Organization & Preparation Tips

 Organization & Preparation Tips by Garr Reynolds

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

            In his article “Organization and Preparation Tips” by Garr Reynolds, the author mentions ten major points to keep in mind when preparing for a presentation. However, to me, three of the points – the first, fourth, and seventh – stood out. The first point, titled “Start with the end in mind,” instructs the presenter to think about what the purpose of their talk is, why they were asked to speak, and what the audience expects. It will be easier to put together a great presentation if you are aware of why exactly you are doing it. The fourth point, “Keep it simple,” is essential because it emphasizes the importance of focusing on the essentials of your presentation. Supporting details and evidence are certainly important, but a presenter must be wary of straying too far from the purpose of his or her presentation. The tenth point is titled "Dakara nani? (So what?)” I especially liked this point in Reynolds’ article because it explains why it is incredibly important to be careful not to make a presentation into simply an “information dump.” Explaining the true meaning of what you say and analysis of what you have researched is vital to a great presentation.

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

            As previously stated, I believe that the three points mentioned above are the most important – and this may be because they are the ones I most need to work on. Often when I am preparing for a presentation, I find it difficult to begin simply because I do not know where to start. Reynolds’ advice to “start with the end in mind” is extremely helpful. Furthermore, I have found that my presentation have sometimes not been as simple as they should have been and also not have answered the question of “so what?” very well. For my own presentation this time, I will definitely take extra care to address all three of these tips.

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

            Presentation preparation and product design are actually incredibly similar. For both, it is necessary to think things through and develop a detailed plan before beginning anything. In addition, simplicity – sticking to the essentials – is key because a presenter does not want to bore or confuse his or her audience, and a designer does not want to make his or her product too complicated for consumers to use.

4.  Briefly discuss, on your blog, the areas of design you would be most interested in exploring.

            I would be most interested in learning about and discussing more real-world examples of the complete design process, such as the information presented about the iPod in “The Perfect Thing.” I would also like to explore the initial, first few steps of the design process. How is it that most designers decide what exactly to design?

Emotional Design [Chapter 3], part 2.

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

            “Reflective design covers a lot of territory. It is all about message, about culture, and about the meaning of a product or its use. For one, it is about the meaning of things, the personal remembrances something evokes. For another, very different thing, it is about self-image and the message a product sends to others. Whenever you notice that the color of someone’s socks matches the rest of his or her clothes or whether those clothes are right for the occasion, you are concerned with reflective self-image.”

            During our in-class discussion on Tuesday, I referenced this passage several times, and that is because I really do find it incredibly interesting. To begin with, it introduces the idea of reflective design, which is slightly more ambiguous and more difficult to understand than visceral or behavioral design. Norman gives two different “definitions” for reflective design, both of them essentially opposites. He writes that reflective design is about what a product means on a personal level as much as it is about what how that product is seen from others’ viewpoints. In other words, reflective design means design that is “reflected upon” – for lack of a better term – from the personal level and social level. This is a complicated concept that, to be honest, I am still not entirely sure about, even after our discussion in class!

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

            I believe that these three categories do indeed do a good job of dividing most different types of design into three distinct groups. Any examples I can think of at the moment fit into at least one of these categories. In addition, I feel that the names Norman uses are more than sufficient at clarifying the definition of each group. Visceral design is named as such because visceral, by definition, means “characterized by or proceeding from instinct rather than intellect.” This corresponds well with Norman’s description of visceral design, since he writes that “visceral design is about initial reactions.” Behavioral design is also a fitting name for that type of design because it focuses on products that are, as Norman writes, “all about use.” In other words, products that display good behavioral design “behave” the way in which they should. Lastly, as I stated in my response to the previous question, reflective design is appropriately named as well since these kinds of products have design that is created to it is “reflected upon” by the user and by others.

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 products more visceral, behavioral, or reflective?

            Designers probably decide which type of design is more important for a particular product by deciding and focusing on the audience who they wish to target their product toward. For example, visceral design is meant to catch the eye and be unique. Those who are looking for practicality, durability, and efficiency may prefer behavioral design. And finally, those who wish to make a certain statement or portray a certain image may gravitate toward products with good reflective design. Obviously, some types of products are definitely more visceral, behavioral, or reflective.

