John+Quinsay

= = =Welcome to John's Page!!=


 * Tutorial Articles for CCT333 Case Studies**

= CCT333 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 refers to the practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users can have equal access to information and functionality. For example, when a site is coded with semantically meaningful HTML, with textual equivalents provided for images and with links named meaningfully, this helps blind users using text-to-speech software and/or text-to-Braille hardware. When text and images are large and/or enlargable, it is easier for users with poor sight to read and understand the content. When links are underlined (or otherwise differentiated) as well as coloured, this ensures that color blind users will be able to notice them. When clickable links and areas are large, this helps users who cannot control a mouse with precision. When pages are coded so that users can navigate by means of the keyboard alone, or a single switch access device alone, this helps users who cannot use a mouse or even a standard keyboard. When videos are closed captioned or a sign language version is available, deaf and hard of hearing users can understand the video. When flashing effects are avoided or made optional, users prone to seizures caused by these effects are not put at risk. And when content is written in plain language and illustrated with instructional diagrams and animations, users with dyslexia and learning difficulties are better able to understand the content. When sites are correctly built and maintained, all of these users can be accommodated while not impacting on the usability of the site for non-disabled users.
 * 1. How would you describe web accessibility?**


 * 2. Who do you think benefits from accessible websites and how?

3. Do you think your website/blog should be accessible? Should all Canadian websites?

4. What do you think is the biggest challenge of making a website accessible?**

= 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.**

=Scrubbing Bubbles= Low-Energy Carbon Sequestration

//**Carbon sequestration—or the removal of harmful carbon emissions—is becoming a major front in sustainable industry. Whereas humans view CO2 as a major poison, plants and animals see it as a fundamental building block, processing it for energy or using it to construct shells, for example. With this in mind, Monmouth Junction (N.J.)-based Carbozyme developed an industrial flue scrubber that mimics the enzymes of mollusks to sequester CO2 from waste gases, converting it to nontoxic limestone powder. Unlike other gas separation methods, it operates at a moderate temperature and pressure.**// Increased carbon sequestration reduces net emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Forest management technology can potentially enhance the role of forests as carbon sinks. This tool can determine the impacts of industrial practices on ecosystem carbon balance, that may contribute to solving the greenhouse gas problem.

= = =Echolocation=

Sonar-Enabled Cane

This innovation is very practical and efficient for those who are vision impaired because it allows allocation and guidance that signal upcoming objects and people to the user. The device emits sound too high-pitched for the human ear to detect. It also picks up the reflections of these waves to map obstacles up to three metres away in three dimensions. Buttons on the handle vibrates gently that warns the vision impaired to dodge objects blocking their path.
 * //Sound Foresight, a small company in Barnsley, England, created the//** **//UltraCane. The high-tech device for the vision-impaired uses a sonar-like technology—similar to the way bats navigate in the dark—to prevent collisions. The cane sends out sound waves ahead of the person holding it. These sense upcoming objects, such as street signs or other people, and provide a tactile warning of an oncoming obstacle's location through the cane's handle.//**

=New Plumage=

Bio-Inspired Color Displays

This new and exciting product is the true definition of low-powered and efficient consumption. Similar to the way animals display their unique colours, the reflection of light allows the display screens to emit specific colour palletes and tones that create detailed colours. This new product undermines the typical pigmented pixels that consume way too much power and create less detailed pixels on screens.
 * //Qualcomm (//**[|**//QCOM//**]**//) engineers have developed the nature-inspired mirasol display, which conveys color in a manner similar to the way a butterfly shows off its brightly colored wings or a peacock displays its plumage. Rather than showing pigmented pixels, these displays contain tiny structures that variably reflect light in such a way that specific wavelengths of light interfere with one another to create vivid colors. The technology could help cell phones and other electronics reduce their power consumption. Last October, Audiovox (//**[|**//VOXX//**]**//) began using the technology in its Bluetooth stereo headsets.//**

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

= CCT333 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.**

1) The way our practices and design are changing 2) Trying to work with the people we design for 3) The changes in the context that we design around
 * Design as a Collaborative Process:**

**Togetherness with collaboration:** - Understand people in a physical size - Subjective form - Design physical behavior must understand how the body works i.e. physiology of the spine - Must design for human interface and interaction for connectivity - We need to know how people think - How they relate to an interface and how they react with it  -  Sociology, psychology are sciences that dissect it  -  Must work with teams: design, business, factors - The shared mind is more effective with brainstorming - Involving the people we design for: try to use participatory design, by integrating the people in the team, it became effective because it was working for the people who were going to use the design - I.e.) brainstorm idea of a film canister and a marker and a clip the way it was held was altered rather than an inline approach  -  Involve people in the research process as well as the results  -  I.e.) Red Cross to donate blood gave people an incentive to feel special about the process of donating blood. It was successful to give opportunity for the people to be recognized and other people thinking about donating to see their story - It humanizes the process in intimate way -  Changing context: me, social stuff, and the world as a whole - Personal is health and well being i.e.) iphone is designed for individual touch interface  -  Health and well being: CBC impacts of obesity – why are Americans fat?  -  Social impact programs: smart space design i.e.) Dilbert cartoons create a cubicle that Dilbert might like – imaginative - Prototyping – design process that is subject to change and redesign - User study, research, design prototype, analyze user case and redesign - Rockefeller exploring new aspects in designing a workbook in social impacts of design - Design principles: case studies and principles - Global sustainability: sustainable products i.e.) Denmark milk container with flexible handle – small mass and biodegradable material (Ecolean)  -  The way the world is impacted by design i.e.) creating new version of communication of information Tokyo tangible earth, move earth as the feeling of control – world’s first interactive control globe in real time

(Hint: Bruce Mau's Massive Change web site also presents examples of these principles of using 'a shared mind'.)**
 * Find an online example of a product which utilizes his principles of collaborative design, add its URL, and describe its design in three sentences.

This is a design process of a shopping cart that was also designed by the IDEO team. The principles used in collaborative design were ways of practices and design change in grocery shopping. The IDEO team went to local shopping areas and investigated how people interact with the products. They also questioned and worked with the people they were designing the shopping cart for. media type="youtube" key="z6z-3ejvvGE" height="344" width="425"

=CCT333 Week 8: "Human-Centered Design Case Study of Cellphones in Developing Countries" =

[] very carefully.
 * 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 and defining cellphone use and design in different cultures as part of their market expansion.**

Jan Chipchase is a "human-behavior researcher" for the company Nokia. His job is to travel across remote areas of the world and return information that would help enhance productivity and cell phone use for Nokia. Wherever he goes, he lugs a big-bodied digital Nikon camera so that he can take pictures of things that might be even remotely instructive back in Finland or at any of Nokia’s nine design studios around the world.

Chipchase gets to know potential customers as well as possible in order for Nokia to produce a product for them. But when those customers live in remotely scarce and poverish conditions, Nokia focuses to design a cellphone that will sell to essentially the only people left on earth who don’t yet have one, which is to say people who are illiterate, making $4 per day or less and have no easy access to electricity, the challenges are considerable.

80% of the world’s population lives in a range of a cellular network, by the end of 2006, 68% of the world’s mobile subscriptions were in developing countries. Thus, as more countries abandon government-run telecom systems, offering cellular network licenses to the highest-bidding private investors and without the burden of navigating pre-established bureaucratic chains, new towers are going up at a furious pace. Unlike fixed-line phone networks, which are expensive to build and maintain and require customers to have both a permanent address and the ability to pay a monthly bill, or personal computers, which are not just costly but demand literacy as well, the cellphone is more egalitarian, at least to a point.

=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.**

**Mat Hunter** defines interaction architecture in relation to Kodak as a series of cameras to be designed. A user experience prototype was created to communicate the results. The prototype featured a user interface on the camera, which allowed users to take pictures, delete them, and send them across the room to a TV. It expressed the features, functions, and how it felt. All in all, Kodak took this prototype and turned it into a best-selling camera – the DC210.

