1.     1.  For my job and my career after college, design tactics will constantly be used.  In my daily life when I decide how to arrange my room and in my car how I decide to arrange my stuff will all be affected by design.  How I arrange my locker at the pool will even be affected by design.  There are unlimited ways in which design will affect my life.

2.     2.  First Year student sat K should have an open mind when coming into K.  They should try new things, but at the same time manage their time well.  First Years should also remember that summer is over and, although it may seem harsh, get to work.

3.     3.  First Year K students taking Design Intelligence should always make it to class first and foremost.  Secondly, students should complete the blog post for each class and be ready to discuss the topic in class that day.  Thirdly, during discussion don’t be timid and express your thoughts.  Finally, for papers give yourself plenty of time to work on them and utilize the writing center.

1.      1.  By building a new natatorium, three areas could be greatly improved upon: the outward appearance of the facility including a lobby, the pool itself and the seating area.  These changes would produce recreational fun, home swim meet prestige, higher swim meet attendance and greater interest from prospective students.

2.     2.  My trigger points are: outward appearance of the facility, a new lobby, the pool and the seating area.  Little constraints exist because the plans to build a new pool are already in the making.

3.     3.  5 writings from class I could apply to my paper are: Emotional Design, Emotional Desgin Pt. 2, The Experience Architect, Third Place and The Design of Everyday Things.

4.     4.  "Third Places" often have groups of regulars and people that show up to meet in a neutral setting.  I view a "Third Place" as the type of establishment where everyone knows your name and someone might have their usual order that they buy everyday.  In today's world some examples of third places are "pubs, computer cafes, coffeehouses, libraries and health spas" (Santasiero 1).   

1.  I observed the natatorium at Kalamazoo College.  I observe the natatorium all week at practice.

2a) The outward appearance of the natatorium is extremely dull and simple from the front: plan colors of brown with windows only by the door at the far right which are hidden by bushes.  

2b) The seating in the pool area is very small for a college's natatorium and entry ways are extremely difficult.  On top of that the seating is only to one side and during meets it gets very crowded.

2c) During are first home swim meet the stands were overflowing with people to the point where people were standing off to the side and couldn't even walk the stairs to get up to the stands.  

2d) The tile floors in the pool and on the side look old and worn.  Certain spots on the floor have rust and look very unattractive.  The floors in the stands are dark cement. The sidewalk leading up to the pool is plain gray cement. 

2e) During meets the sound level gets extremely because the pool is in such a small area.  the gutters are also really loud.  

2f) The natatorium is made of brick on the outside.  The benches in the stands are made of wood.  The pool deck is tile.

3.  The pool's image is old and used because of its plain outward appearance and its fatigued tile deck.  The pool's small area also make it seem stuffy and loud.  This is not the image Kalamazoo wishes to project.

4.  At the swim meet people tried to find a place to sit.  During warm up the pool was crowded with tons of swimmers and it was difficult to warm up.  There really wasn't anywhere for people to sit other then the stands; therefore, there really wasn't a reception area for people to talk when their child wasn't swimming.  

5.  I did like the big window to one side of the pool.  I liked being able to see outside and it made me feel like I was a part of the outdoors even though I was in a pool.        

1.     1.  Companies are designed to give off a positive image and in turn market their company based on their positive image.  Important ways to do this are through the service-profit chain: internal service quality, satisfied and productive service employees, greater service value, satisfied and loyal customers and healthy service profits and growth. 

2.   2.  When a person goes through the experience of deciding which product to buy, brand names are extremely influential in a person’s decision making.  Brand names give people a positive or negative perception of a companies products or services.  When a person has a positive experience with a brand, in the future they may select a product by that brand name again.  The consumer begins to associate their good experience with that brand name. 

3.    3.  K’s brand position is the K Plan.  Our school reinforces this through a top-notch study abroad program, externships and a highly ranked liberal arts education.  Kalamazoo College also likes to give off the message of a “green” campus and does this through a well organized recycle program.  Thirdly, K likes to give off the image of a school with smart and well-prepared students.  The K Plan and great teachers help K students exemplify this image.        

