DanielMcDonald

=WELCOME TO DAN MCDONALD'S PERSONAL PAGE!=

=__**Week 2:**__=
 * Case Studies on Ergonomics **


 * The three definitions of ergonomics:

Physical ergonomics:** this has to do with the aspects of human anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics as they relate to physical activity. Topics that are relevant to the physical facet of ergonomics include posture, materials handing, repetitive strain, work-related disorders, workplace layout, and overall health & safety.


 * Cognitive Ergonomics:** this deals with the mental functions (ie. Perception, reasoning memory, etc.) and how they affect interactivity between humans and other entities. Topics relevant to this include decision-making, skill sets, work stress, and the possibility of human error; all of these factors can relate to human-system design.


 * Organizational Ergonomics:** this is concerned with optimizing sociotechnical systems, and their corresponding structures, policies, and processes. Topics relevant to the organizational facet of ergonomics include interpersonal communication, resource management, work design, cooperation & teamwork, and quality management.


 * Case Study 3: Lighting at work

Additional advice**

1. Reduce the brightness of computer screens to almost the bare minimum. This will reduce eye strain drastically.

2. When employees are working overtime (late into the evening), never turn off the overhead lights while operating a computer. Staring at a computer screen in the dark is a sure way to strain your eyes.


 * Example of an ergonomic product:

[|Ergonomic Keyboard/mouse Platforms]**

=__Week 5:__= Bodystorming Bodystorming is similar to brainstorming, for it requires one or more people to use hypothetical situations in order to formulate new ideas as well as solutions for existing problems. Bodystorming, however, differs from brainstorming because this method involves using the human body as a product tester, and requires movement and sensory exploration in a physical sense (instead of verbally theorizing). Bodystorming can be particularly useful for the purpose of identifying any problems that may result from using a given product.

Video: Experiencing a disability

Case Study #1 (blindness): this participant was blindfolded in order to simulate the effects of blindness. Although the subject felt heavily disoriented, she found that her other senses (hearing, touch, smell) became more effective; she was thus able to rely on these senses to navigate her environment. This participant was also able to better adapt to her environment by learning to count her steps when moving from one location to the next.

Case Study #2 (ADD): this next participant was made to multitask in order to simulate the distracting effects of Attention Deficit Disorder. The subject was asked to recite telephone numbers while at the same time solving math problems on a Nintendo DS. The frustration he experienced, like that experienced by ADD sufferers, reportedly managed to reduce his self esteem. The conductors of the experiment reached the conclusion that clear narration and enjoyable activities were a great way to improve the attention of an individual.

Case Study #3 (Arthritis): the third and final participant had the mobility of their hands impaired by having pens taped to their fingers and gloves placed over top of these. This subject reported a nagging fear of injury while attempting to prepare food. He became extremely apprehensive in situations that would normally be considered nonthreatening. The subject also had to expel more energy, resulting in a raised body temperature which, in turn, led to increased anxiety. Among the conclusions reached from this experiment was the importance of developing more household objects made from safe materials, and the merit of advanced speech recognition systems.  =__Week 6:__=

Three Phases for the Adoption of a Technology
1. The //enthusiast stage// involves appealing to those who love and appreciate the aesthetic capabilities that accompany a new technological program or device. The enthusiasts enjoy exploiting a new technology for its practical use. When the 35mm camera was in this stage, it was extremely expensive and was so difficult to use that it would have been impossible to operate without precise instructions and a knowledge of the device (not to mention a fair bit of practice); this early form of the 35mm camera was used by astronauts in the 1950s.

2. The //professional stage// involves a product being sold to businesses and trade workers. This is the stage where a product (ie. a camera) has been made easy enough to use, as long as one can master the slightly complex functions involved with its use. Products at this stage are considerably cheaper than items at the enthusiast stage. When the 35mm camera was first marketed to professional photographers, everything involved with using it (focus, aperture, flash, etc.) was entirely manual. Every individual function had to be accounted for in order to use it properly, and no necessary step could be overlooked.

3. The third and final phase is the //consumer stage//. A product that has reached this stage will be as easy to use as possible. The number of automatic functions and idiot-proof features ensures that the product can be used by virtually anyone. Modern cameras, for example, basically involve two steps: point and click. Everything else, including developing the film, is done for the consumer. Products that have reached this stage appeal to consumers by advertising how enjoyable they are, and how they can be an attractive accessory to one’s lifestyle.  Another consumer product that has undergone a similar transgression is the personal computer. Computers went from being used solely by scientists and mathematicians, to being used solely in the workplace, to being readily available to anyone for the purpose of both work and entertainment.

=__Week 7:__=

**Interaction Architecture and Designing a Questionnaire **

 * Mat Hunter** describes interaction architecture as a series of rules that allow new systems to begin functioning properly and, which also leads to the design of a whole line of products (ie. a line of digital camera models). It allows the users and the designers to understand not only how the system will work, but how it feels to the person operating the device. Using UEP and macromedia director Mat Hunter and his collegues were able to greatly influence the development of the kodak digital camera. This allowed for a better understanding of the production of social capital.