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.**
 * Rikako Sakai** describes PhotoStitch, a software program for digital cameras where users can “stitch” two images together. To elaborate, the user can adjust the camera position to match the original image so that the original image and current image will become transparent. Sakai indicates that the biggest problem with PhotoStitch was that the structure was not visible to the user and there were too many steps in the stitching process. As a result, changes were made using tabs, interfaces, and animation to help beginners visualize the stitching. Sakai claims that she got this idea from observing people and determining the cause of the software issues.
 * Leading Questions:** A leading question is one that forces or implies a certain type of answer. It is easy to make this mistake not in the question, but in the choice of answers. A closed format question must supply answers that not only cover the whole range of responses, but that are also equally distributed throughout the range. All answers should be equally likely. An obvious, nearly comical, example would be a question that supplied these answer choices:
 * 1) Superb
 * 2) Excellent
 * 3) Great
 * 4) Good
 * 5) Fair
 * 6) Not so Great

A less blatant example would be a Yes/No question that asked:
 * 1) Is this the best CAD interface you have every used?

In this case, even if the participant loved the interface, but had an favorite that was preferred, she would be forced to answer No. Clearly, the negative response covers too wide a range of opinions. A better way would be to ask the same question but supply the following choices:
 * 1) Totally Agree
 * 2) Partially Agree
 * 3) Neither Agree or Disagree
 * 4) Partially Disagree
 * 5) Totally Agree

This forces the respondent to give thought to something he may have never considered. This does not produce clear and consistent data representing real opinion. Do not ask hypothetical questions.
 * Hypothetical Questions** Hypothetical are based, at best, on conjecture and, at worst, on fantasy. I simple question such as:
 * 1) If you were governor, what would you do to stop crime?


=CCT333 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. There are three stages of adoption David Liddle addresses: **The Enthusiast Stage, The Professional Stage and The Consumer Stage.** He demonstrates the three stages with the development of the 35mm camera.
 * 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.**

Technology is difficult and complicated for users. However, the enthusiasts admire the aesthetics of the technology. Although it may be complex to figure out the products functions, product appeal becomes the focus. The development of the 35mm camera was intended for users with high knowlege, mainly those who had a PhD in Optics. Liddle concludes that the Enthusiast stage are targeted to users that are well educated to handle complex products such as the 35mm camera.
 * The Enthusiast Stage:**

Technology is difficult and complicated for users, but it is expanded to work-related activities. Enthusiasts and other advanced users start applying the new technology to the work field. For instance, the development of the 35mm camera became a necessary tool for professional photographers, which has increased their productivity levels. The 35mm camera developed popularity in this stage as it evolved universally yet accessible to a greater demographic.
 * The Professional Stage:**

Technology has finally arrived for all users. This stage developement attracts the average household because pricing is affordable and the new technology is user friendly. The product itself has transformed where controls and functions are automated. The 35mm camera now easily accessible, user-friendly, efficient, and affordable for consumers. Since the development of the 35mm camera evolved, Liddle says chimpanzee's can take a picture perfect image, which demonstrates how easy the new technology can be used.
 * The Consumer Stage:**

Another consumer product that has undergone similar developments are: - Cars: Elite high class status -> Henry Ford develops production line -> Average families become mobile - Mobile Phones: Executive users -> international business use ->Accessible to consumers - Computers: Enthusiast development -> WWII IBM computers used to organize information -> accessible to consumers - Radio: Army Communication -> News broadcasting -> entertainment/family use
 * Can you think of another consumer product which has undergone similar developments?**

=CCT333 Week 5: "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.  **


 References: http://www.reference.com/search?q=Bodystorming
 * Bodystorming** is a technique used in interaction design and as a creative 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. The proponents of this idea like to point out the fact that 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.

Researchers blindfolded a participant to navigate up a flight of stairs and around the streets using a walking stick for guidance. In addition, she was asked to navigate in an elevator. This experience is important because using multi-sensory approaches such as sound and touch will demonstrate how our senses work to compensate for a loss of a sense (In this case, visual impairment). The participant had a heightened use of secondary senses to react and move accordingly. The participant was dependant and counted her steps to mentally map out the flight of the stairs.
 * Disability #1: Visual Impairment - Blindness**

The participant had to recite a telephone number, while solving math problems. The procedure was to create plausible and coherent narration to assist the user to improve their attention. The participant reported difficulty in performing both tasks at the same time because they were frustrated, which caused a build-up of distortion that created distraction for the participant.
 * Disability #2: Cognitive – Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)**

