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SubscriptionsSites I Read
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| [ User Research Smoke & Mirrors ]
I read through this paper twice. The first time round with cynicism and the second, with a bit more empathy.
Finally, there is someone who agrees with me that a number of research methods such as the K-J technique and game-like elicitation methods look wonderful, but are actually quite meaningless and a waste of time. They only seem to add in more possibly irrelevant concerns and those who zealously employ these queer and elaborate methods eventually become self-destructing prophecies. I do wonder from time to time, why the need to go to so much trouble when we are dealing with designs ? After all, isnt it about the aesthetics, artistic value that designers are entitled to and renowed for ? Since when have research methods played a more important part in this arena ?
To put it simply, apart from a few basic low and high fidelity methodologies [such as cardsorting] conducted to ensure that a design is easy to naviagate through, simple to comprehend and understand, everything else should be up to the freedom of the designer. A design will lose its potency and meaning if it has to be tied down by the neverending list of researches that only seek to unwrap every single layer for inspection. I feel that lumping design and science together is just like a fusion of east and west. No matter what, there are bound to be differences and conflicts within the two that cannot be reconciled. The vigorous pursue of one will only end up in denouncing the other. Yet, it looks like in this age's obsession with scientific methods, design is destined to suffer at the expense of exaggerated and elaborated researches. What will happen to subjectivity, now that everything has to be inspected through objective means ?
Designers are caught up in this slow and tiring stuggle, and one does not have to look far to see the dilemna they face. In order to sell any product, designers will need to go through endless trials of testing to ensure that the eventual product would not be a futile waste of resources and money. As such, they are forced to either tweak their art and design into the mainframe provided by science or get flushed out without a chance to showcase their work. This great disharmony and unbalance between science and design is as such, but yet, we cannot rectify the situation by simply abolishing science.
I've personally experienced this after going through the numerous new media design modules and especially after this course's hell assignment and the final project. Research methods seem to work their magic in ways where the designers are unsure of themselves. In fact, one might even be able to rely on science if he is too overwhelmed in his work to be in the position to figure out if there is fatal design flaw. Even so, research should only take up the bare minimum required in designing. Science belongs to its own entity and when it trangresses to another realm, the best that science can do is to play a complimentary role instead of threatening to engulf the world of design. After all, they are different.
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| [ Emotion Design Probe : LT Experiences ]
 Mission : ways to improve learning experience in LTs.
Location : NUS
Target : NUS students from various faculties
Methodology : Laddering Process, Short Explanatory Interviews
Introduction
The first need was to establish the definition Learning Experience. Does it refer to conducive learning ? Level of Happiness ? Or amount of notes gathered at the end of every lecture ?
After a couple of hours of questioning and literally squeezing our brain juices out , our group realised the answer was out there all along. Postive Learning Experience = Enjoyment. With such, we then began to focus the crux of this project on the various elements that dictates the enjoyment of learning. After running through the mutiple frameworks that were available, our group finally decided to approach this case with respect to the " Technology as Experience" theory proposed by
McCarthy and Wright. As such, we treated the LT has a whole entity of system and technology that encompasses various dimensions that can [be it whether direct/indirect], affect our intellectual, emotional, compositional
and sensual experiences.
We also started brainstorming about the extensiveness of each of these 4 threads in affecting learning experience in LTs and came up with the hypothesis that compositional and sensual elements might just be the answer to the question.
In order to ensure fairness, we also had to assume several factors.
1) ALL lecture contents are equally interesting.
2) ALL lecturers are equally interesting.
Lugging Through
After getting a brief idea of what has to be done, we began the frenzied tasks of snapping up pictures of various LTs in the school and hogging potential individuals for the Laddering Process.
Even though there were friendly students who were willing to help us out, our results showed that laddering did not provide much information. Instead, respondents were going round and round the topic and even displayed tendencies of drifting away from the subject. Replies were mundane, repetitive and at times, it seems like we have pushed our interviewees to the point where they started to get desperate and tried to come up with answers like "looking stupid".
However, one imporant thing that we gathered from our laddering process was that a good portion of the students did not see technology as a factor. Instead, they linked learning experiences to good companionship during lectures.
WIth such, our team decided to embark on short explanatory interiews in an attempt to collate more extensive and valuable information. This turned out to be much more appropriate and less confusing for us too. 25 interviewees were given very specific brief questions that require them to state their most/least favourite LTs and provide a short explaination for their choice. From our results gathered, we managed to find some striking similarities in preferences.
Results, Results ... More Results
There was a general concensus on LT 11 being the most favourite LT and LT 26 being the most forsakened one.
All of us were pretty bewildered by such unanimous results and decided to check out the notorious LT 26 by ourselves. It was easy to see why.
The next step was to consolidate how our respondents categorised the different factors that they took into consideration and we tried to pack them into the 4 threads for further analysis. After going through the numerous comments concering various LTs, we then concluded that our hypothesis was essentially gearing towards the correct track as a majority of our respondents targetting compositional and emotional elements as crucial factors in evaluating the enjoyment of being in an LT. This paved the direction for us to look into for any possible improvements that could be introduced to enchance learning experience.
 As such, we came up with a few propositions that were specifically created to target the compostional and emotional aspects :
 Further Thoughts & Evaluation
If there is anything that I have learnt from this, it is the fact that this assignment has made me realise that what we as investigators presume to be the problem, might not be the case after all. What started as a pretty-simple exploration of LTs turned out to be an insightful experience as we were reintroduced to extremely minute and possibly redundent elements that we have probably never even noticed before.
In terms of methodology, I reckon there is still much more to be learnt. Perhaps one day, we could come up with some perfect mode of investigation that will allow us to immediately churn out both qualititative and quantitative results, instead of having to comb around.
Now that I am going through this whole thing and looking back, it seems that our group has chosen a very systemic method that has probably constrained ourselves from other fun and enlightening perspectives that we could have taken. This is especially so after the presentation that associated this whole thing with some mystical feng shui aura and power, though it did seem a little bit too far-fetched. heh.
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| [ Reverse
Marketing Analysis ]
User Profile
Brandy lives the glamorous life
of a 35 years old. She is the assistant editor of a highly sought-after
international fashion magazine. She has been in this line for a mere 5 years,
but she has rapidly climbed up the ladder, from a small fashion critic in a
local tabloid. With a slim physique, large intense eyes, refined features complete with
fashionably styled long hair, Brandy is a head-turner.
Endowed with a keen sense of fashion, Brandy is a trend setter whom designers
constantly seek for her approval in the fashion industry. She is a
perfectionist who is very demanding of both herself and her subordinates.
Brandy is a character trusted by many for her professionalism, efficiency and
credibility.
She is financially independent and
lives in one of the more prestigious condominiums around. Brandy oozes
sophistication. Being the assistant editor, she has to cover all grounds of her
work and this has cultivated a strong sense of confidence.
Drawing a high pay job, her work scope is extremely demanding. She also has to
keep in contact with her business associates and need to attend numerous gala
events to keep herself up to date with the latest social happenings. Hence
there is a need for her to upkeep her chic appearance and personality.
Brandy is currently seeing the director of a multi-million dollar corporation.
They are making plans to get engaged, and subsequently, married. However, all
that glitters is not gold. Brandy was previously married with 2 children and
she has just gotten a divorce 2 years ago. Her job’s nature resulted in her
inability to have a stable schedule, and this caused a drift with her husband
and their eventual divorce. Though both parties still remain on very friendly
terms and her current beau is very understanding of her situation and
supportive of her.
Back at home, Brandy metamorphosizes into a caring mother who always makes an
extra effort to interact with her 2 kids whenever she can. Being an assistant
editor means that Brandy is required to travel overseas at least once a month. During this period of
time, she will hire a trusted nanny to take care of her children. She is fully
aware that she is not spending sufficient time with them; hence
everyday after work, she will try her best to make it back home in time to tuck
her kids into bed. During weekends, she will bring them over to her
ex-husband and either spend some time with her current beau or engage in yoja
and meditation sessions with her close group of friends - all accomplished
females who have carved niches in their own career domains.