Emotional Design [Chapter 3]

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

Norman’s key points in this chapter were Visceral, Behavioral, and Reflective Design. Visceral design focuses on the aesthetic, the appearance of an item. It should not only catch the consumer’s eye, but also be pleasing and appealing. Behavioral Design is all about use and performance. If an item does not do what it is supposed to do, then nothing else matters. Reflective Design regards the message and meaning a product sends to its users.

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

This chapter of Emotional Design is both similar and different from Chapter 1 of The Design of Everyday Things. They are similar in that both chapters detail, in an extremely relatable and conversation way, the design of common objects. However, they differ because while Chapter 1 of The Design of Everyday Things described the poor design of many devices and how this affects the user, Chapter 3 of Emotional Design talked about three major types of design and how the designer takes them into account when designing something. In summary, The Design of Everyday Things was more from the consumer’s viewpoint, whereas Emotional Design was more from the designer’s viewpoint.

3.  Give examples, from your own experience, of 1) something that succeeds as Visceral Design, 2) something that succeeds as Behavioral Design, and 3) a Reflective Design success? What do you think makes each thing successful?

To me, something that succeeds as Visceral Design is the MacBook. On the outside, the MacBook is smooth and silver, with nothing but a simple, glowing Apple logo on the top. The screen is crisp and clear, and even the keyboard area is very attractive. Although I do not use a MacBook myself, I know many people who do, and many who chose it simply because it is incredibly aesthetically appealing. An example of successful Behavioral Design is a kitchen knife. It is not hard to figure out and is easy to use. A knife does what it needs to do with ease. Finally, an example of successful Reflective Design is UGG boots. I do not own a pair of UGG boots, but they are certainly a Reflective Design success because although there are many other types of boots on the market that cost far less, UGG boots are still incredibly popular among teenage girls and young women because they are not only warm and comfortable but inexplicably trendy.

The Design of Everyday Things, part 2

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.

            “Devices in the home have developed some related problems: functions and more functions, controls and more controls. I do not think that simple home appliances – stoves, washing machines, audio and television sets – should look like Hollywood’s idea of a spaceship control room. They already do, much to the consternation of the consumer who, often as not, has lost (or cannot understand) the instruction manual, so – face with the bewildering array of controls and displays – simply memorizes one or two fixed settings to approximate what is desired. The whole purpose of the design is lost.”

            I found the above passage particularly interesting, especially the final sentence – “The whole purpose of the design is lost.” To begin with, the ideas this passage brings up are simply so true. If a device is so complicated that the consumer only gets minimal use out of it, this not only a waste of the designer’s time and effort making such a complicated creation, but also a waste of materials – as the consumer is not even putting most of the device to use. Furthermore, if the whole purpose of creating a device is so consumers can use it as a tool to help make their lives easier or more convenient, then why would designers go through the trouble of creating an overly complicated object that would only confuse the consumer and take up unnecessary amounts of their time?

2.  Norman’s 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 today because the points Norman makes are still very relevant. Although technology, industry, and products have changed drastically, the elements of design and the way consumers look at things are still similar. Designers still design to create new, unique, and revolutionary objects, and consumers still buy. Furthermore, consumers and users still look at and think of things the same way. We still wish for things to be presented to us in a logical matter, and we still get frustrated when things do not work the way we expect them to.

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

            Based on this first chapter, when evaluating a product’s design, there are many factors I would take into account. First, the product needs to be simple enough to easily understand while having enough functions to perform the tasks it is supposed to perform. It must also provide feedback that will let the user know if something is going wrong. Furthermore, the product should be appealing to the consumer, both because of the way it looks and because of the task it performs.  