This procedure was to simulate arthritis. Numerous pens were taped to the fingers of the participant and gloves were placed over their hands as a means to decrease mobility and movement. As a result, the participant had to dice cucumbers with a knife and put glass bowls in the cupboard. This provided an idea on using accessible routes and items composed of safe materials. The participant was diligent, yet cautious because of constant fear of injury, eventhough they were placed in a non-threatening environment. Thus, the participants body temperature rose as frustration excelled and added stress levels were out the roof.
 * Disability #3: Motor – Chronic Arthritis**

Bodystorming - Experiencing a Disability:
media type="youtube" key="nyE5bDqaSwc" height="344" width="425"

=CCT333 Week 4: "Story of Stuff" =

'The Story of Stuff' with Annie Leonard at http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">is a cultural and educational phenomenon and has had over 4 million viewers.

"The truth of 'materials economy' is it’s a system in crisis. And the reason it is in crisis is that it is a linear system and we live on a finite planet and you can not run a linear system on a finite planet indefinitely. This system is interacting with the real world. In real life it’s not happening on a blank white page. It’s interacting with societies, cultures, economies, the environment. And all along the way, it’s bumping up against limits." - Annie Leonard
 * Write three paragraphs on how Annie Leonard defines the system of the 'materials economy' and describe its interactions.**

__//Extraction://__ extraction is a fancy word for natural resource exploitation which is a fancy word for trashing the planet. What this looks like is we chop down trees, we blow up mountains to get the metals inside, we use up all the water and we wipe out the animals. <span style="color: rgb(40,206,171); font-family: Avenir-Heavy;"> //__Production:__// The materials move to “production“ which use energy to mix toxic chemicals with the natural resources to make toxic contaminated products. Only a handful of these have been tested for human health impacts and NONE of them have been tested for synergistic health impacts.

//__Distribution:__// distribution means “selling toxic contaminated junk as quickly as possible.” The goal here is to keep the prices down, keep the people buying and keep the inventory moving. It’s all about externalizing the costs. What that means is the real costs of making stuff aren’t captured in the price. In other words, we aren’t really paying for the stuff we buy.

//__Consumption:__// (known as the golden arrow) of consumption. Protecting this arrow is a top priority because after 9/11, President Bush could have suggested any number of appropriate things: to grieve, to pray, to hope. Rather, he told Americans to shop. We have become a nation of consumers. Our primary identity has become that of a consumer. The primary way that our value is measured and demonstrated is by how much we contribute to this arrow, how much we consume. We shop to keep the materials flowing. //__Disposal:__// It all goes in the garbage. The average American produces 4 1/2 lbs of garbage a day. All of this garbage [stuff we bought] either gets dumped in a landfill, which is just a big hole in the ground, or it’s burned in an incinerator and then dumped in a landfill. Either way, both pollute the air, land, water and, changes the climate.

We are responsible for most of the world's pollution (emission of greenhouse gasses, burning of fossil fuel, global warming etc.) and we as humans have a moral obligation to be mindful of all other living species on this planet. Because of our capitalist society, consumerism and the greed of wealth have caused many corporations to mass produce, not to mention exploit third world countries (factories, sweatshops), and leave a devastating mess on our environment. Trust me, in 10-15 years our earth will be destroyed if we continue to live this lifestyle. Living species are slowly being extinct and climate changes are drastically affecting the polar ice caps. California, New York, Hong Kong, and parts of India will diminish once sea levels rise (approx. 20 ft). If we do not change our attitudes and lifestyle (western civilization), we will suffer from our own causes. All living species are interconnected and we are part of this biotic pyramid/chain. We depend on the earth and other species to survive. Without it's resources, we will cease to live. Corporations should be responsible for their production and mindful of their environmental involvement to the earth.

Problem: our greed of profit and wealth (capitalism/consumerism); corporations care about money! I mean, who cares if a polar bear up north dies from polluted water?

Solution: change economy and lifestyle (radical change in attitudes); we need to educate others because we are helping corporations pollute the earth by consuming their products


 * Question: How important is our role to this problem? Can we change our lifestyle and prevent global warming?**

=<span style="color: rgb(255,0,83);">CCT333 Week 3: Design for the Other 90% at the Cooper Hewitt Museum =

'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.

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.**
 * Tutorial Question:

=<span style="color: rgb(208,99,222);">South America: Solar Aid = Approximately 10% of the world population has a disabling hearing impairment, and 80% of them live in developing countries. The most expensive part of a hearing aid is the battery, which needs to be continually replaced. The [|Solar Aid] solar-powered hearing-aid battery recharger, developed in Botswana, helps those with hearing disabilities afford to continue in school and participate in economy activity. More than 7,000 units are in use in South America, Central America, Africa, and Asia. And because batteries are generally expensive everywhere, Godisa intends to make this affordable technology widely available not just in the developing countries but also in the United States and Europe. <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">
 * 1) <span style="color: rgb(153,153,153);">Designer/Manufacturer: Godisa Technologies
 * 2) Botswana, 2003
 * 3) UV-resistant ABS plastic, 680-ohm resistor, 10-kilo-ohm resistor, 100-ohm resistor, transistor, diode, LED, batteries, solar panel, rubber, screws
 * 4) <span style="color: rgb(153,153,153);">Dimensions: 4.5”h x 1”w x 3”d (charger)
 * 5) <span style="color: rgb(153,153,153);">In use in: Angola, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Columbia, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Israel, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mexico, Palestine, Paraguay, Philippines, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">
=<span style="color: rgb(208,99,222);">Five Characteristics of Socially Responsible Product Design: = - //__Environmentally sound__//. The Solar Aid minimizes the production of battery use, thus eliminating the continual replacement and production of batteries. What's great about the Solar Aid is that it functions solely on the solar energy from the sun. - //__Economically efficient__//. This socially responsible product design is a cheap and inexpensive way to accommodate for energy use. Since batteries are the most expensive part of a hearing aid, having a solar aid package deducts the burden of spending more funds on batteries. If this product costs too much, no one in developing countries would be able to afford it. - //__Accessibility__//. The Solar Aid is popular for various reasons. It is accessible to the constraint of solar power. Batteries have a limited lifespan however, with the Solar Aid charger, it allows consumers to continually use and reuse their hearing aids as long as there is solar power (high source). - //__Usefulness__//. Since 10% of the world's population has a hearing impairment, and 80% of them are in third world countries, relevance to activities in this content is highly necessary. It is sufficient, easy and effortless to use. - //__Cultural and Social Habiits__//. Solar Aid is an evolution of social norms. Being able to have a hearing aid that is generated by solar power allows social diffusion of innovations. Creating a device that allows unlimited access to reuse hearing aid, will allow individuals to function better as a whole because they will be able to hear and cooperate in society. This is a breakthrough especially to those who are in developing countries that cannot afford to frequently purchase batteries.

=<span style="color: rgb(208,99,222);">Solar Rope Pump in Malawi = =media type="youtube" key="wb0M9zepLro" height="344" width="425"=

=<span style="color: rgb(255,0,83);">CCT333 Week 2: Case Studies on Ergonomics =

**Examples of Ergonomics, Task Analysis and Seven Case Studies**

 * List the three definitions of 'ergonomics':**


 * Physical 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.


 * Cognitive 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.

The terms 'ergonomics' and 'human factors' are used interchangeably
 * Organisational 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.

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

**Case Study 5: Shopping Centre, Car Park and Pedestrian Access**
Issue: A shopping centre was reviewing the safe access for customers from the car park and within the centre itself, being concerned after a few ‘near-miss’ incidents relating to pedestrian safety and slips, trips and falls within the complex.

Step One: Task Analysis

 * poorly marked roadway with few clear pedestrian walkways from the car park to the centre, and lack of lighting and signage;
 * walkways that were marked did not lead directly to the entrance, so pedestrians took shortcuts;
 * lack of loading dock areas, so small trucks and vans parked illegally in and near pedestrian areas;
 * lack of adequate shelter over the complex entrance allowed rain and water to enter and wet the floor;
 * lack of suitable absorbent weather matting and some areas had worn and slippery flooring ; and
 * food retailers unpackaged products near walkways, some of which created wet/slippery hazards (eg loose grapes, water from iced products).