Deep within, Brandy is actually a pretty much down-to-earth woman and with
so little time for exercise, she engages in healthy living as much as she can
by eating organic food. She also tries her best to abstain from unhealthy junkies. Brandy is a patronage of the arts and has accumulated a small
private collection of her own paintings over the years. This gives her a sense of self-satisfaction over her little achievements. Every year, she will
take at least a week off from her hectic work and set aside time to doodle
around, enjoy the company of her children, make trips to the museums or catch a
couple of foreign films.
Brandy intends to settle down again, but this might still have to take quite a
long while as the current editor is retiring and she is working towards a
promotion. Brandy plans to stop working in 15 years time and devote herself to
the life of a homemaker, but with her workaholic instincts, it all remains
to be seen.
Brandy's Four Pleasure Analysis
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Physiological
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Sociological
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Psychological
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Ideological
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Healthy-living
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Family bonding
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Stress Relief
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Not bounded by
Conformity
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Appreciation of beauty and fine
arts
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Maintain personal
Relationships
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Rejuvenation
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Work ethics
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Physical relaxation
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Maintain business
Relationships
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Self-satisfaction
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Responsibility
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Status
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Competitive
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Home-maker
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A
Phone for Brandy
Nokia
7373 L'Amour Collection in Warm Amber
 
This is
one fashion mobile that will never go out of style. Original and expressive,
this swivel phone is sure to accentuate Brandy's sense of sophistication. The
Nokia 7373 is all about sleek, allure and mobility. The inticate exterior
design functions more than just a phone. It is a necessity dressed up in
lavishness and beauty. For Brandy who works in the arena of fashion, this piece
of art is definitely a gadget that can satisfy her appreciation for arts,
and fulfill her need for self-satisfaction. In addition, the timelessness quality
of Nokia 7373 ensures that Brandy can bring it along for all occassions - be it
to work or a social event. This phone can also be an object of conversation and
its fresh and appealing design, complete with the all new swivel function is
indeed a departure from conformity. What more can Brandy ask for ?
Phone Specifications
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Display
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Type
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TFT, 256K colors
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Size
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240 x 320 pixels, 30 x 40 mm
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- 180-degree rotator design
- Downloadable themes, wallpapers
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Memory
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Phonebook
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1000 x 23 fields, Photo call
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Call records
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20 dialed, 20 received, 20 missed
calls
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Card slot
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microSD (TransFlash), hotswap
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- 8 MB internal memory
- 2.5 MB free internal memory
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Features
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Messaging
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SMS, MMS, Email
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Browser
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WAP 2.0/xHTML
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Games
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Sudoku, Music Guess
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Colors
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Bronze Black, Powder Pink, Warm
Amber
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Camera
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2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels,
video(CIF)
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- Java MIDP 2.0
- Stereo FM radio
- MP3/AAC/M4A/eAAC+/AAC+ player
- Push to talk
- T9
- Calculator
- Calendar
- Voice memo/dial
- Built-in handsfree
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Battery
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Standard battery, Li-Ion 840 mAh
(BL-4B)
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Stand-by
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Up to 250 h
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Talk time
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Up to 2 h 30 min
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| [ Pleasure with Products ]
It's All About the Lounge Chairs
One of the things that we probably wanna just lie back and plant our butts on forever ...
Visceral 
Behavorial : 85%
Its nice, comfortable, pretty but ... might just take up too much space.
Not exactly user friendly for the tall people.
Reflective : 99 %
A chic piece of furniture that will reflect your inner architectural sense. Also works well with the rest of the swedish IKEA-ed pieces in the house.
Visceral : 101 %
Mmmmmmmmm ...
Reflection :
This Original Eero Aarnio Ball Chair is imported from Finland, and oozes this snug appeal to one's most primitive senses. Come on, climb in and snooze out. On first sight, this is the very kind of chair that I would like to snuggle into and spend the whole Sunday afternoon doing nothing in. Its bed-like structure is very tempting and the overall design is attuned to our desire for comfortability. Both richness of the color and the plush looking surface of the cushion also manipulate themselves to be a very persuasive source, beckoning to anyone who comes near. However, the tall individuals out there should keep a look-out as you might just knock your head into the 'ceiling'. In addition, there is very little space for illumination, so bookworms should probably consider reading elsewhere.