1.   1.  The main points of “The Experience Architect” are: trigger points are small changes in designed experiences that have a big impact, it is important to mix in original and memorable ideas, a companies experience is only as dull as their imagination, journeys always have more steps then what people first think, mobility works with journeys and reward loyal customers.

2.   2.  The design of experiences differs from the design of products in that a person goes through an experience with a company after they’ve committed to their service.  A product is a one-time buy and before a customer makes the purchase they’ve haven’t committed to any company.

3.   3.  I would set up a daily basketball game in the gym where anyone can come in and gets a chance to play.  The changes I would make is that the teams are constantly mixed up and records for each team aren’t kept; therefore, the games are simply played for fun.  I would also have an e-mail list in order to inform people if the gym isn’t open that day or to plan other fun activities.     

1.  A "Third Place" is a public gathering place where people go for conversation and community.  "Third Places" often have groups of regulars and people that show up to meet in a neutral setting.  I view a "Third Place" as the type of establishment where everyone knows your name and someone might have their usual order that they buy everyday.  In today's world some examples of third places are "pubs, computer cafes, coffeehouses, libraries and health spas" (Santasiero 1).

2.  "Third Places" should give off a homey feeling and plainness.  Independently owned, mom and pop, places tend to work better.  Centralized location is important for "Third Places" so people can get there easily.  Most importantly "Third Places" must welcome everyone and offer an informal place for people to meet without pressure.

3.  A "Third Place" at K is the reading room at the library.  The reading room as two fire places, large tinted windows at one end and is located, for the most part, centrally on campus.  Many people congregate at the reading room to do homework and to get away from simply sitting in their dorm room.  Another "Third Place" at K is the Hoben lounge.  The Hooben loung has a fire place with dim lights and plenty of windows.  People not only living in Hoben, but in other halls congregate here to do homework in groups and to hang out and talk with fellow students.

1.  The article highlighted different sitting arrangements, technics and types: integral seating, sitting heights, benches, chairs, the amount of seating and relationship to the street.  The article expressed other main points too: plaza's should be located near the flow of walkers, the positioning of seating to accommodate for large groups, the power of chairs and about one linear foot of seating per thirty square feet of plaza.

2.  Both the design of urban spaces and the design of products keep the user in mind through visceral, behavioral and reflective.  The difference between the two is when someone buys a product they own it from that point; however, people do not own urban spaces, they simply decide whether or not they like the environment and decide whether or not they want to come back.  An urban space as to attract users more than once while a product needs only to attract a user one time.

3.  My checklist for analyzing a public space would be:

1.  many different options in seating including integral seating

2.  the amount of seating is based on the areas peek hours of people

3.  proximity to the street in order to attract people and give off the feeling of something always going on.

Downtown Kalamazoo

1.  My first reactions to the Downtown Kalamazoo business area were the wide sidewalks and the one way street.  The wide sidewalks make it very easy to walk around the area plus the one way street makes traffic far less, creating a safer environment for people to walk.  To further the safety of walking in the downtown area I also noticed the order of shops and restaurants throughout the street; it seemed that the order was retail type store followed by a restaurant or a small walk-in food place.  I thought this was a good order because too much of the same store type might lead shoppers to skip over shops.  The downtown area also had plenty of benches for sitting which was nice and trees to make the area look nicer.  As far as safety is concerned, the police station is located right in downtown.

 

2.  The downtown of Kalamazoo should: add more shops, there didn't feel like very many small shops with little gifts and things of that sort; try to add a larger store like a Dillard's as a primary vocal point of the area; and finally add more sit down and dine restaurants to attract people at dinner time.

 

3. "Towns, Gibbs insists, must follow the malls' example in dealing with the public's fears. That means ensuring a visible police presence, removing or rearranging benches and other features that encourage loitering, and keeping the streets and sidewalks clean."  

Downtown Kalamazoo takes a firm stand with public safety by locating a police station right in the vicinity; therefore, even thought downtown contains benches that encourage loitering, the police presence more than makes up for it.

1.  Gibbs has many different criteria for evaluating a Main Street: the visibility of police or security, adjusting objects that may encourage loitering, cleanliness, clothing stores never next to restaurants, clothing stores never on the north side and restaurants never on the west side.

2.  I think Main Street should have some similar aspects with that of a mall.  I do think Main Street should be filled with shops and stores and I do think Main Street should take into account design techniques similar to that of malls listed above.  When I think of a downtown, I think of tradition and old buildings crammed together and for some reason I like that feel.  I think downtown's should preserve their early American roots and remain the jumbled up bliss they've always had.

3.  My own checklist to judge a Main Street would be: cleanliness, preservation of old traditions, an almost cluttered feeling with hilly and uneven land, easy access to parking and design technique's listed in question in regards to location of stores and restaurants.  The most important aspect in my opinion is the preservation of a downtown's original identity and tradition.  

Hobby Lobby

1.   I observed the Hobby Lobby, which markets to people looking for arts and crafts, fabrics and different household decorations. 

 

2a) The store has a simple front with a red sign that reads Hobby Lobby.  The color of the store is a dull white and the front of the store has windows to see inside.  

2b) The store wasn't playing any music, but you could hear different customers asking questions to employees.  

2c,d,e) The merchandise was on shelves on the floor all placed in different categories labeled with large signs above each aisle.  The store was very cluttered and it was difficult to find a specific item without asking an employee where to look.  The floor was white tile and the signs had writing with large font in order to make it easier for the customers to find items.  All the products the store carried were on display to make for visual marketability; therefore, when customers walk through the store looking for one thing they might see something else they want to buy. 

2f) The cashier area is located in the front of the store for easy access.  The area is filled with impulse buys like gum, candy and magazines.

 

3.   Hobby Lobby tries to project the image of an art studio with an at home feel.  The store exemplifies this by setting out all their products out, which are generally items used in the home, so the consumer sees an item and imagines how it would look in their home.  The store also wants to convey an image of easy to use by using large signs to direct shoppers and by having cashiers in the front.

4.   Customers seemed intrigued by the stores vastness and product layout.  Customers seemed to come for one product, but would see other items they might want which led them to wander the store further.

5.   I thought it was interesting that the store smelled so good.  The first thing I noticed when I walked in the store was how warm it was and how it smelled like a grandma’s house.  I think the store was specifically designed to give off this homey feel.    

1.  The article has three main points: the goal is for shoppers to walk farther into the store, stores need to promote themselves through the environment and the self-image they give off, and design based on the people.  In order for shoppers to walk deeper onto stores, and therefore buy more products, the store needs to have the right environment for its customers: comfort and a self-image that each particular store gives off.  Stores also need to be designed for the customer: natural designed for people walking on the right side of the mall and necessities in back with impulse items in the front.

2.  A store's design plays a large role in how I view it.  If I'm walking in a mall and I see a store with music I like and an environment that is pleasing to me, there is a much better chance of me walking into that store over a boring store.  If stores want to attract customers they need to be design friendly and their environment needs to reflect the customer they wish to target.

3.  My analyzing checklist for a retail store:

1) Design.  Does the store design for the customer first?

2) Environment.  Does the stores environment reflect the audience it wishes to target?

3) Gender Gap.  Is the store conscience of the fact that women tend to have more patience                                        while shopping than men?

 

Monday October 20, 2008

1.  Packaging gives the consumer its first glimpse and instincts toward a product.  When it comes to things like shampoo and items bought over-the-counter, the packaging is the primary component of Visceral Design.  One situation I can think of when the packaging motivated me to buy a product was when I considered a new brand of deodorant.  I was at CVS looking over the deodorant aisle and the Adidas deodorant caught my eye because of its sleek black packaging.  I ended up buying the deodorant, knowing nothing about how well the product worked.

2.  Other products with ionic packaging include: nike shoe boxes with there orange and brown box, Pantene Pro-V conditioner with its white bottle and Plochman's mustard with its barrel-shaped yellow bottle.

3.  Sometimes packaging contains too much wrapping and material.  Other times packaging is far too difficult too open.  A situation I can think of that brings both of these issues together is my old CD player.  The packaging was like trying to break through the Great Wall of China and it had tons of wrapping and unneeded plastic which wastes our planet's resources.  

"Biggest Mistakes in Web Design 1995-2015"

1.  The reading indirectly focuses on Visceral and Behavioral Design.  The article focuses on how the user will perceive websites and their usability.  At the very beginning of the article it even talks about how websites should be designed for the user in mind and not designed for the people making the site.  

2.  The most important points of the article are: making websites for the user, usability of websites and don't use a website exclusively if other marketing strategies are working too.  The article overall stresses the importance of putting the user first.  

3.  1) Website grabs the attention of the user without being too over-the-top

     2) Icons correctly labeled and easy to find

     3) Finds a way to bring users back again

     4) The order of the website is user friendly 

"Know it All"

1.  I think the authors main points are wikipedia is an innovative website that stands unique among other encyclopedias, wikipedia has a community of its own and wikipedia's unique innovation may lead to its own destruction.

2. "Wikipedia, which was launched in 2001, is now the seventeenth-most-popular site on the Internet, generating more traffic daily than MSNBC.com and the online versions of theTimes and the Wall Street Journal combined. The number of visitors has been doubling every four months; the site receives as many as fourteen thousand hits per second."  

The author defends his claim of Wikipedia's growth and does so with a staggering statistic.  The fact that Wikipedia receives 14,000 hits per second makes the reader sit back for a second in shock.

3.  In terms of Visceral Design, Wikipedia wins.  Wikipedia is the easy to use and edit site that has flash while Encyclopedia Britannica appears as the boring site that's made by boring nerds.  In terms of Behavioral Design, Encyclopedia Britannica serves better for the small array of topics they have while Wikipedia offers many more topics with less credibility.  Reflective Design goes to Wikipedia.  Wikipedia is the more popular site with more users, equipped with a "household name."

 

Wednesday October 8th

1.  For the majority of people, Visceral Design should be complex because a product will appear to have the most features.  Behavioral Design should be the most simple because products should be easy to use.  Reflective Design should be either complex or simple depending on what the user is trying to convey.  It really depends on the consumer.  Some might want their TV to look really complex, others might want a bike that is really easy to use.

2. "I remember buying my phone because the features that it had looked very cool; it's feature included having two sides (One the actual the phone and the other the media part) . The phone just looked much than the ones that were being offered. All the other phones seemed boring compared to the one I purchased." (Ted) The most recent example that comes to mind is when I purchased my cell phone. I bought the new voyageur, which I do like, but it has many features that I simply do not need or use. First, and the main reason I purchased this phone was because it has a touch screen. This may seem sensible at first, but when I really think about it, it creates more of a problem than making things easier. I have to constantly put on screen-lock as any touch in my pocket does something unwanted. Not only this, but it also is more difficult to use than a regular keyboard. Aside from the touch screen, there are many unused features such as mobile television. I will never want or be able to pay for it. Both of these are good examples of how the features at the beginning seemed “cool” or “new” but came to be more of a problem than anything. (Jeff)

Both Ted and Jeff (And me too with my first cell phone) bought their respective cell phones based on complex Visceral Design.  This supports the claim that with most products, the ones that appear to be the most complex are the most bought.   

Simplicity Is Highly Overrated

1.  When I bought my first cell phone as a freshman in high school I picked out a phone because the complexity of it made it more desirable.  The screen of the phone could turn 180 degrees which, it turned out, served no real purpose; however, when I was in the store looking at phones it looked the coolest.

2.  Certain products require a lot of complexity of they have many functions like, for instance, computers.  Computers can't be resrticed to one or two buttons, they require many different buttons because of the many different functions computers have.  Simplicity is most important in objects that don't have a lot of functions like clocks.  

3.  "If I see somebody with a polo shirt, then I feel self-conscious and want one myself. Therefore not only does a store make a sale but they also get a free form of advertising." (Jeff's blog)  I thought Jeff's statement was interesting because I feel the same way.  When I see someone wearing a shirt that I like by a company I usually wear I want to buy one for myself.  Jeff also makes a valid point that I never realized that companies get free advertising when someone wears their products.  

Emotional Design Pt. 2

1.  "Whether we want to admit it or not we all care about the image we present to others- or, for that matter, about the self-image that we present to ourselves."  One of the most biggest tools, in my opinion, that designers can take advantage of is this statement.  Everyone cares about their self-image and will buy products, like clothes, if it improves their image.

2.  The categories Visceral Design, Behavioral Design and Reflective Design are all important because they all can be used as a tool when analyzing a product.  On top of that all these categories are true, for the most part, of how a consumer views a product.  I think these three categories could have better names: Visual Design, Performance Design and Self-Image Design respectively.  

3.  The best way to decide whether Visceral Design, Behavioral Design and Reflective Design are most important for a product is to analyze the product itself and to decide what the consumer will look at the most when shopping.  For instance, a clothes designer should consider Visceral Design and Reflective Design the two most important because when people shop for clothes they care most about how the clothes and how they will make them look.  On the other hand, when a designer is designing power tools they should consider Behavioral Design first because when people buy power tools they care about usability the most.

Emotional Design

1.  Donald Norman had three main points in his article: Visceral, Behavioral and Reflective Design.  Visceral Design describes the emotion one feels when they see something and want to buy it.  People have a predetermined idea of what they perceive as good looking or cool.  Behavioral Design illustrates the usability of an item and how well it performs.  Reflective Design is about the meaning of an item and the feelings it evokes from a self-image stand point.

2.  "Emotional Design," as opposed to Norman's previous article "The Design of Everyday Things," touches more upon why consumers feel a certain way towards a product.  This article informs the reader about different emotional factors one may feel towards a product, while Norman's previous article talks about reasons customers have trouble using products.

3.  1) The poster in my room of "Fight Club" is an example of Visceral Design because when I saw the poster at the poster sale it caught my eye and I had a predetermined mindset that the movie "Fight Club" was cool.  Visceral Design is significant because from the very first time we see a product, we have an almost predetermined opinion of it.

     2) My MacBook is an example of Behavioral Design because I bought it for its high performance and usability.  Behavioral Design is important because when consumers have a positive experience with a product while they have it, they are more likely to buy a product from that same company again.

     3) My Levi Jeans describe Reflective Design because of the self-image I have when I wear them.  When I wear them I like the way they I look and feel.  Reflective Design is important because everybody cares about their self-image and it is important for products to showcase a positive self-image for the consumer that owns it.  

The Design of Everyday Things Pt. 2

1.  "A friend told me about the time he got trapped in the doorway of a post office in a European city.  The entrance was an imposing row of perhaps six glass swinging doors, followed by a second, identical row. "  I found it rather funny that the visibility on the door was so bad that the man couldn't even figure out how to work the door.  This passage also helped me understand the idea of natural design.

2.  I think Norman's work is still influential today even though it was made in 1988 because the problems expressed in his book are still present today.  In 2008, we still find flaws in design and usability.  

3.  Many factors should be put on checklist when evaluating the design of a product: easy to use functions, controls follow our natural mapping, durable, quality and simple.

The Design of Everyday Things

1.  Donald Norman makes a very valid point with his article.  I find that many everyday appliances are far too complicated and complex to use.  Designers sacrifice usability for appearance and style.  

2.  At home, I always had trouble working the washer and dryer.  The design didn't do a good job of labeling the different functions of the appliance.  The usability was compromised by lack of natural mapping.

3.  The designers of the iPod revolutionized natural mapping by the use of the wheel to scroll through the menu; turning the wheel clockwise scrolls down and turning the wheel counterclockwise scrolls up .  In addition, the iPod also has properly labeled buttons to play, pause and switch songs.  The iPod also features a simple hold switch at the top of the system.  

1.  The Apple company wanted to find a way to innovate the current market on mp3 players.  Apple hired people to run trials on the design of their new product and how it might actually work.  A meeting was held for a group of the apple elite to evaluate and decide which of the choices on design and function they wanted to choose.  They selected their final product and the ipod is now on the market.

2.  Nothing is perfect, but factors go into making something a good product: durability, style/color, comfort, price and quality.  All these factors are needed to make a close-to-perfect product.

3.  Ipods have many strengths: trendy, long lasting battery, easy to use, small, durable and compatible with your computer.  Ipods also have their weaknesses: small screen, scratched easily and expensive.  Overall an ipod is an excellent product and I highly recommend it.  

Opening Post

Hey I'm Kenny.