Vinay+Parujanwala

__**Tutorial Activity 1: Q & A**__

1) Question: Describe the unusual business model used in the ipod's fabrication as developed by Apple. Apples dependency on Portal Players design chain strategy was key for the success of design for the Ipod. This strategy was “ to form relationships with third parties that offer other capabilities.” As a result Apple was able to team up with key partners; Sony-which provided the lithium battery; Toshiba-which provided the 1.8inch hard drive that was never used before; Linear Technology-for power management and etc. By using this development strategy Apple was able to focus their skills on user interface, this allowed for each sector of the Ipod to be developed by those who specialized on their respective components, thus creating a product that was battery efficient, portable, and design/user friendly.

2) Question: What distinguishes the work of the team of Jobs and Ive in relation to products designed by Apple? What new materials are enabling different design? Jobs and Ive took Apple’s initial/traditional designs of simplicity and ease to the next stage. They paid “obsessive attention to details that were often overlooked, like cables and power adaptors.” Along with this they used plastics to enhance the design for example the “Power Mac G4 Cube, we created a techno-core suspended in a single piece of plastic.” This allowed for a natural flow of air for a cooling system, meaning that design is not limited to the functions and components of the machine. These materials of plastic only helped Ive and Jobs in their designs. For example, “the iPod is made from twin-shot plastic with no fasteners and no battery doors enabling us to create a design which was dense completely sealed.”

3) Question: Describe the importance of Apple's design team. Are other companies trying to compete with Apple by creating their own design teams? Apple’s design team is small (dozen people), focused, and committed. Apple created a design team this small so they can work intensely and focus on each project respectively, giving this team the necessary resources to make their product succeed. This is important because it reduces the risk of not perfecting their product.

As Apple’s design team is the lead amongst the rest, other companies such as HP, Dell, and Microsoft will take into account Apple’s design organization however it is unlikely they will be able to perform at the same level of Apple anytime soon. As those companies will lack in focus and risk. In most cases ‘the first company in, maintains the market,’ the same can be said for Apple’s design team, as they will now forever be known for their enhanced designs.

__**Tutorial Activity 2: Q & A**__

//Physical Ergonomics// This is the ergonomics that is focused on the human physical (motor) activity. Improvements in this area are to prevent bodily damage or the development of damaged motor/ movement abilities. A ergonomically designed chair can prevent lower back strain or future back pain.

//Cognitive Ergonomics// This is the ergonomics that is focused with mental process that affect interaction among other humans or co-workers. Such can prevent over stressed workers or employees, mental workload etc. Yoga breathing breaks during work can prevent the feeling of being overwhelmed and can help the employee make more appropriate decisions.

//Organisational Ergonomics// This is the ergonomic focuses on the organizational structure, for example policies, and structures. It is important to have a good infrastructure to have clear communication amongst workers, also to ensure that everyone is on the same page, that there are clear guidelines to how people should act in certain situations.

//Step Two: Advice – Case Study 2// - Moving the sideboard to a more central location is important, however reconfiguring the unit itself to face all 4 sides of the dining room will prevent servers to having to always walk to one side to get whatever is necessary. Also, readjusting the dining/seating area to revolve around the unit, keeping an open space where by servers do not face people traffic.

This is an ergonomically correct mouse made by Logitech. “http://www.drmadcow.net/ViewArticle/ID/25/ ” Logitech is well known for their ergonomically correct designs.

__**Tutorial Activity 3: Q & A**__


 * Annie put the system of the materials economy in five major sectors that runs in a linear approach, “Extraction, Production, Distribution, Consumptions, Disposal” This is an endless system (according to the current situation) of the materials economy. As Annie says, “if you don’t purchase, you don’t have value.” She uses this economy and system to describe the losses of the world, which not only includes the worlds resources, but also people’s communities and cultures; in addition the by-products. She is warning us that we have reached that point of a need for change, the system cannot hold very long. **
 * One thing that hit me was how she focuses a lot on the “costs” accounted for to society and the world. Sure the costs for the average American Consumer is lower, however the intrinsic costs behind those prices are not accounted for when we shop. There is the cost that is involved in extraction. This cost involves the depletion of the Earths resources (not just American but the World); there is the cost to the people who live in rural areas around the world −who are forced to move into the urban. In addition there is the cost that is involved in the disposal process of our materials. Production involves a lot of chemicals in our products, so when we dispose of them it makes our environment a waste − potentially putting our risk at health; not to mention harming the environment and the air we breathe in the process. **
 * There is much more involved in this process, one key way to describe this process is dependent and wasteful. We are dependent on the “golden arrow” to determine our value and to keep our society going. When we stop shopping we are all in trouble. As a result we become wasteful, we throw out 99% of all purchased products within 6 months. Whereby the rest of the world has to handle our “junk.” **
 * However I would like to make one key point. As for our wastefulness it is always said that “one persons junk is another’s treasure”; let other people deal with it. Besides it has been proven that we have technology today produce in a green mind which will inevitably clean the air (reverse the damage already done) as the Earth has its own way of filtering our air. Can we not say the same to our chemical waste?

** **__Tutorial Activity 5: Q & A__**

Brainstorming is a technique or method often used in design to analyze and determine how to design something with an interactive approach in mind. It focuses on interaction and mobility, seeing how things work while moving around. It is putting the designers in the shoes of the users, determining how the user will feel, cope, and interact with; all while using their design.

1) Visual Impaired – The participant was in the shoes of those who cannot see, she felt dependent and confused; she used many methods to help her get to her destination. One of which was counting her steps to create a layout of distance from the stairs. She was reliant on other senses and took a multi-sensory approach using specifically touch and sound.