 * Rikako Sakai** described the "stitch assist" mode developed for the digital camera. This mode allowed the user to take one picture, and then view it on the left side of the lcd screen, allowing the user to align the second photo with the first photo. Users could subsequently take wide angle photos in three or four takes instead of having to capture the whole image into one photograph. Rikako used tabs to replace step-by-step processes in photostitch allowing the process to be simplified and become much more user-friendly.


 * Leading Questions:** A leading question is one that prompts a certain type of answer from the person answering it. A closed format question must include answers that cover the whole spectrum of responses, and are also equally distributed throughout this range.


 * Hypothetical Questions:** This type of question is based on conjecture and sometimes even on fantasy. Hypothetical questions force the person answering the questionnaire to give thought to something he/she had never considered previously. This will produce unclear and inconsistent data representing subjective opinion.

=__Week 8:__=

Human-Centred Design Case Study of Cellphones in Developing Countries
Jan Chipchase is a 38 year-old resident of the United Kingdom. For a number of years, he has worked for the Nokia cellphone company with the job title of “human behaviour researcher”. His main objective is to “peer into the lives of other people, accumulating as much knowledge as possible about human behaviour so that he can feed helpful bits of information back to the company”. He goes around the world taking pictures of people in different environments with the hope that he will acquire important information about their cell phone use (or lack thereof). An example of this is when he went to Mumbai, India; during monsoon season, he met a family who had to hang all of their belongings on a hook so that it would be kept above floor level and out of the water. This information was important because with it Nokia was alerted to the potential market for a cell phone with an attachable hook so that the people living in these slums during monsoon season could avoid damage to the device.

Chipchase is not presented as a delegate for Nokia, assaulting potential customers with slogans and pitch lines, but as a good listener acting on behalf of the people in the many places he has visited. His job is to get to know his customers as well as he possibly can before participating in designing a product for them. The main problems arise when one tries to sell high-tech gadgets to the poorest people in various African countries as well as other parts of the world. It is, however, very important to help these people gain access to technology, because as Chipchase has stated people of all economic/social/ethnic backgrounds usually "say more or less the same thing: their income gets a big boost when they have access to a cell phone”.

=__Week 9:__=

Design as a Collaborative Process
Bill Moggridge defines collaborative design as a process that requires organised teamwork involving people of different skill sets to deal with modern design problems. A larger variety of trade/skill backgrounds will allow the development of a "sharemind", a term used to refer to intimate relationships and enthusiasm when working together as a group.

In one example, Moggridge cited a recent campaign by the Red Cross to persuade people to donate blood. Donors were asked to write about why they were donating blood, and to post their pictures on a public board online. This gave blood donation a human face and appear less intimidating, and encouraged potential donors to participate.

A second example identified by Moggridge was Takamura's Tangible Earth. A giant globe with input from global satellites, the model shows the planet from several different viewpoints; surface temperature and the distribution of greenhouse gases were among the the different facets showcased in this model.

An example of a product that utilizes these principles of collaborative design is FL Studio ([]). This program is a virtual music studio that is equipped with a sound recorder, beat slicer, sequencer, and 29 virtual sythesizers (among other features). This program was obviously designed with the help of people from many different professional backgrounds, for it covers all aspects of music production.

= __Week 10__:=

Biomimicry: Janine Benyus and the Biomimicry Institute and Guild

 * High-speed train**

The Japanese 500 Series Shinkansen bullet train based its design on birds, more specifically the owl and the kingfisher. The train's top speed is 200mph, so in order to reduce the noise produced by the pantograph they implemented small serrations onto the train similar to those found on an owl's feathers. They also used an aerodynamic design for the front of the train, modeled after the beak of the common kingfisher. This reduced the sonic boom experienced when the train passes from a tunnel back into open air, similar to how resistance is minimized when the bird dives from air into water.


 * Bone furniture**

Joris Laarman of the Netherlands designed a unique line of furniture which is structured the same way as bones. This furniture is structured around a strong matrix support that is architecturally designed to support weight.


 * Sonar-enabled cane**

Sound Foresight, a small company in England, has designed an ingenious device called the UltraCane. This device aims to help individuals with vision impairment. The UltraCane uses a sonar-like technology that is similar to the way bats navigate in the dark. The device sends out waves that detect nearby objects, such as street signs and people. Moreover, it sends out a singal through the canes handle allowing them to be immediately aware of the approaching obstacle.

=__**Week 11:**__=

Glen Farrelly: Questions on Usability and Accessibility
1. Web Accessibility can be described as the ability for a user to visit a website and be able to understand and successfully navigate said website regardless of any disabilities they may suffer from. This could include impaired eyesight, poor hearing, or colour blindness. 2. Both the company of a website and the user benefit from accessibility. The user will be able to find information (or perhaps purchase) what they want and the company will satisfy a customer.  3. I think if we made it possible for people with disabilities to access our personal blogs, it would open up a large portion of the web to these individuals that was previously unaccessable to them. Blogs can announce extremely important information that disabled people should not be deprived of.  4. I think the biggest challenge is embedding the many types of user needs within a website without having these features detract from the overall look and feel of the website. This includes colour schemes as well as general layouts, which may clash with the accessable functionality of the website.