierarchical Structure, such as Apple’s website, Matrix, like Amazon, Organic Structure, such as Wikipedia and Sequential Structure, like any kind of online checkout process.

• What percentage of The Huffington Post index page is navigation, and what percentage is content? What about Google, Wikipedia, and Etsy? (pp. 116-134)

Huffington Post – 35% navigation and 65% content

Google – 75% navigation and 25% content

Wikipedia – 40% navigation and 60% content

Etsy – 55% navigation and 45% content

 

• How does http://www.landor.com guide the readers’ eyes and focus their attention on what is important? (pp. 144-155 )

They use more vibrant, contrasting color schemes (yellow on black, bright pink) to draw the eye to those sections first

 

chapters 1 and 2

• What makes up interaction design and what are some of the industry’s challenges?

Websites, mobile apps, operating systems, and video games are a few examples of what makes up interaction design.  Basically anything that involves the user interacting and using the product is a form of interaction design: essentially anything that involves any of the five senses. Some of the challenges the industry faces is an ever changing market.  People’s tastes and preferences change constantly and the industry must keep up with them to stay afloat.

• What is interaction design, how it’s evolving. What fields does it draw knowledge from?

Interaction Design is an extremely user focused form of design that seeks to test and refine the best way to produce for the user and cater to his/her ever-changing needs.  Interaction Design is adaption.  It draws from fields such as web design, graphic design, video production, fine art, music, anthropology, engineering, and computer science.  Just to name a few.

 

chapters 3, 4, and 5

• What information can ethnographic tools give you to improve the interactivity of an online banking website? (pp. 48-54)

Ethnographic tools can give online banks insight in to how foreign cultures see and use their services and allow them to better cater to their needs.

• At what point is a design finished? What makes it a success? What is its purpose? (pp. 54-62)

A design is never truly finished.  A design may be abandoned if interest in it is lost.  Until that point though, it will continue to evolve and adapt to meet people’s needs, even if it becomes unrecognizable from a previous version.  A successful design is one that consumers enjoy; where the benefits outweigh the flaws it has.  A design doesn’t have to perfect to be successful, consumers just have to have use of and/or enjoy the design.

• Identify a product family you use regularly (can be anything from technology to consumables except for coffee). How has its branding affected your use, relationship and experience with the product? (pp. 78-84)

I tend not to be particularly brand loyal with anything.  I go for whatever product suites me best.  However I am a die-hard Marvel fan (with the exception of batman and maybe a few others).  I think the most interesting example of Marvel branding influencing me is with their most recent movie, “Guardians of the Galaxy”.  If that movie did not have Marvel Studios brand attached to it, I don’t think I would have seen it.  I admit that at this point I would go see just about anything Marvel put out, so long as they continue to deliver quality content.