Natalie+Nguyen

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Tutorial Discussion: 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 equality. The web is becoming such a huge part of our world, used at work and at home for business and for leisure. It is important that EVERYONE has access to the web and it's contents.
 * 1. How would you describe web accessibility?

2. Who do you think benefits from accessible websites and how? Everyone benefits from accessible websites, by being able to access the content and features of a website is being accessible to knowledge and the rest of the world.

3. Do you think your website/blog should be accessible? Should all Canadian websites? Yes I think my website/ blog as well as all Canadian websites should be accessible, why would the answer be no?

4. What do you think is the biggest challenge of making a website accessible? I think that the biggest challenge of making a website accessible is making it accessible to all the different disabilities and needs.

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Tutorial Discussion: 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.**

**
 * MY FAV DESIGNS:**
 * 'Avian Elements'

I really thought that this "biomimicry" of the owl and kingfisher characteristics was a great idea. I really thought the designers put a lot of thought into the design of one of the fastest trains in the world. I appreciate the fact that not only was the design focused on the trains' speed but also the environmentally friendly aspect of it as well, particularly the focus to reduce the noise pollution. People when they think of environmentally friendly, don't consider noise pollution and I think that it is very important considering the fact that noise pollution is getting worse and worse.

**
 * 'Sticking Naturally'

Creating a glue that mimics the "composition of the secretions mussels use to cling to surfaces underwater" ([|http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0209_green_biomimic/index_01.htm)] Why didn't someone think of this sooner? It's such a simple idea, I mean why not just mimic something that naturally exists? and not to mention works! We really should invest more time and money into mimicking other naturally existing substances. We spend time and money creating dangerous chemicals, we have the capabilities to create environmentally friendly substances as well.


 * 'Echolocation'

**

Again I think that this is a great example of "biomimicry", using the same echolocation techniques that bats use to navigate in a device to help blind people. It will allow users to be more mobile and independent while still being safe.

More Information: Janine Benyus' TED Talk 12 Sustainable Design Ideas from Nature [|http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/janine_benyus_shares_nature_s_designs.html]

Tutorial Discussion: Week 9

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

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'.)

Tutorial Discussion: Week 8


 * Human-Centred Design Case Study of Cellphones in Developing Countries**

Read the online article 'Can the Cellphone end Global Poverty?' at [] very carefully.

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 and defining cellphone use and design in different cultures as part of their market expansion.

Jan Chipchase's role in defining the role of cellphones in the developing world for Nokia is to study human behaviour. His role as a "human-behaviour researcher" requires him to travel around the world and witness human behaviour through social institutions, personal belongings, and ads etc. within the different countries. The "on-the-ground intelligence-gathering" is important to "human-centered" design to these competitive companies who are trying to develop software and technologies that users will buy because they find them useful and unintimidating.

Once these behaviours are learned and studied Chipchase comes up with ideas and designs to meet the needs. Chipchase believes that cellphones can help people be more efficient and provide better opportunities resulting in increases of productivity and revenue.

The benefits of analyzing and defining cellphone use and design in different cultures as part of their market expansion are:
 * different countries have different weather, living conditions, and eduction i.e. monsoons, not a lot of money, electricity, some people can not read which effects the way they live and use things eg. because of the floods the family in the article has to hang most of their stuff up to protect it from water damage, they keep their cell phone in a plastic bag to keep it from getting wet, some get paid very little and may not be able to afford a cell phone
 * if the companies know how certain cultures use the cell phones and what they need out of a cell phone, they can produce a product that will be accommodating to that particular market's needs
 * if these companies can develop cell phones that will satisfy user needs they will be more willing to buy it, as studies show that even the poorest-when they are able will buy telecommunication technologies over health care and education
 * business can be conducted more accurately and quickly eg. mobile banking, farmers in Vietnam who bring their produce to someone who runs a "vegetable stall" won't get paid until the next time they come to town, and that isn't very dependable what if they are unable to locate the person they gave their produce to?



Tutorial Discussion: Week 7
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 * Interaction Architecture and Designing a Questionnaire **


 * Write a description of interaction architecture as defined by Mat Hunter at**[] and Rikako Sakai at[] **in relation to their work with Kodak in 1995.

Interaction architecture** as defined by Mat Hunter is established when something is designed by using data collected, of users using prototypes etc. When users use the prototypes developers can see how users may use the product, what they would or wouldn't use, what they are looking for in the product etc. Rikako Sakai describes it as something similiar where with the photostitch she made changes and improvements based on user studies.

In addition, as you will be creating a questionnaire for your major assignment, read the article at[] to help you formulate the question. **How does the author define 'leading questions' and 'hypothetical questions'? Write a paragraph each to define these terms.

