Heather+Stainback

=Heather Stainback's personal page= = = = = = = = = =__Week 11: Glen Farrelly: Questions on Usability and Accessibility __=

One of my future colleagues at University of Toronto's Faculty of Information is doing research on usability professionals' attention to issues of accessibility in web design. Given that Ontario is considering policy that government communications are accessible to various groups by 2011 and will try to mandate similar accessibility concerns in the private sector in 2013, understanding accessibility concerns will become a key concern for communication professionals in the very near future.


 * Glen's asking a series of questions to usability professionals in interviews - his abbreviated list is below. Answer the below questions briefly in consideration of the material on these two websites:**

[]- basic introduction to various forms of accessibility in web communications []- integrating accessibility in design

Web accessibility is the virtual equivalent to physical accessibility: making a space/place accessible to all, regardless of (dis)ability. Some issues involved include designing for colour blindness (insuring there is enough contrast in the colours used) and having a large enough font that is legible. Accessibility is also concerned with how people access technology, so you must design to account for slow connections and old equipment. If a site is designed in Flash, there should also be an HTML equivalent. Disabilities range from being visual, hearing, motor skills to cognitive or psychological.
 * 1. How would you describe web accessibility?**

Many people benefit from accessible websites, not just people with physical disabilities. Elderly people with poor vision require larger fonts, easy to see colours and a simple, easy to use layout. Younger users would also benefit from a simple design which is easy to navigate.
 * 2. Who do you think benefits from accessible websites and how**?

This is a difficult issue, because it is hard to control or regulate. I think that all websites should address as many accessibility issues as possible, just as a courtesy to its audience/viewers (similar to a store having a ramp as well as/instead of stairs). There would need to be some kind of a standard for all sites to follow if this issue was to be implemented for all Canadian websites. I think that all Canadian government sites should be accessible.
 * 3. Do you think your website/blog should be accessible? Should all Canadian websites?**

I think the biggest challenge is creating a standard for all sites to follow (like a simple check list of issues and concerns that should be addressed, and how to address them). Once something like this is in place, I don't think that there will be many challenges.
 * 4. What do you think is the biggest challenge of making a website accessible?**

= =
 * Week 10: CCT333 Week 10 Biomimicry: Janine Benyus and the Biomimicry Institute and Guild **


 * Read the article 'Using Nature as a Design Guide' at [] about Janine Benyus, creator of the burgeoning "biomimicry" movement.**

Janine Benyus heads both the research nonprofit Biomimicry Institute and the for-profit innovation consultancy, the Biomimicry Guild, and her mission is to show engineers and designers how to translate those ideas into a corporate, commercial context. She is the author of 'Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature', published in 1997, which discusses how to re-design our interaction with nature by showing deep respect for the natural world as a mentor for our design strategies.


 * Look over examples of her biomimetic principles applied to products in the slideshow located at [] and write a short, one paragraph synopsis for each of your three favourite product designs.**

More Information: Janine Benyus' TED Talk 12 Sustainable Design Ideas from Nature []

1. The UltraCane uses echolocation, a sonar-like technology (like bats use to navigate in the dark) to help blind people move around. It can sense up coming object and notify the user by providing a tactile warning on the handle.

2. I really like this skeleton chair from the Netherlands, the design mimics the structure of bones. The chair is made partially hollow but provides maximum support due to the structure.

3. "With a top speed of some 200 mph, Japan's 500 Series Shinkansen bullet train is one of the fastest in the world." I have actually been on one of these bullet trains in Japan and they run incredibly smooth. Partly because of it's long nose at the front of the train which is aerodynamic and mimics that of a humming bird. Another feature of this train that is designed after a bird is the quietness of an owl.


 * Week 9: Design as a Collaborative Process **
 * View the video of Bill Moggridge**. The founder of IDEO, at PICNIC08: Design as a Collaborative Process a t[]


 * Describe how he defines 'design as a collaborative process', and cite two examples of how creators involve the people they want to create for in their work, according to Bill Moggridge's lecture.**
 * Find an online example of a product which utilizes his principles of collaborative design, add its URL, and describe its design in three sentences.**

(Hint: Bruce Mau's Massive Change web site also presents examples of these principles of using 'a shared mind'.)

[] very carefully.
 * Week 8: Human-Centred Design Case Study of Cellphones in Developing Countries **
 * Read the online article 'Can the Cellphone end Global Poverty?**' at


 * In three paragraphs, describe the role of Jan Chipchase in defining the role of cellphones in the developing world for Nokia, and the benefits of analyzing cellphone use and design in different cultures as part of their market expansion.

Jan Chipchase has a really fun job. He gets to travel the world acting as a "human behavior analyst" for Nokia cellphone. He gets to see how different people from different parts of the world use (or could have a use for) a cell phone, and what kinds of designs would benefit them. For instance, a man in Mumbai who keeps his cell phone in a plastic bag in his pocket (due to seasonal rains), and all of his home possessions hang from the wall. It would be beneficial to have a cell phone designed with a hook to be hung.**

=CCT333 Week 7: Interaction Architecture and Designing a Questionnaire =


 * Write a description of interaction architecture as defined by Mat Hunter at** http://www.designinginteractions.com/interviews/MatHunter and Rikako Sakai at http://www.designinginteractions.com/interviews/RikakoSakai **in relation to their work with Kodak in 1995.**

In addition, as you will be creating a questionnaire for your major assignment, read the article at http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/cs6751_97_winter/Topics/quest-design/ to help you formulate the question.
 * How does the author define 'leading questions' and 'hypothetical questions'? Write a paragraph each to define these terms.**//

= = =**Week 6: Three Phases for the Adoption of a Technology **=

In the interview with David Liddle at http://www.designinginteractions.com/interviews/DavidLiddle, he defines three stages for the adoption of a new technology.

What are his definitions for these three stages of adoption, and how did he apply them to his case study of a camera? Write one clear paragraph for each of his definitions, listing their attributes in relation to the development of the camera. Can you think of another consumer product which has undergone similar developments? Name it.

The three stages for the adoption of new technologies are:
 * 1) Enthusiasts/Intelligence: the first people to get and use a new technology as soon as it becomes available. people who enjoy technological challenges, learning how to use it, etc.(Camera example: 35mm film cameras)
 * 2) Business Users/Professional: people who use the technology for work (Camera example: automatic exposure and focus, the focus is on what to do with the technology, not how to use it)
 * 3) Consumers: when the technology is available to the public (usually at a much more affordable cost), controls become automatic and more user-friendly. (Camera example: digital cameras, so very easy to use, just a touch of a button)

Another product that has undergone similar developments is the computer (and internet specifically). The first users of the computer were military and scientific people, then business users, and then at-home consumers and hobbyists.

= = = = =**Week 5: Body-storming **= =**As part of 'Experience Prototyping', bodystorming has been developed as a method of enquiry for interactive design. **Research the definition of 'bodystorming', and write a paragraph describing its characteristics. **After viewing the video 'Part 1: Bodystorming Experiencing a Disability' at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v**= nyE5bDqaSwc**describe the information revealed to the researchers in the three different case studies for one paragraph each**. You should have a total of four paragraphs for this tutorial.

Bodystorming is the process in which a person physically acts out a situation or scenario that they are working to solve an issue with. It is similar to "brain-storming" except you are using your body in stead of your mind. The purpose of bodystorming is to envision a product or design and imagine what it would be like if it existed, and how it would used. Getting up, moving around and acting out a situation helps you to understand the problem better than if you were to sit around talking about the problem in a meeting. A common critique of this approach is that it isn't user-centered because the designers are usually the ones performing the bodystorming session and it is not the same as having the end-user perform the task. One way to change this is to get outside participants, people who would realistically be using the designed product or space, to try out the task and report back to the designer on the problems they encountered and their input on how it can be improved.

__Case study 1: Visual Impairment: Blindness__ The test participant for the bodystorming of a physical disability (blindness) felt disoriented and dependent and had to rely heavily on other senses to help guide her through certain tasks and help make decisions. In the scenario, the participant had to cross the street, go up some stairs, enter a key to access an elevator and successfully identify the floor she was going to. She created mental maps for obstacles such as stairs by counting the number of steps to get there and the number of stairs.

__Case study 2: Cognitive: ADD__ To simulate attention deficit disorder (ADD) the participant had to correctly recite and remember a telephone number being dictated to him while completing math problems and with the television on in the background. Some difficulties with the task included frustration, which negatively impacted his self esteem, and forgetting the phone number (which I think was the ultimate goal of the task). Having so many distractions, as well as a task that needs to be successfully carried out is an accurate interpretation of what it might feel like to have ADD (or ADHD).

__Case study 3: Motor: Chronic Arthritis__ To decrease mobility, the participants hands and fingers were taped to metal rods and gloves placed on top. This will replicate to feeling of arthritis. The participant is shown chopping vegetables with a large knife and states constant fear of injury a major concern. This fear made him apprehensive, even in undemanding conditions. His body temperature also rose due to expending more energy, causing anxiety. His experience has provided insight on using accessible routes, passing space, and tangible objects made of safe materials (like plastic bowls instead of glass ones, which are heavier and more likely to break, causing harm). Working on changing these problematic areas will increase user participation, and empower the user = = =Week 4: "Story of Stuff" = 'The Story of Stuff' with Annie Leonard at http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html is a cultural and educational phenomenon and has had over 4 million viewers.

Write three paragraphs on how Annie Leonard defines the system of the 'materials economy' and describe its interactions.

Annie Leonard discusses the materials economy in an informative, well researched, enthusiastic and clever 20-minute Flash video, it's no wonder that it's been viewed over 4 million times. She describes the Materials Economy as a linear system which includes the Extraction,**Production**, **Distribution**, **Consumption** and **Disposal** of stuff (and by stuff she means any thing and everything we consume). Leonard spent 10 years traveling the world trying to figure out where our stuff comes from and where it ends up and she brings up a lot of good points and shocking facts. The biggest problem with this system is that it's a linear system, and it cannot exist on a finite planet indefinitely, it just can't. So many factors and limits (such as culture, economy and environments) influence and affect this system that makes up the "Materials Economy."

1. **Extraction** (also known as "Natural Resource Exploitation, aka trashing the planet"): The biggest problem is that people are using way more than their share of natural resources ("the US has 5% of the worlds population, but uses 30% of the worlds natural resources, and 30% of the worlds waste")

2. **Production**: Factories use energy and many gross chemicals to produce our stuff, which are toxically contaminated (using toxics in the production means toxics in our products, and by-products such as pollution). "Over 100,000 synthetic chemicals are used in commercial production (and only a handful of them have been tested for health and safety impacts)" As an example, Leonard points out the use of flame retardant chemicals used in pillows that have known neurotoxins (toxic to the BRAIN). I think I'd risk the chance of my head catching on fire to skip on those chemicals. Another shocking fact is that human breast milk ("the most fundamental act of nurturing") has an all-time high of toxic chemicals. The people who are most affected are the workers in the factories. They are exposed to toxins everyday, but most of them have no other work options.

3. **Distribution**: The goal of stores is to keep people shopping, keep the inventory moving, and keep the prices low (they do this by not paying the workers and skimping on benefits). Leonard talks about 'externalizing the cost' of our products, meaning we aren't actually paying for the cost of the item. So who does pay? The people who's land is destroyed and are forced into cities and factories, the people who are exposed to the toxic chemicals used to product stuff, the workers who have to pay for their own health insurance. Strange concept, but look at any Dollarama and you'll know what I mean. How can those things possibly cost only $1???? Think about where the materials were produced, where it was assembled, how it got to the store, how much everyone got paid who helped make this item.

4. **Consumption**: At this point in the system there is the "Golden Arrow," the heart of the system, the engine that drives it. "Our value is measured by how much we contribute to this golden arrow"// aka how much you shop and consume. The most shocking fact for me is that the percentage of products that are still in use 6 months after their date of sale (in North America) is only **1%!!!!!! That means that 99% of the stuff that goes through this system, is trashed after 6 months of use**. This is because we consume **twice** as much as we use to 50 years ago. Leonard explains 2 strategies that corporations do that make us consume so much stuff. 1) Planned obsolescence ("designed for the dump") meaning they plan and make things to be consumed and replaced quickly (such as plastic bags, coffee cups, even computers- as in software upgrades and compatibility issues). 2) Perceived obsolescence is the idea of replacing something that is still functional and perfectly useful by changing the way it looks. People will know that you have an old version and aren't contributing to the "golden arrow" (which is how we demonstrate our value, remember). Leonard uses fashion as a prime example of this. Each season the styles change and force people (who care enough about fashion) to go out and buy the latest trend. Advertisements and media are major contributors to this idea ("we are exposed to over 3000 advertisements a day! We see more advertisements in one year than people 50 years ago saw in their lifetime!"). Leonard describes our lives as a "Work-Watch-Spend" treadmill where we have less leisure time than ever before, but we spend that time watching TV (and ads) and shopping.