In a nutshell : Apart from its lack of functionality, this ball chair encapsulates a form of timelessness that automatically magnetises almost any and everyone. ALMOST too good to be true.
Behavorial  Behavorial : 99 %
Practical, Multi-purpose use, Movable, Idiot-proof color that fits in almost all surroundings.
Reflective : 90 %
This is one lounge chair that looks like its made for the good old study room.
Comfortability is its strongest attribute, while external appearence is kept to the minimal.
Visceral : 60%
Well, its not exactly a very grand chair.
Reflection :
This is the Eames Lounge Chair designed by Charles Eames and every aspect of it is built on the notion of comfort and affordance. Even its very form is self explanatory. Just by looking at it, you know exactly where to place it, when and how to use it. You want to plant your butt in this, put your head on the head rest, lean back a little and put your feet up on the ottoman. I feel that the whole design behind this chair is based on versatility and multi-functional aspects. As such, even when one is watching a football match on tv, the ottoman can easy serve another purpose as a stool for holding up crackers and beer cans.
This is the kind of stuff that papa will spend a few hundreds for reading newspapers on.
Reflective 
Behavorial : 89%
Usable, comfortable, though not recommended for accomodations with children and pets.
Reflective : 100 %
Self image, show off, status symbol
Visceral : 89%
Gives off a sense of luxury that is pleasing to the eyes, but pretty much like any other normal chair.
Reflection :
If you've already named an island after yourself, bought the grandest house in town, have a specially modified Lambourghini Murcielago Roadster and still have too much money left, then I'll suppose you have no other way of flaunting your assets apart from donning your interiors with the most lavish furniture available.This Halyard Lounge Chair is taken from the Billionaire 500 Magazine and it is designed and made only for the filthy rich. Covered in leather and sheepskin, the sole purpose of this chair is to add on glam factor to its surroundings, and of course, its owner. Behavorial wise, it acts as any other lounge chair, with no additional special features even though cleaning up scraps and stains off the surface may prove to be a little difficult. In terms of visceral, I personally find that it looks just like any normal chair with a piece of furry rug lapped on it.
In fact, one might not even pay much attention to it, unless you're a collector of crazily expensive chairs.
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| [ BAD Design - Warm Up Assignment ]
Things that don't work the way you expect
This is MARUKAN brand's potty bin for rabbits.
With a a fanciful packaging , it seems to be the perfect necessity for toilet-training bunnies.
Alas, this is not the case.
Pee wee-ing
Aftermath ...
Evidently, the holes are inefficient for allowing rabbit's pee and poop to slide through from the top to bottom part of the potty. As a result, the rabbit ends up stepping on its own urine and soiling its paws. This makes cleaning up of both cage and potty even harder as the rabbit has tendency to hop and leave pee stains all over.
Feeling of owner : This is a branded potty that has cost the owner quite a hefty sum of money and she is unwilling to simply dispose of it. Hence, she has to spend quite a huge amount of time everyday clearing up the soiled areas (twice a day) and this has left her especially irriated on occasions when she is in a rush.
Lesson learnt : The owner expressed regret at choosing the cute pink appearance over the usability of the product.
Impression on brand : MURUKAN is a Japanese product that has been trusted by many pet owners. However in this instance, the owner feels that she should have opted for a more effective potty even though her impression on the brand doesnt seem very much affected as she continues to purchase many items from MURUKAN for her pet rabbit.
My Reflection : Product wise, the potty could have been more effective if the holes on the upper part were all small circles so that the expose surface for 'capturing' urine can be maximised. As such, it will also reduce the contact between the bunny's paws and its pee. In terms of physical appearance, i think it is pretty much all right. Though after asking around, i realised that this potty only comes in pink. It might be better for the potty to come in a few more colors for owners who choose products according to the gender of their pet. (e.g : pink and blue).
The user was a little unhappy when she related this to me and pointed out how troublesome it is for her to clear up her rabbit's mess twice a day. I expected her to switch to a more convenient potty but she does not seem to have any intentions to do so. It seems that she has adjusted herself to the inadequacies of this product and even tried to justify herself by saying that at least, this ensures that her pet will have an extremely clean and healthy living environment.
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