The Design of Everyday Things

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

            The key points in this first chapter all had to do with how, every day, we all use hundreds of items, some of which work as they should, and others which seem simply impossible to figure out. Norman asks why designers sometimes leave out features that seem like common sense to include and why some people buy overly-complicated objects despite being aware that they probably will never figure out how to use them. This relates to feedback. Norman states that continuing to purchase faulty items provides misleading feedback to designers, who will believe that their designs are successes. Also pertaining to feedback is the importance of the user receiving feedback from the object they are using if they are, for example, pressing a button or flipping a switch. This way, the user will be able to tell if they are doing something right or wrong and hopefully learn from their mistake.

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?

            A specific object that I have always had difficulty using is my mother’s washing machine. The machine has many knobs that allow the user to choose the type of clothes being washed, temperature of water being used, and amount of time that the clothes will be washed. However, it is not as simple as it may sound. Many of the choices that border each knob are terms that I have never heard of before. Furthermore, once all of the settings are chosen, the only way to get the machine to start is by pushing the time setting knob inwards. This is difficult to discover unless the user has either read the instruction manual or discovered this function by accident. Why couldn’t the designers have saved the user a lot of trouble and included a simple start button? This relates to the principle of visibility – a visible button to perform the straightforward function of starting the washing machine would be infinitely more convenient for new users such as myself.

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

            The designers of the iPod addressed the principles that Norman discusses extremely well. One of the main reasons why the iPod has been so successful, revolutionary, and appealing is simply because it is easy to use. There is not too much visibility, so users are not confused by unnecessary controls, and the controls that do exist – such as the wheel that allows the user to scroll quickly through thousands of songs – are extremely easy to use. Moreover, the attractive screen display provides feedback to the user related to their actions. Also related to feedback – Apple continues to introduce new software updates or new generations of iPods, each significantly better than the other in accordance to feedback received from users.

"The Perfect Thing"

“The Perfect Thing” by Steven Levy

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

            “The Perfect Thing” describes many elements of the design process, as the road to creating and eventually mass producing the iPod was a long and careful one. Fadell and Ng’s goal was to create an MP3 music player that had mass appeal, a reasonable price, and a portable size. To begin with, they made models of possible designs and sizes out of foam-core board and brought the models to realistic weights using flattened fishing weights. At an eventual meeting with Apple executives, Fadell and Ng presented four prototypes, each one either too clumsy or not practical – with the exception of one that Steve Jobs approved of. Now, they had a concrete idea. From there on, the true development began, including decisions such as including a wheel that would allow the user to easily scroll through thousands of songs, adding a Menu button, allowing the player to only sync one way to prevent piracy, and naming the product “iPod.” Later on in the process, many tests were performed to make sure that the iPod would be practical, durable, and robust, including dropping different prototypes to determine how high of a fall the iPod could survive. Ultimately, the first generation iPod was created and mass produced, spawning a new era in the world of technology.

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

            A “perfect thing” would have to include a combination of several factors. It would need to perform its task better than other similar products and be convenient and easy to use. Also, in order to have mass appeal, it would need to look aesthetically appealing and have a reasonable price that would make it available to as many consumers as possible. Furthermore, a “perfect thing” would need to have the functionality and durability to live up to its price.

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 have been a proud iPod user for almost five years now. Before getting an iPod video in 2005, I had used several other types of portable music players including a Sony Walkman and an inexpensive MP3 player that was certainly worthy of its price. The first few types of iPod made entertainment unbelievably easier. I could now listen to hundreds – eventually even thousands – of songs and even watch videos, no matter where I went, because of this little product that could easily slip into a pocket or purse. Moreover, the iPod’s sleek, unique design made it much more appealing than many other products of the kind. The introduction of the iPod touch and the iPhone have revolutionized technology even more than anyone ten years ago every though possible. Now, it is not only possible to listen to music and watch videos anywhere, the user can also surf the web, use it as a telephone, instant message, play games, and so much more with all of the applications that can be downloaded. I have few complaints about the iPod, but the two I do have involve the syncing process and battery life. Although I understand Apple’s concerns about piracy, it can occasionally be terribly inconvenient that the iPod will only sync to one iTunes library. Concerning the battery life, it seems that with each charge, the iPod’s battery life decreases. After actively using an iPod for a while, the battery life might be such that the iPod needs to be charged daily.