Step Two: Advice
The proposed solutions included:
 * 1) displaying "Caution" signs in the premisis of the walkways that indicate a wet/slippery floor
 * 2) implementing no parking/loadidng zone for trucks and vehicles
 * 3) installing slopes and/or mini drainage pipes that illiminate excess water
 * 4) installing heated panels that drain and dry flooring entrance


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

=<span style="color: rgb(208,99,222);">Take a Load Off With Honda's Robo-Legs = The robotics geeks at Honda have developed an exoskeleton that is worn like shoes to support the body and protect the joints, something the automaker says could reduce injuries on assembly lines but also might help the elderly get around more easily. The device resembles a bicycle seat joined to a pair of shoes and fits suggestively between the legs to help the user walk, crouch and stand without excessive stress on the hips, knees and ankles. Honda is testing the "walking assist device" at a vehicle assembly line in Sayama, Japan, and says robo-legs could help anyone who spends a lot of time on their feet. More than that, it could help the elderly and infirm by making it easier to get around. Read more!! http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/11/honda-announces.html<span style="color: rgb(208,99,222);"> = =

<span style="color: rgb(208,99,222);">
=**<span style="color: rgb(208,99,222);">Honda Unveils Experimental Walking Assist Device **=

media type="youtube" key="F8cLnf4Nrjs" height="344" width="425"

=<span style="color: rgb(255,0,83);">CCT333 Week 1: 3 Articles on the designer and design behind the ipod, Jonathan Ive =

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. Answer:

It turns out that much of the underlying iPod design was performed by outside companies. Borrowing from established experts linked together for what may be the first design chain for the iPod. Apple relies on a platform and reference design created by a third party, Portal Player.

Apple picked Portal Player because its design expertise yielded the highest quality of sound. Some of their considerations for other design chain members are: highest quality sound, off-the-shelf- components, and cost, time to market. They [Apple] did product design from the outside in, meanng the subsequent design parameters were dictated by its appearance and form factor. Portal Player’s Winning relationships and design chain strategy is to offer development tools as well as to form relationships with third parties that offer other capabilities. Apple's risk reduction is flexibility in design and vendor selection vs. the potentially low volumes and high unit prices. “It’s a combination of all those things that create that high quality performance” says Hayes. Choosing a development platform allowed Apple to focus on its true genius for form factors and user interfaces. Apple knows how to make a high-tech product consumer friendly and simple for the general public to use.

Jonathan Ive at the Design Museum
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? Answer:

The work of Jobs and Ive are distinguishable because you never have to think about how to use their products. This only changed when Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple) returned to the company. By reestablishing the core values he had established at the beginning, Apple again pursued a direction, which was clear and different from any other companies. Design and innovation formed an important part of this new direction What they have achieved with design is massively reliant on the commitment of lots of different teams to solve the same problems and on their sharing the same goals. The defining qualities are about use: ease and simplicity. Caring beyond the functional imperative, they also acknowledge that products have a significance way beyond traditional views of function. The decisive factor is fanatical care beyond the obvious stuff: the obsessive attention to details that are often overlooked.

From a processing point of view we can now do things with plastic that we were previously told were impossible. Twin shooting materials – moulding different plastics together or co-moulding plastic to metal gives us a range of functional and formal opportunities that really didn’t exist before. The iPod is made from twin-shot plastic with no fasteners and no battery doors enabling us to create a design, which was done completely sealed. With the iPod, the MP3 phenomenon gave an opportunity to develop an entirely new product and one, which could carry 4000 songs. So many companies are competing against each other with similar agendas. A different preoccupation with differentiation is the concern of many corporations rather than trying to innovate and genuinely taking the time, investing the resources and caring enough to try and make something better.

Who Is Jonathan Ive? 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? Answer:

“Apple is a cult, and Apple’s design team is an even more intense version of a cult” Riley describes. Apple's design team is fashioned by camaraderie –everyone with the same aim, no egos involved, says British fashion designer Paul Smith. Johnathan Ive explains that one of the hallmarks of the Apple design team is this sense of looking to be wrong. “It’s about being excited to be wrong because then you’ve discovered something new.” Ive says.

While computer companies have focused on pinching pennies these past few decades, Apple has been perfecting its design game. The fact that rivals are now talking about design is not proof they’re catching up, but of how far they have to go. What really sets Apple’s products apart is the “fit and finish”, the ultimate impression that results from thousands of tiny decisions that go into a product’s development.


 * <span style="color: rgb(208,99,222);">Jonathan Ive On Apple's Philosophy **

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