Leading questions as defined by the author is one that "implies a certain type of answer, this mistake is made in the choice of the answers- not in the question. All answers should be equally likely.

Hypothetical questions are questions that are based on a "what if" basis i.e. the person being asked the question may or may not have experienced or thought of the given situation, therefore their response will not be clear, consistent, and real, the data will therefore not be useful.

surveymonkey.com**

 Tutorial Discussion: 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 of adoption David Liddle says are 1) Enthusiast Users, 2) Business Users, and 3) Consumer Users.

1) The first group of users love the challege of using the new technology and they love exploiting what the technology can do. In the early 1950's astronauts used the 35 mm and they had to be very educated to use the complicated camera, and know exactly how to use it, what to press, push, change etc. and when to do it. They eventually found ways to use the technology for more practical things/ activities, leading to the use of the camera as a tool for professional photographers etc. This makes the camera less expensive and more accessible to other users.

2) The second group of users take advantage of the drop in price and the fact that the technology changed making it easier for them to use. Everything becomes automatic i.e. on the 35 mm they just have to press a button and it automatically zooms in or flashes. The Business user looks at the productivity that the product can give them, and how it will change the activity.

3) The last group is the Consumer Users, they use the products to fit in with their style, they use the product because they feel that it defines them or the work/activity they do; and they enjoy the many capabilities.

Another consumer product which has undergone similar developments would be the cell phone.

"Bodystorming"
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.//

Can you think of how you could use bodystorming and video to help you analyze the design of your major project? It is helpful to keep this method in mind as you work to design your group project.

"Bodystorming **is a technique sometimes used in [|interaction design] or as a [|creativity technique]...The idea is to imagine what it would be like if the product existed, and act as though it exists, ideally in the place it would be used... you get up and move, trying things out with your own body, rather than just sitting around a meeting table. The most common critique seems to be that it is not really a proper user-centered method, since it is more often carried out by the designers than the end users." (Wikipedia)**

====<span style="color: rgb(18, 13, 13);">"Unlike brainstorming, bodystorming is the transformation of abstract ideas and concepts into physical experiences. Fun and tactile, this approach allows us to investigate different qualities that an idea may have when applied in a physical setting. It enables rapid iteration and development of ideas and relationships through a dynamic, continuous and creative process of trial and error." (Space and Culture, 2009) ====

'Bodystorming Experiencing a Disability' Disability 1: Visual Impairment- Blindness **The participant was blindfolded and given a stick to help her navigate her surroundings. The test participant for the visual impairment test felt disoriented. When executing tasks she reported a heightened use of other senses to make her decisions. The participant mentally counted how many steps she took after she crossed the street until she reached the steps, she did this for other places too, she also relied heavily on sound and touch to complete tasks.**

Disability 2: Cognitive - Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
 * The participant had to recite a phone number while answering math questions. The participant found it very hard to do the task and got frustrated during the experiment, the frustration negatively impacted his self esteem. Insights gained from participant 2's experiences is how to use clear narration to assist the user and present enjoyable and challenging activities to improve attention.**

Disability 3: Motor - Chronic Arthritis
 * To give the participant and idea of how arthritis felt, the participant had pens taped to his fingers and wrist to prevent him from being able to bend his fingers and gloves were put over his hands. While doing the experiments the participant expressed constant fears of injury, making him apprehensive even in undemanding conditions. His body temperature increased from using more energy, making him more anxious. His experiences provided insight on using accessible routes, passing space, and using objects made of safe materials to decrease the fear of participation.**

Sources: Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodystorming>Space and Culture, 2004-2009. <http://www.spaceandculture.org/2004/11/16/play-and-bodystorming/>

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Tutorial Discussion: WEEK 4

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 182);">"Story of Stuff"
<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 182); background-color: rgb(252, 248, 248);"> '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.

The system of the 'materials economy' according to Anne Leonard, consists of 5 steps: The system is a linear system and cannot be run indefinitely on a finite planet. Each step interacts with society, cultures, economy, and the environment (Anne Leonard).
 * Extraction
 * Production
 * Distribution
 * Consumption
 * Disposal

The extraction e process is destroying our planet, killing the animals, and using up all our natural resources. The **production** process uses energy, creates toxic chemicals as well as toxic contaminated products which we bring in to our homes e.g. BFR is a neuro toxin to help make things more flame resistant, that we put on our pillows. When they **distribute** (the third step in the materials economy) they are selling the toxic contaminated products, and they are selling them as quickly as possible. The **consumption** process is the "heart of the system... we have become a nation of consumers" (Anne Leonard), and last is the **disposal** step we throw the products out creating pollution and more chemicals during the disposal process.

