Sept. 11th, 2013
CLASS
In this class, we were told to make a zoetrope using materials from our Arduino Starter kit. Unfortunately, My kit lacked the proper wooden parts, but we managed to get the motor running at variable speeds. Here's the video:
Readings Response
1)"The Design of Everyday Things"
Chapter 1
This reading assignment was a nice introduction to the concept of usability. The author outlines Visibility (the mapping between intended actions and and actual operations), Affordances (perceived and actual properties of a thing) and Mapping (establishing a relationship between things. eg. control and function). These ideas have changed the way I look at objects around me since reading about them. Previously, I had not considered the depth of attention given to the design of everyday objects.
One thing that struck me as odd was a lack of discussion about incredibly new but important objects. What if something new thats use is not yet intuitive, could be incredibly life changing and easy to use with some basic understanding? Was the doorknob intuitive? Was the concept of "Lefty Loosey, Righty Tighty" a product of bad design?
How much of the onus is on the designer and how much responsibility should users have? What is the result of having them completely unchallenged (unskilled)?
I DO like the idea that design can address the issue of rapidly developing technologies and updates. Perhaps having more intuitive design applied to broadly used technologies can reduce the digital divide between the tech literate elite and those facing access barriers. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE FORMER AND LATTER PARAGRAPHS SEEM IN OPPOSITION.
2) Emotion and Design
I quite liked this piece and would really like to apply the ideas outlined to my own work (one day). Not only am I interested in design to suit needs, but also to provide acknowledgement (through design) of cognitive states and abilities(be it by anxiety, stress or happiness). I would like for us to read into and discuss as a class, the notion of empathic design. Is it possible?
Labs
1)First Arduino Program!!
photos:
2)Analog In
photos:
