28/08/08
These are some books I have been reading through which may possibly help with our working paper:
Maeda @ Media (John Maeda)
Design Of Future Things (Donald A. Norman)
Things That Make Us Smart: Defending Human Attributes In The Age Of The Machine (Donald A. Norman)
Media And Architecture (Bart Lootsma & Dick Rijken)
Laws Of Simplicity (John Maeda)
Ideas for our paper:
Compliment:
Extending a compliment to a stranger or fellow bus commuter can be compared to extending your arm out to give someone a hand shake. This in itself is not a particularly intimate action but can be the beginning of a social relationship between two people.
Precedent: Pay it Forward movie
A precedent for the use of the complimenting system.
Opportunity:
With this assignment we are addressing the short moments spent on the bus and treating them as opportunities to make new friends or initiate a social interaction which may enhance the overall experience for all users & create a kind of community atmosphere within the bus.
Things to Consider:
Superficial compliments, negative reactions to compliments (grumpy people, antisocial), over exaggerated comments, annoying people that wont shut up & leave you alone, harassment that isn’t a compliment.
Teaching people to compliment others:
Making some kind of list for those who don’t have nothing nice to say could be helpful. I don’t think New Zealander’s are very good at complimenting or encouraging / praising one another so there may have to be some kind of educating going on for this to work.
Discussion / Ideas
“Improving the Bus Ride to Work” (implementing social interaction)
Dishing out compliments to complete strangers
Building bridges between people to create a relationship
Growing a network & community
Improving & enhancing the experience of riding the bus by introducing and stimulating social interaction.
Infecting people with genuine compliments & provoking a chain reaction type effect which spills over into the community
Smiley face
Acknowledging genuine compliments & rejecting sarcasm or harassing comments
Group Work
Phase 2: Working Paper
Our main goal we devised for this working paper centers around the great idea of improving & enhancing the experience of using public transport, specifically the bus, by devising/provoking, & implementing some kind of comfortable, enjoyable social interaction between passengers.
Abstract
The problem to be addressed in this article is one of intimacy and the lack thereof in transport. The issue to us with travel is that it is to time consuming, too dry/cold and too lonely. This is a problem with most transport and in that mainly the factors of time taken, cost and experience. When one gets on their connection that will take them from their departure point to their destination point they are submitted to a time period where they do nothing but long for their destination.
The problem begins when you want to get into your transport.How can this experience be made more intimate, inviting and welcoming? This problem continues once you are commuting: rather often, you cannot do much with the time you have during your commute. So here the next problem departs, while you have nothing much to do, you begin to think of wasted time, all the things that are wrong around you.
All of these things can be improved greatly by making an experience more intimate. Transport can be made more intimate by invoking interaction, between the commuter and the vehicle and other possible people on it. This interaction can begin with something that stimulates conversation (conversation starters).
In approaching this issue from an open minded and creative point of view the application of theoretical frameworks can reveal the underlying forces at work.
The 4-step interaction design process developed by Bill Verplank (Designing Interaction; Bill Moggridge) should provide a good starting point for understanding the current state of affairs, and suggesting directions for improvement. Since issues of interaction are critical to the levels (or lack) of intimacy involved in the act of traveling, it is important to identify the key players, both human and constructed and how these various factors influence and respond to each other.
An initial step will be to develop an abstracted understanding of the main aims and motivators involved in creating a need for the act of transportation to occur. From there, analytical techniques (such as mapping dichotomies via semiotic squares) will describe the range of activity possible. How the state of “intimacy” occurs in a given situation, and how modifying that state affects the user (commuted) will be the primary topic of study.
A constant reference to creativity models (De Bono, Perkins) will enable the fullest exploration of both potential solutions; and the applicatbility and any limitations thereof.
Research
Intimacy
During the weekend I will brainstorm & do some mind mapping to explore my current ideas, associations & preconceptions of the word intimacy.
Also conduct some research and study into the idea of intimacy as the major term and idea for this phase of Critical Theory.
Ken Friedman
25-07-08
The essay by Ken Friedman helped with alot with the conclusions I came to in the essay for project 1. I alos used other sources and my own design knowledge and experiences to form my opinion about theory and how it is helpful for the design profession and practice.
NextD
25-07-08
A very interesting article. I liked the answers which were given to the seemingly straight forward questions. I found that design is quite an intricate, broad and complex field which is continually evolving and redefining itself. I understand the terminology 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 a little. My understanding is that 1.0 Design is an outdated process and perception of design and is now highly unsuccessful in reaching desired results. 2.0 Design is a human centred design process which takes into account the needs of its user and is better at reaching a desired result. Both are product oriented which is good. Design 3.0 I don’t understand well yet but get the impression that it is a giant leap from these two and is better.
Review
From this initial and short project I discovered that research is so important to the process of design. How it helps to curb the creative juices toward producing a final design outcome. I also decided that theory is good and helps to structure the research process, greatly improving the final outcome and design solution when applied. I also admit that I still need to further research some of these theories, better understand them & apply them to my personal design practice.
Phase 1 Essay
CRITICAL THEORY – FINAL
By Stevie Wikingi
Theory is critical to design for aiding the production of finding effective solutions to design problems. Theory greatly enhances the professional practice of a designer as it serves to streamline the research process.
Creating design theory will help the purpose of design as it continually evolves and adapts to becomes more influential and involved in many areas and facets of everyday life.
Designers must have a conscious understanding of the environment and the impact & influence their designs may have on it, whether good or bad.
Design is a goal oriented practice which is helped along with good research methods which aid the designer in completing the process of design. That is precisely why theory helps the designer become the researcher and grasp the scope and all factors which may need to be addressed to find the better solution. Often design is not finished after finding the initial solution, but because it is a process it can starts over again to meet changing needs.
Design gives a solution to a problem. The designer must take into consideration the needs of the end user to offer the best solution. This process of testing, refining, redefining and adjusting a product to suit the appropriate user is invaluable information. It helps to better understand the target audience and its needs. Design can be creating something new or useful. It affects almost every sphere of daily life. Its influence continues to change and influence the way in which we conduct our lives, socially, financially technologically. Designers have a lot of responsibility and it is wise to do adequate research, use existing theory and contribute to this pool of knowledge and ideas to improve satisfaction in resulting designs.
The broader field of design include:
• Natural Sciences
• Humanities and Liberal Arts
• Social Behavioural Sciences
• Human Professions and Services
• Creative and Applied Arts
• Technology and Engineering
Design involves creativity, lateral thinking, and the use of systematic research & inquiry methods to find best solutions. It is often based around a need and is usually deemed to be good by according to the solution it provides.
Poor design is often a result of poor research, poor research methods, lack of time, lack of motivation, poor time management or a lack of interest. This is why research and theory are to be highly valued. They assist the process so greatly.
Creativity is another essential element in the process of design. All good design has to be done using some element of creative input. Creativity can be defined simply as the act of creating. To a musician it is the task of composing a beautiful melodious string of sounds. To an artist it is beautifully & painstakingly, hand crafting a painted masterpiece. He pours his heart and soul into it, and we enjoy and admire the final result. Creativity for the designer is the same. It is awesome. It is simple. It is having fun & enjoying the process.
Creativity though, must be harnessed and used in conjunction with the other five hats as proposed by De Bono, 85. A designer must not forget to meet the project deadline, its requirements and fulfil the purpose for which the design is being created.
Theory is therefore crucial for the future of design as a professional practice. Designers need to understand how things work and why they do or don’t work, to better improve them and find better solutions. Theory & research help and aid in better, efficient, creative, & fulfilling design practice for both the designer and the user of.