The interactions of the 'material economy' effect everyone. Heavy **extraction** has ruined local environments and economies more than 200,000 people have had to relocate in to the city because the location where they were before was ruined to the point where they had no choice but to leave. Thousands of people are exposed to dangerous chemicals during the **production** process as they work in the factories that produce these products. The natural resources are brought to these factories where they are mixed with dangerous chemicals to create toxic products that we bring into our homes and use on a daily basis. Further, most of the toxic waste in these factories leaves as pollution with all these chemicals no wonder there are increased rates of asthma and cancer. When the products are **distributed** they are being sold as quickly as possible, we keep buying things, toxic things that we don't need. A lot of these companies try to keep their prices as low as possible to get the products out of the stores. The companies are able to keep the costs low because of something called 'externalized costs' says Anne Leonard. This is why the sales people get paid minimum wage and no health benefits, kids in Congo lose their future because they drop out of school to mine metals we need to make our cheap products, we all pay with the loss of our natural resource space and clean air-- you won't find these costs in the companies' books says Anne. **Consumption** is what keeps this system running says Anne and we have become such consumers that "our value is measured and demonstrated by how much we can consume" (Anne Leonard). We are obsessed with buying "stuff" we always want the latest thing and the trendiest, and believe it or not we were conditioned to be this way. Look at all the ads and commercials etc. We are bombarded with thousands of them everyday, they make us unhappy with ourselves and try to make us think that we will be 'better' happier people if we purchased the product in the ads and commercials etc. But the irony is that we have more stuff now than we ever did, but our happiness is declining, Anne says that it is because of our obsession with buying 'stuff' that we work so much to buy buy buy, all that working makes us tired and allows less time to enjoy the stuff we have, further, we don't see our friends and family as much anymore. Lastly **disposal** of all this 'stuff' is out of control, especially when the products are designed to be useless (Planned obsolescence) and or changed so often that we throw away perfectly good products just to 'keep up' with the trends (Perceived obsolescence) e.g. Stilettos v.s. Wedges-- fashion. To try to get rid of all this garbage we are creating more toxins when we burn the garbage, the chemical produced is a dioxin which is a man made very toxic chemical that is released into the air that we breathe as the garbage is burned. Overall we should look at ourselves and open our eyes because without our health and happiness nothing else matters!

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Tutorial Discussion: WEEK 3

'Design for the Other 90%' at http://other90.cooperhewitt.org/ is an exhibition showing low-cost design solutions for the 5.8 billion living in poverty, and analyzes thirty humanitarian design projects, which address basic needs in the areas of shelter, health, water, education, energy and transport.

The web site for this exhibition won a Webby - one of the highest honours on the web - for its groundbreaking design and content.

If you would like to see this exhibition in person, it will be on at OCAD, 100 McCaul Street, Level 2 (Subway station St. Patrick) until January 25th.

Tutorial Question: Choose a country on the web site's map, and read through the description of the products designed for that country. List five characteristics of socially responsible product design.

AFRICA:
 * Cheap and locally available material eg. Bamboo for the "Bamboo Treadle Pump"
 * Ability to make use of other natural resources eg. the use of sunlight to heat up the handle to kill germs and reduce contamination on the "Domed Pit Laterine Slab Kit"
 * Simple but works and is efficient eg. mostly all the designs
 * Innovative eg. mostly all the designs
 * Mobility eg. The "LifeStraw"

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 182);"> Tutorial Discussion: WEEK 2

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 182);">Case Studies on Ergonomics

 * List the three definitions of 'ergonomics':

Physical ergonomics is concerned with human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical characteristics as they relate to physical activity. The relevant topics include working postures, materials handling, repetitive movements, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, workplace layout, safety and health.
 * Physical Ergonomics

Cognitive ergonomics is concerned with mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response, as they affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system. The relevant topics include mental workload, decision-making, skilled performance, human-computer interaction, human reliability, work stress and training as these may relate to human-system design.
 * Cognitive Ergonomics

Organisational ergonomics is concerned with the optimisation of sociotechnical systems, including their organisational structures, policies, and processes. The relevant topics include communication, crew resource management, work design, design of working times, teamwork, participatory design, community ergonomics, cooperative work, new work paradigms, organisational culture, virtual organisations, telework, and quality management.
 * Organisational Ergonomics


 * **Read each of the task analyses and case studies at**[|**http://www.ergonomics.org.au/ergonomics/case_studies.html#case6**]**. Choose one of the case studies, and add an additional recommendation to one of them in step two as 'advice'.**

Issue: Frequent user of a personal computer suffers from lower back, neck and right shoulder pain.