5. **Disposal:** All our stuff ends up in the trash, either a landfill or an incinerator (burned and release more (new and super-) toxic chemicals into the air, and then ends up in a landfill). Super toxins such as Dioxin, the #1 worst man made chemical known to science, and incinerators are the #1 producers of Dioxin. Another option for disposal is exporting it to other countries (the ones they trash in extraction). As much as Leonard enthusiastically encourages recycling as an option (which reduces waste and need to produce new products) she says that recycling is not enough, it will never be enough. That's because it's only the tip of the iceberg. For ever 1 garbage bag we throw out, there are 70 more garbage bags used just to make the stuff in that 1 garbage bag! Plus some products are designed NOT to be recyclable! (such as juice boxes, which contain layers of plastic metal and paper that are inseparable).

The good thing is that there are people working at each level (environmental rights, workers rights, labour laws, fair trade, conscious consumers, recycling advocates). But the best solution is to unite everyone along the system and change it into somethign new, something sustainable, that doesn't waste people or resources. Lose the old school throw-away mindset, and look at the new school way of looking at things, such as zero waste, closed loop production, renewable energy, local living economies, etc. Some people think it's unrealistic, but Leonard says that the only unrealistic thing is people who think we can continue living the in this linear system. = = =Week 3: Designing for the Other 90% = [|Design For the Other 90%]

Products Designed for Australia:
 * [|AquaStar Plus! and Flow Through]
 * [|Jaipur foot and below-knee prosthesis]
 * [|PermaNet]
 * [|Solar Home Lighting System]
 * [|Solar Aid]
 * [|Sugarcane charcoal]
 * [|Water Storage System]

5 characteristics of socially responsible product design are to =**Week 2: Ergonomics **= __Definition:__ the scientific study concerned with designing according to human needs. Applies theory, principles, data and methods to optimize human well being and overall system performance. Refers to the design of the job, equipment and workplace to fit the worker (prevent repetitive strain injuries). (paraphrased from Wikipedia)
 * 1) Help, rather than exploit, poorer economies
 * 2) Minimize environmental impact
 * 3) Increase social inclusion
 * 4) Improve healthcare at all levels
 * 5) Advance the quality and accessibility of education

The 3 areas of ergonomics are: [|Case Studies]
 * Physical - anatomical, anthropometric, physiological, biomechanical,
 * Cognitive - mental, perception, memory, reasoning, motor response,
 * Organizational - optimization of sociotechnical systems, structure, policy, process

I have found many examples of ergonomic design for computers, desks, (computer) mouse (mice?), keyboards, office chairs, pens, etc. which all make sense when talking about typical work environments. But I found an example that is designed for people who spend their work hours outside, gardening! This image demonstrates how the energy flow is more efficient with this new design. [|Natural Radius Grip]



=Week 1: Apple's iPod Design = Inside the Apple iPod Design Triumph http://www.designchain.com/testprint.asp?issue=summer02&template=coverstory Question: Describe the unusual business model used in the ipod's fabrication as developed by Apple.

This article was kind of confusing for me, there was too much technical jargon going on. But from what I can understand, Apple's unusual business model used for the ipod is that they outsourced many of its components to third-party companies (such as PortalPlayer, Toshiba, Wolfson Microelectronics Ltd., etc.) instead of using "an ASIC or other custom chip to integrate all the functions it needed onto one piece of silicon, which would have presumably saved space and battery life."

"Where the value rapidly accumulates is in the intelligent coordination among the vendors and integration of their products." So it was smarter for Apple to pick and choose it's parts from other companies to create this superior product, rather than try and do everything themselves, or everything in one piece. (more to add) [|http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_39/b4002414.htm] [|http://www.designmuseum.org/design/jonathan-ive] = =