Danielle+M's+Page

=__**Case Studies:**__=


 * Week 1**: JONATHAN IVE

__Question 1__ - Describe the unusual business model used in the Ipod's fabrication as developed by Apple. I was interested to learn that most of the design aspects of the Ipod were formed by outside companies, specifically PortalPlayer who designated other groups to the various areas of expertise. Their “electronic assembly” approach may be costly, but it is necessary for their mass number of consumers. Even with all the contributors to the project, Apple maintained its similar ideals in creating the Ipod has is had done with its other projects: keep the face user-friendly with a simple design, no matter how intricate it is “under the hood”.

__Question 2__ - 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? Firstly, thank goodness for Jobs and Ive’s; without them Apple would not have become what it is today. Together, they reignited the original idea of apple: simplicity and user-friendly. Ive and his teams work is distinguishable due their “fanatical care beyond the obvious stuff: the obsessive attention to details that are often overlooked, like cables and power adaptors.” They go above and beyond to make their products completely user-friendly. Some new materials that are enabling different designs are: polymer (to create specific goals and requirements), advances in plastic, twin shooting materials (moulding different plastics together), metal forming, and new methods of joining metals with advanced adhesives and laser welding.

__Question 3__ - Describe the importance of Apple's design team. Are other companies trying to compete with Apple by creating their own design teams? Apple’s design team is undoubtedly crucial to Apple’s success. Although small, only about a dozen people, “they personally reflect the design sensibilities of Apple's products -- casually chic, elitist and with a definite Euro bent”. They are made up of mostly 30-40 year olds who have international experience, working well together to create the ideals of Apple. A quote that really sums up the Apple design team is: "one of the hallmarks of the team I think is this sense of looking to be wrong," said Ive at Radical Craft. "It's the inquisitiveness, the sense of exploration. It's about being excited to be wrong because then you've discovered something new." Wouldn’t everyone want a job like this, becoming a “leading innovator in the use of the new materials and production processes?” Maybe not, seeing such high expectations from the boss Steve Jobs. Companies such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft want to create their own design teams. However, their success if unlikely due to their lack of focus, skill, and risk that is so evident in the Apple design team.


 * Week 2**: ERGONOMICS

__Three Definitions of “Ergonomics”:__ - Physical Ergonomics => concerned with human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical characteristics as they relate to physical activity (Ex: working posture, workplace layout, health and safety, and materials handling). - Cognitive Ergonomics => concerned with mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response, as they affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system (Ex: mental workload, decision-making, human-computer interaction, work stress, performance, etc) - Organizational Ergonomics => concerned with the optimisation of sociotechnical systems, including their organisational structures, policies, and processes (Ex: communication, design, teamwork, organizational culture, quality management, community ergonomics, etc).

__Additional Recommendation__ for Case Study 2 (Hospitality and Serving Food): I would rethink the entire layout of the dining room, making it less crowded and more organized so that the wait-staff wouldn’t have to run around everywhere. I would eliminate the sideboard unit all together by combining it with the bar itself. I like the idea of using trolleys to help the wait-staff with the heavier objects, and one could even carry extra plates/cups underneath the trolley rather than having them on the sideboard/bar.

__Ergonomic Example:__ Many companies have made ergonomics a priority for their workers in the workplace. A specific example of this can be seen with Petro Canada’s “Zero Harm” initiative. This program provides course that all employees can take; as well, it is mandatory that a safety inspector must come to look at your work place within two months of your employment at Petro Canada to ensure that it is an ergonomically satisfying space. I learned all of this information while working at Petro Canada this past summer as part of the “Facilities Management” Team. More on this can be read at: http://www.petro-canada.ca/en/environsociety/4484.aspx


 * Week 3**: DESIGN FOR THE OTHER 90%

__5 characteristics of socially responsible product design:__ Australia - Making the product accessible and affordable to those that truly need it (Ex: Solar Aid) - Understanding the needs of the products users (Ex: AquaStar Plus!) - Have adequate information on the users and what the product will do for them (Ex: Permanet) - Having a common goal based on a valued idea (Ex: Jaipur foot and below-knee prosthesis) - Making it Eco-Friendly (Ex: Solar Home Lighting System and Sugar Cane Charcoal)


 * Week 4**: "THE STORY OF STUFF"

Annie Leonard defines the “materials economy” as a system in crisis. The reason why she has labeled it this way is because it is a linear system on a finite planet; interacting with societies, cultures, and environments; and along the way it’s bumping up against limits that we don’t see. There are 5 levels of the “materials economy”, beginning with extraction. Extraction is another way to say “natural resource exploitation” or even “trashing the planet”; it occurs with the using up of water, cutting down of trees, taking metal from volcanoes, and killing animals. This leads to a reduction of our earth’s natural resources. Prosperous countries like the United States have moved their extraction to third-world countries and have begun taking their resources. The US justifies these actions by saying that the people that live there don’t matter because they do not own the means of production and aren’t buying stuff, indicating that they have no value.

The second level of the “materials economy” is production. Production occurs when we use energy to mix toxic chemicals (over 100,000) with natural resources; creating more toxic and contaminated products, which not only pollute our bodies, but our environment as well. An example of this is BFR (brominated flame retardants), containing neurotoxins, being used in the pillows we rest our head on each night. The people who are most affected by these toxins are the people who work in the factories; these workers contain a lot of reproduction-age women who are forced to work with poor wages and in these poor conditions due to extraction of their homes. It is not only resources that we being used up, but also human beings. These are the “invisible people” who many don’t see as part of the “materials economy”. The third level of this system is distribution, which is the selling of “junk” as quickly as possible. The goal of distribution is to keep prices down (paying worker’s minimum wage with no health insurance), keep people buying (media and advertisements), and keep the inventory moving (obsolescence). Annie talks about “externalized cost” which is that the real cost of making products aren’t captured in the price, we aren’t truly paying for the product we purchase. An example of this is a $4.99 radio that as transportation costs, metal extraction from South Africa, petroleum from Iraq, plastic from China, and assembly in Mexico. The people that are really paying for our products are the people that lost their homes during extraction, the factory workers who are suffering from toxic poisoning, the young people who are forced to drop out of school and work in mines, and the store workers who are paid minimum wage.

The fourth level of the “materials economy” is consumption. This is the “golden arrow” (the top priority) for the government and corporations. Consumption as a top priority was exemplified in George Bush’s speech after 911 when instead of telling people to take time to grieve/hope/pray, he instead told people to consume! Consumption sprung up after world war two when it became a way of life, made into a ritual, used to seek satisfaction, and this was all done at an accelerating rate. Eisenhower’s government labeled consumer goods as their main purpose; not healthcare, education, transportation, and justice! People buy into the idea of consumption due to planned obsolescence (“designed for the dump”, stuff is made to be discarded quickly and replaced by new stuff) and perceived obsolescence, which convinces us to throw away stuff that is still useful by changing the way the product looks (Ex: fashion). Advertisements and the media play a huge role in consumption by creating this cycle of work, watching TV that tells us that we need to buy stuff, going to the mall to buy new stuff, working two jobs to pay for that stuff, etc. You think that we’d all be happier with all our “stuff”, but we are actually less happy because we’ve lost meaningful communication with the people we love. The final level of this system is disposal. Garbage disposal either goes into a landfill or is incinerated and then put into a landfill, thus polluting the air with even more powerful toxins such as Dioxin. Recycling is good, but not good enough. We need to unite and create more points of intervention such as saving forests, clean production, labour rights, fair trade, less consumption, no more incinerating, and taking back our government. We need to unite with the purpose of sustainability and equity.


 * Week 5:** BODYSTORMING

‘Bodystorming’ is defined as a technique sometimes used in interaction design or as a creative technique. The idea is to imagine what it would be life if the product existed, and act as though it exists, ideally in the place it would be used (Wikipedia). One characteristic of bodystorming is finding a location similar to the original environment to conduct the testing; this is done through the use of ethnographical data presented as concrete design questions. While on site, individual solutions and questions are brainstormed, and data is collected based on the findings. Another characteristic of bodystorming is how it permits immediate feedback for generated design ideas, and can provide a more accurate understanding of contextual factors. Overall, bodystorming is best used for designing activities that are inaccessible and unfamiliar to researchers (Oulasvirta et al par 1).

Wikipedia – Bodystorming http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodystorming

Oulasvirta, Antti, Esko Kurvinen, and Tomi Kankainen. "Understanding contexts by being there: case studies in bodystorming." Personal and Ubiquitous Computing. Vol. 7. 2nd ed. 2003. 125-34. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=950501

The first example of bodystorming was for visual impairment, such as blindness. The participant was blindfolded. She reported feelings of disorder and dependency, as well as a heightened use of the other senses, which she completely relied upon to form her decisions. One way this was observed was when she counted the steps to memorize the amount; she continually used this skill to help forecast her movements. The insight gained from this bodystorming is that there needs to be increased uses for multi-sensory approaches such as sound and touch.