Step One: Task Analysis
After further consultation it was established that:
 * "Frequent" meant up to 8 hours sitting at the computer per day.
 * Software package required use of the mouse nearly as often as the keyboard. Mouse was located on right hand side (RHS) of keyboard.
 * Telephone was used regularly. Tendency to cradle handset into the neck when checking information with the computer.
 * User had a height adjustable chair and a fixed height desk. Chair had been adjusted to provide a comfortable keying posture.
 * As User was relatively short, tended to rest feet on the 5 star base of the chair.

Step Two: Advice

 * 1) Ensure frequent changes of posture occur e.g. stand up, walk around. Avoid sitting for prolonged periods. Frequent short breaks are better than longer breaks taken less often.
 * 2) Train to use the mouse with both hands on the LHS and RHS of the keyboard. In preference, use the "hot keys" on the keyboard as an alternative to frequent use of the mouse.
 * 3) Obtain a telephone headset from the telephone supplier for use on prolonged calls or when interaction is required with the computer.
 * 4) Obtain a foot-rest or equivalent under the desk to stabilise the feet. They should be supported in front of the knee line to enable the back muscles to relax into the chair backrest.
 * 5) Use the backrest angle lever on the chair frequently during the day to suit the activity. For example, when talking on the phone, angle the backrest into a reclined position. Frequent changes of posture are needed to engage a range of muscle groups.
 * 6) Practice some "passive exercises" i.e. gentle stretches of those muscles that feel tired.
 * 7) Relax! Muscle pain can result from feeling stressed and tense. Identify aspects of the job that may cause muscle tension and discuss strategies to address these issues.
 * 8) <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 182);">When using the key board your forearm, wrists, and palms should all be lined up in a vertical flat position to the arm rests of your chair, but your arms should not be resting on the arm rests. When sitting on your chair your knees should be bent at a 90 degree angle with your feet flat on the floor.


 * Find an example of a product which is ergonomically sound, and add a link to an article about this product.

[|Ergonomic Workspaces]



<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 182);"> Tutorial Discussion: WEEK 1

The design and designer behind the iPod, Jonathan Ive > 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.
 * Inside the Apple iPod Design T riumph


 * The development of the iPod stemed from a third party's design and platform i.e. The Portal Player. Apple used Portal Player as a prototype to develop the iPod because the "design expertise yielded the highest quality of sound, according to industry sources" (Sherman), then with the Apple touch, they organized the circuit board and battery etc. so that it would give the device the best sound quality and a great user friendly interface, "it's a fantastic user interface," emphasizes Hayes. "It's by far and away the best user interface of any product of this type. It sets it apart from any of the other comparable MP3 players of its ilk." and with that Apple had the best MP3 out on the market.
 * Further Apple used an "Outside-in" perspective to create the iPod, they planned how it would look on the outside first and then they worked on the inside. Industry experts say that arranging the "inside" of the iPod i.e. the wires, circuit board, battery etc. is not easy and Apple hit the nail on the head.

> http://www.designmuseum.org/design/jonathan-ive > 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?
 * Jonathan Ive at the Design Museum


 * Together Jobs and Ive have clear visions and goals with Apple and it's products, this is what sets them apart from the rest of the competition. Their simple designs is what Apple is known for and what makes them as successful as they are.
 * The new materials enabling different designs include:
 * Polymer advances, allows Apple to do things with plastic that they were once told were impossible (Ive, 2007)
 * Twin Shooting materials, moulding different plastics together or co-moulding plastic to metal (Ive, 2007)
 * also new methods of joining metals with advanced adhesives and laser welding is furthering their innovative designs (Ive, 2007)

> An in-depth look at the man behind Apple's design magic > http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_39/b4002414.htm > Question: Describe the importance of Apple's design team. Are other companies trying to compete with Apple by creating their own design teams? >
 * Who Is Jonathan Ive?
 * **Ive's described his small team and how they work together, "A lot of their ideas came while eating pizza in a small kitchen at the team's design studio" (Business Week, 2006). Ive also "talked about focusing on only what is important and limiting the number of projects. He spoke about having a deep understanding of how a product is made: its materials, its tooling, its purpose. Mostly, he focused on the need to care deeply about the work." (Business Week, 2006)**
 * Jobs is a perfectionist and is not afraid to let people know if he is not satisfied with any part of Apple's products
 * Jobs is a perfectionist and is not afraid to let people know if he is not satisfied with any part of Apple's products
 * Hewlit Packard, Microsoft and Dell are utilizing design teams to compete with Apple's innovative and creative products.