Design Sensibility

Design Sensibility

was the topic presented by Fionn, Triona and Lucy (08 - 03-2010).

"What makes good Design" was the issue debated by Fionn.

He focused on the key aspects of design such as constraints and affordances etc When addressing Don Norman's Affordances he categorized them into; cognitive; scissors, physical; cooker and perceptual. He also reminded us also that when designing for people the designer should; design with the audience in mind and incorporate an Iterative approach, prototype and carry out User testing.

Lucy outlined Thoughtful interaction Design (2004) by Lowgrent & Stollerman "Constructive Intentional Intelligence" in:

"The role of the designer and the evolution of its concept"

She used a good example of the dishwasher outlook; with the evolution of thought going from being a very handy device for washing dishes to now when we are rethinking its use interms of its harm to the environment. Also making reference to Meredith Davis (2008): Graphic Design v Interaction Design, Lucy alluded to how design should be thought, including that students learn best from experience. A suggestion I would have to agree with and while researching this interesting area myself I came across this blog on conferences held on planing the best way to educate designers for the future. As you can imagine it has to take many factors into consideration and brings together a diverse range of designers gather their thoughts on the topic.

The following is my Mind Map of the seminar:

Part 3: "Designing the Designer"
For this part Triona defined AIGA: Designer of 2015 Trend predictions, this incorporates;

1. Wide & Deep (Drawing from experience and specialization)
   
2. Expanded Scope: the scale and complexity of design problems
3. Targeted messages
4. Break through
   
5. Co-Creation
6. Sharing Experiences
7. Responsible outcomes
   

Because AIGA's main responsibility is to keep up to date with developments in industry, it insists on understanding the role of designers and how to prepare them for changes in the future. This seems to be the way forward and an essential system in order for effective design solutions. Here is a link to a blog outling AIGA's theory on educating and preparing designers to design and the world of design.

The following is also a nice video about the benefits of designers to join AIGA, including to be in the know of what other designers are doing and to get jobs!!!



Get inspired, Get connected, Get informed, Get motivated!!

Other related topics covered by Triona included Macroscope, which helps us to see what the aggregation of many small actions looks like, when they are added together (Thackera, 2005). As well as Incorporating Co-Creators, designers and users, Dandale 2009 states " Story telling has the most power to co-create solutions that are meaningful from a variety of perspectives". Co-Creation can satisfy the need for creative activity and also the need for social interacion (Sanders, 2009). An example given of co-creation was deviantart, (an outlet for fellow designers to showcase their work). The challenges to co-creation were also presented, one of which includes; What is the place of the designer if everyone else is a co-creator and can access design tools? A worrying thought for many designers, but there are reassurance in the fact that the designer will still have the edge with their wealth of experience and skill.

Visual Thinking, Sketching and Mind Mapping

In the first seminar in our principles of interactive media module, Beata introduced the class to the idea of Mind Mapping and visual thinking and sketching. Mind Mapping is also referred to as Mind Meister or freemind and it can be described in terms of diagrams that work the way you think. They make it easier to understand, remember and communicate complex information.

Beata demonstrated great hints on how to relate areas of my studies such as on simple tasks like note taking and brain storming. I can now take the methods illustrated in the seminar into consideration for developing ideas both in my group work and on my individual assignments and especially when I am researching more for my thesis.

Further to this seminar by Beata I came across a mindmapblog by Chance Brown, in which he talks about how visual mapping improves the way we learn: http://mindmapblog.com/ He includes in his blog links to sites that have templates for ideas on how to create your own Mind Maps, including one on: "5 keys to wealth and happiness (Biggerplat.com).

Encouragement to draw even if you don't feel confident about drawing was a fundamental aspect of the seminar. Many resasons were put forward in favour of drawing;

• Drawing can vastly improve the thinking process,
• Help you visualize how you will undertake a practical task,
  
• Help you understand theory better,
  
• Help you to remember complex theories,
• Puts structure to complicated material and
  
• Makes sense of material so one can understand better.

As well as this Mind Maps contribute to the flow of ideas, our minds wander and get more creative when we are sketching and things are more visual in our mind.

Advice on how to make a good Mind Map:

• Make pictures central
• Use single key words and lots of colour (no longer will notes look mundane and boring and I may even read them more!!!

The following video explains the advantages of mind mapping:



A powerful Mind Map presentation contains a word that centers your attention and has the addition of arrows to express movement. It helps the audience understand your point and help them remember what you are talking about, here is a link to a website offering advice on how to make a good presentation using mind maps.  There is also mind mapping software available to download or buy, check out the video on this website for novamind software: http://www.novamind.com/

As part of the activity at the end of the seminar we were asked to create a mind map of a fellow student. I drew a Mind Map of Grace, in doing so I placed her in the middle of my map and drew various acpects of her life that I knew about her around the image. You can see, here is my first attempt (of many) at Mind Mapping:

What it means to me to be a designer

Well I feel like a bit of a cheat talking about what it means for me to be a designer when I don't particularly consider myself to be a designer!! I have only recently been introduced to this world with the start of this course in Interactive media. Building on what I have learned already from Bill Buxton; sketching the user experience and Don Norman; the design of everyday things. As well as being surrounded by talented designers I have learned about the important elements involved, such as:

Usability and accessibility, prototyping, iterations, heuristics, E-learning (on-line tutorials are great:)), evaluations, knowing your audience and design with the user in mind.

I do like to gather ideas, whether it be from magazine cut outs to photographs I take and not least sketches of surroundings or from ideas that come to mind. I think one of the essential characteristics of what it means to be a designer is the ability to keep up to date with the different technologies and to update on software skills to stay ahead and compete. I believe it is a great advantage for a designer to be able to pick up quickly how to use new software. Java script is becoming almost an essential skill to have as a designer. Im hoping any day now god will grant me a gift to better understand java code so I can do good in this world, im sure he will come around to this way of thinking soon!!!

Watching television ads I wonder what software and techniques were used, in the same way I view the intro to sitcoms and how music compliments the graphics, it inspires me to want to do things like that but sometimes it also depresses me because I think maybe its way out of my league and I should give up now! Check out this really cool ending credits for sherlock Holmes:  


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKIUHpyRk1I (unfortunatley embedding is disabled for this clip)

I want to make this!!!! 

In evaluating different designs and websites I compare them to what I have seen before, sometimes I think of little things I would add to it and console myself with; 'I could possibly do this if I tried hard enough'!! but then again you come across the truly amazing work and im like wow, maybe I should just give up, i mean if there are so many talented and gifted people out there and im just starting out, how can I compete. To try and progress I turn to online tutorials, blogs and advice from class mates and also words of wisdom:

"Design is how an artist changes the world, even if its just a page at a time" (Charles Pabst)

To be a web designer one should be able to represent the company you are designing it for really well by fulfilling the goals of the business and in some way add value to the company. I always think website need that little extra something to give the edge over others and to attract perspective clients.  Here is a good blog on web design. A good eye for detail is also very important and that is expressed in a designers work. Ive been told its not all about the money, but surely it helps!! I think its a healthy relationship; i design and people give me money; a win win situation all round.

With the right software under my nose, it seems a shame to waste this opportunity not to design and create new things and learn from what has gone before to create the new. I have already got a grasp on photoshop and accepting it as a new best friend or bff, im sure i will accept flash too some day!! Prototyping for my thesis will prove an invaluable learning experience in design for me I hope, I will have to update you on how i get on with it and what I have learned alone the way.

till then............