The second example of bodystorming was for cognitive impairment, such as the attention deficit disorder (ADD). The participant had to correctly repeat a telephone number while solving math problems. He had great difficulty performing the task due to distraction, and his constant cycle of frustration negatively impacted his self-esteem. The insight gained from the bodystorming is to use clear narration to assist the user and to provide enjoyable, yet challenging, activities to improve attention.

The final example of bodystorming was for motor impairment, such as chronic arthritis. The participant’s hands and wrists were fastened together and then gloves were placed over his hands. The participant displayed constant fear of injury, making him extremely apprehensive, even in undemanding situations. Also, from expending more energy, his body temperature rose adding to his anxiety. The insight from this bodystorming reveals the need for accessible routes, passing space, and tangible objects (safe materials) to decrease the fear of participation. As well, to empower the user and enhance interactions, speech recognition systems should be further researched.


 * Week 6:** 3 PHASES OF ADOPTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES

The first phase for the adoption of a new technology is the Enthusiast stage, when the technology is first exploited. These users actually love and appreciate the technology in an aesthetic way and who enjoy exploited it, no matter how complex it may be. This applies to the camera case study, because when the astronauts first used it, it was very difficult to comprehend. Once enough enthusiasts have their hands on a product technology, sooner or later one of them will say: “I can use this in my work”, and they develop a practical use for the technology. In the case of the camera, it went from being very expensive and complex, to being something that could be used for every day purposes; there was a stabilization of the controls on the camera (leverage, zoom, etc), even though it still uses manual settings. The enthusiast wants the product to say: “Exploit me! Look at my capabilities!”

Once the product has built up big enough volumes through the first (business) phase, that’s when someone begins to reach a price point, making it practical for consumers to buy. The second phase is the Professional phase, when the technology is developed to help people work. In this stage, the priorities of the product have drastically changed. Most of the important controls become automatic; so now buying a 35 mm camera, it has all these “complex” settings (white balance, exposure, shutter speed, film, etc) already programmed for the user. The business (professional) user wants the product to say: “Look at the productivity I can give you! Here’s how I will change your activities.”

Finally, the third stage is the Consumer phase, when the technology is developed far enough for people to enjoy at an accessible price. The consumer wants the product to say: “Look at how I fit in with your style! Here’s who you are if you use me and enjoy my capabilities!”

Another product that has undergone similar developments is the Internet. It began as ARPANET, which could only be used and formed by certain people. Now, thanks to applications such as Wikipedia and other user-generated programs, anyone can use and form the content on certain areas of the Internet.


 * Week 7:** INTERACTION ARCHITECTURE and QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN

//Interaction Architecture// (defined by Matt Hunter): Creation of digital camera’s - turning the development of film, which was a messy hobby with many chemicals, into a mass-market thing. It’s important to understand why people take pictures – user experience (a means of self-expression, recording information, and various social reasons such as sharing ideas). So, designing the digital camera became all about something where people would be forced to share ideas. Interaction Architecture => an extensible theory of rules that would allow not just one camera to be designed, but a whole series. In pursuit of this, they created something experiential: a user experience prototype. It was a big box with a security camera on the front, connected to a Macintosh computer, and through this they crafted the look of an interface for the digital camera. It expressed not only what was gong on (feature and functions), but also how it felt. Kodak took this prototype and turned it into the DC-210, which was one of the best selling cameras of the time.

//Interaction Architecture// (defined by Rikako Sakai): Creation of the PhotoStitch – describes the stitch assist mode for cameras. Similar to the design of the digital camera, Sakai was motivated by user experience. The only “glitch” in the PhotoStitch was that it was not very user friendly; there were too many steps. To change this, Sakai used the interface instead of step-by-step, which wasn’t popular at the time. They overcame this through the use of animation to help the user understand. Sakai developed this software through her interactions with other people, watching how they managed to due things => Interaction Architecture.

//Leading Questions//: a leading question is one that forces or implied a specific answer. It is easy to make this mistake not in the question, but in the choice of answers. An example of this form of question: Is this the best CAD interface you have every used? YES or NO 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 more choices, such as: 1. Totally Agree 2. Partially Agree 3. Neither Agree or Disagree 4. Partially Disagree 5. Totally Agree

//Hypothetical Questions:// Hypothetical are based, at best, on conjecture and, at worst, on fantasy. An example of this form of question: If you were governor, what would you do to stop crime? This example forces the respondent to give thought to something he may have never considered. This does not produce clear and consistent data representing real opinion. It is best not to use hypothetical questions because they will produce inconclusive answers for your questionnaire.