2) Cognitive Attention Deficit Disorder – The participant was involved in an experiment that required him to listen and recite back phone numbers while doing math problems on a device. Researchers found that it negatively impacts his self-esteem. Clear narration was then used to improve his attention and self-esteem.

3) Motor Chronic Arthritis – The participant had metal rods over his arms and hands to mimic the pain a person with arthritis go through when conducting motor activities. The participant was fearful of pain and breaking something and therefore limited his movement to small range of motions. As a result, his body temperature rose adding more anxiety. To decrease these conditions the participant was to practice his motor activity on particular objects and fragile objects – this decreased his anxiety and increased his self-esteem.

__**Tutorial Activity 6: Q & A**__


 * Enthusiasts **
 * Enthusiasts are users/people that love and appreciate the technology in an aesthetic way. They enjoy the fact that a product may be difficult, as it adds more fun. They exploit this technology, for example the 35mm camera was used by astronauts who nearly required a PhD in optics in order to use. However enthusiasts take this to the next level. **


 * Professional **
 * As enthusiast get to understand the technology and use it, they are able to take it to a practical sense for their work or business. Allowing careers like professional photographers; after many users do this, it links to the third phase being consumer. **

__ Tutorial Activity 8: Q & A: __ Jan Chipchase is a human behavior researcher for Nokia who analyzes life interactions through taking pictures and snap shots of life. Jan brings about the idea that cell phones are a tool for inclusive capitalism, in that it enables people to be included in capitalism. In the developing world, it is important because it enables people to have access and transfer data, as many homes in the developing nations cannot afford or have the infrastructure for landlines. Those who do not have landlines eventually buy cell phones as it is cheaper gives then access and gives them a personal phone number that can be used in multiple markets.
 * Consumer Phase **
 * This is where the technology is widely used where the price point will become practical for all consumers. This allows the technology to change, such as the automatic camera which was developed-where most controls became automatic and all users can adapt to it. **
 * A product that went through a similar process was the Cellular Phone. Since the first times of this phone it was used by the big wig corporate staffs and the military. As enthusiasts became aware of this, they started to ‘have fun’ with the phone, and developed it to be smaller, better and more portable. Cell Phones became used in professions and company phones and corporate phones became a necessary in business. Soon, price points dropped and the technology appealed to all people, as people who used the phones at work found that it was necessary to have a personal cell phone as well. Soon companies such as RIM developed the Black-Berry to now further enhance the experience by adding technology such as email, web and etc. This once again went through the three phases as it was first used by the Stock Brokers and CEO’s. **

Since cell phones grant access to markets, it then becomes a tool for generating income. Some people who purchase the phone are able to lend the phone to others who will pay the phone owner for its usage. The owner in a sense becomes an operator of the cell phone in the neighborhood. Not only this, cell phones help other low income earners. For example, cell phones enable fishermen to call markets and find the actual value of their catch, therefore when they sell they can attempt to maximize their profit.

Nokia took the time to research the usage of their cell phones in developing countries and in different cultures, which allowed them to tap into a market that will grow. Nokia is world known, the only thing left is for them to find a way to make cellphones more affordable and adaptable for multiple languages. By doing so, they may even be recognized for its efforts in reducing poverty world-wide.

__**Tutorial Activity 9:Q & A**__

1) Bill defined “design as a collaborative process” in that it is based on togetherness. It is the idea of working together in teams, especially where members bring into perspective an interdisciplinary approach considering different cultural backgrounds and conductivity. Along with this, the group must be able to share idea’s with a level of openness. One example in Bill’s lecture was where IDEO integrated surgeons into a team, to redesign crimpers and make surgical procedures easier for surgeons. They designed the crimpers as if it was like holding a pen in hand, thus made the instrument more effective. Another concept was when IDEO came up with the idea of having donor’s promote giving blood within the Red Cross’s campaign. This involved a donor’s picture and reason for giving, which in turn allowed donor’s to feel close and touched by what they are doing and therefore makes them want to donate more blood.

2) A example was the re-design on the Indigo Retail Book Store. Bruce Mau Design worked with Kuwabara to design the retail interior, and steer it away from those traditional book stores. It was designed as if you are entering the pages of a story or book, with titles, heading and etc for self-navigation through the store. http://www.brucemaudesign.com/work_indigo.html

__**Tutorial Activity 10: Q & A:**__

1) High Speed Train: The Japanese bullet train took into account biomimicry, as the front of the train mimic’s that of a Kingfishers beak. It beak allows the bird to dive from air to water with little resistance, the bird biology of the beak was important to the trains design, as the mimicked shape allows the train to pass through tunnels and re-enter air at 200 mph with minimal resistance thus reducing sound or noise.

2) Echolocation: A design the helps the blind. The sonar cane holds technology that uses a bats sonar which tells the location of objects and obstacles through the canes handle. This is especially interesting, because the animal that is known for its blindness are Bat’s. These creatures use sonar reflections and hearing to see. It is a great idea for people to study this animal and use it for the blind.

3) Antibacterial Film This example, I think is a prime example of why biomimicry is important. Human’s in the modern world look to science, chemicals and etc for solving things. However a lot of the methods we use turns out to harm us in the long run. In this case, bacteria which becomes even more immune as we use pharmaceutical antibiotics to cure ourselves. This antibacterial film prevent the bacteria from forming and getting immune. This can just be the solution to prevent bacteria from becoming immune to our drugs which we rely upon and use as if there was no tomorrow.