 * Week 8:** HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN CASE STUDY: Cell phones in Developing Countries

Jan Chipchase is a 38 year-old British man, and for the past several years, he has worked for a cell-phone company called Nokia as a “human-behaviour researcher”. His mission is to “broadly 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 – to the squad of designers and technologists and marketing people who may never set foot in a Vietnamese barbershop but who would appreciate it greatly if that barber would buy a Nokia someday”. He goes around the world taking pictures of people in various places with the hope that he will gain important information about their cell phone use, or lack or usage. An example of this is when he went to Mumbai: he met a family during monsoon season who had to hang all of their belongings on a hook so that it would be kept off the floor and out of the water. This information is important because with it Nokia could design a cell phone with an attachable hook for the people living in Mumbai’s slums during monsoon season.

Chipchase is not presented as an emissary for Nokia, loaded with products and pitch lines, but as a good listener acting as an emissary on behalf of the people in various places. His job is simple: get to know the potential customers as well as possible before he participates in making a product for them. The problem occurs when you are trying to sell these high-tech devices to the poorest of the poor in various countries in Africa and throughout the world. But it is still important to reach these people, because as Chipchase has learned: “over several years, his research team has spoken to rickshaw drivers, prostitutes, shopkeepers, day laborers and farmers, and all of them say more or less the same thing: their income gets a big boost when they have access to a cell phone”.

The benefits of analyzing use and design in different countries are very important for understanding how and what to market, and most importantly, to whom. This “on-the-ground human-centered research has become especially important to many competitive high-tech companies trying to figure out how to write software, design laptops, or build cell phones that people find unintimidating and will thus spend money on it”.


 * Week 9:** DESIGN AS A COLLABORATIVE PROCESSD

Bill Moggridge defines “design as a collaborative process” as a design in which people with different specialties and strengths team up to create something. It is the belief that the ‘shared mind’ is greater than the individual mind. Designers have to remain unselfish, and think of the consumer (other people) as they design, because they are the one’s who will actually be using the product; this allows for the creation of a product that is accessible to everyone.

Examples of “design as a collaborative process” at work:
 * Personal work cubicles => conducted workshops with different designers who came up with differing ideas of how to solve the problem of the “impersonal cubicle”
 * The ‘Designer’s Accord’ => an on-line global coalition of designers, educators, researchers, engineers, and corporate leaders, working together to create positive environmental and social impacts

Additional Example => Video Game Design [] Developing a video game requires not only collaboration between the designers, but they general public who the game is designed for. “We have a team-effort approach to everything, from the lowest level design tasks, such as defining a new feature or developing a new play mechanic, to plotting out and conceptualizing the games story and overarching vision”. It is also very important to know who you are targeting with various games, in order to make sure that you are satisfying wants and expectations.


 * Week 10:** BIOMIMICRY: Janine Benyus and the Biomimicry Institute and Guild

__Product Design 1__ – Antibacterial Film An Australian company - Biosignal - studied a type of seaweed in which natural compounds prevent bacteria from gathering. Through this discovery, they developed a film that prevents bacteria from gathering by interfering with the signals used by microbes to communicate with one another. Using all of this information, they created an innovative design used for contact lenses. With contact lenses, the film prevents infection without helping to create a superstrains of harmful bacteria.

__Product Design 2__ – Self-Cleaning Paint A German company called Sto used the hydrophobic surface structure of lotus leaves to combine with a line of their self-cleaning paints. The company wanted to use toxin-free detergents, so they studied the microscopic structure of the lotus leaves (which repel water).

__Product Design 3__ – High-Speed Train Japan’s 500 Series Shinkansen bullet train is one of the fastest in the world. The biominetic element is the train’s nose, which was modeled from a Kingfisher’s beak (allows the bird to dive from air into the water with a minimal amount of resistance). This aerodynamic design reduces the sonic boom that occurs when the train passes from a tunnel back into the open air, reducing noise pollution.


 * Week 11:** Glen Farrelly - Questions on USABILITY and ACCESSIBILITY

__Question 1__ - How would you describe web accessibility? Web accessibility is the practice of making websites usable by people of all capabilities and disabilities, so that users can have equal access to information. For example: when a link is underline (as well as coloured), this helps people that are colour-blind know what is a link and what is regular text.

__Question 2__ - Who do you think benefits from accessible websites and how? People with different forms of disabilities (visual, hearing, motor, cognitive) are the one’s who benefit from web accessibility because by making websites accessibility, they are making the information available for the people that are disabled.

__Question 3__ - Do you think your website/blog should be accessible? Should all Canadian websites? Absolutely! It should be a Canadian law that all websites are accessible. Being part of a democracy means having equal rights, in all ways.

__Question 4__ - What do you think is the biggest challenge of making a website accessible? I think that the biggest challenge is being able to help all the people with their varying amounts of disabilities.