Hi,
Just finished a paper of intuitive design. Did a lot of review. Just sharing a bit of it.....
Design is a correct mix of intuition and cognition. It is truly o a good designer to realize where he needs cognition and where he needs intuition. However,when a designer wishes to work on intuitive process of others, she has to use her complete cognitive sensibility.
In my paper I have discussed about how a designer can work on her cognitive abilities to create intuitive design.
There are two fold methods -One talks about realizing how much intuitive we need to make the product. They have been termed as three-scales:
1. 100% designer - 0% user Scale
2. 50% designer - 50% user Scale
3. 0% designer - 100% user scale.
To explain this scale a designer has to understand the interface that she will be giving to the user. One single product may have multiple forms of designs integration. For example say something like computer it will be an integration of hardware ( monitor, keyboard, CPU etc) and software. In one single product such as monitor, it will again integrated with IC, motherboard, circuits etc. Now within the mother broad itself it will have various levels design. I call any level of work a design, because it requires a lot of planning and a process. Anything that is created to form an activity/ function through a study and process is a design.
Getting back to the model scale. A designer has to understand at what level does she require intuition. The theory of intuition is applicable more when the product and user starts interacting with each other.
Applying the theory created in my paper given above, we can look at the design or computer example this way. ( NEXT : PART II)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
randomness and design
Design in my view is a behavior and not a department. By this I mean Design may be the manner we target and achieve a particular requirement. This requirement can be a function, aesthetics, creating faster or slower means of achieving a goal, etc. I think its is about a wholesome planning..even a war tactic or a cricket match to be played could also be called as a design. It depends when you should follow the system or old school method and when should you give an awe & shock....!!!
And like any other planning in Design we need both system and randomness. Systematic designs helps us to create a macro level planning. Using the information what we know or going back to the past experiences, records etc, we are able to chart out a stable plan ( which seems stable at least). This is done such that we are able to dispense information easily to all who are working on the concept. Well system kind of helps to have linked thinking ....
But if you look at a micro level and expect each individual to follow the same flowchart at micro level too. You may end up getting the same idea from all the teams. A complete system may be the root cause of design stagnation. A sytem might minimize the chance of having a bigger range of Permutations & combinations...
That is why we have devised tools in design-
For example
Brain storming- a technique where different minds apply random thought to project the image of a single unit in different ways
In product design we have something called material research... within this research we study about the material as well as apply random techniques on material to check new innovations.
Scribbling or Doodling methods are random techniques to come up with innovative concepts in design
Sampling is that part of statistical practice concerned with the selection of an unbiased or random subset of individual observations within a population
A hypothesis is a tentative statement that proposes a possible explanation to some phenomenon or event. A hypothesis is random until it is proven correct.
There are lot more of such examples of random act. A random act may not be unsystematic but definitely doesn't trudge upon a old stereotypes of strict systems.
History says most of the innovations has happened by accident, which is a random process. Most of the dreams which historian and scientist had seen which was called random at that point of time is a reality today. Orvil & Wilbur Right for Aeroplanes, telephone & cell technology, Microwave etc.
A handicraft in Indian scenario is more expensive than an industrial product that is being sold in the market simply because the handicarft product has more randomness in terms of design and craftmanship...A design created in Handicraft has almost zero percent probability that it can be copied, hence it becomes a unique product.
Well to me design is not a stereotype system..it is only the planning part which may need system but if u are talking about creativity...design is "THINKING OUT OF THE BOX".... now isnt that pretty random!!!!
thanks & regards
rashmi
And like any other planning in Design we need both system and randomness. Systematic designs helps us to create a macro level planning. Using the information what we know or going back to the past experiences, records etc, we are able to chart out a stable plan ( which seems stable at least). This is done such that we are able to dispense information easily to all who are working on the concept. Well system kind of helps to have linked thinking ....
But if you look at a micro level and expect each individual to follow the same flowchart at micro level too. You may end up getting the same idea from all the teams. A complete system may be the root cause of design stagnation. A sytem might minimize the chance of having a bigger range of Permutations & combinations...
That is why we have devised tools in design-
For example
Brain storming- a technique where different minds apply random thought to project the image of a single unit in different ways
In product design we have something called material research... within this research we study about the material as well as apply random techniques on material to check new innovations.
Scribbling or Doodling methods are random techniques to come up with innovative concepts in design
Sampling is that part of statistical practice concerned with the selection of an unbiased or random subset of individual observations within a population
A hypothesis is a tentative statement that proposes a possible explanation to some phenomenon or event. A hypothesis is random until it is proven correct.
There are lot more of such examples of random act. A random act may not be unsystematic but definitely doesn't trudge upon a old stereotypes of strict systems.
History says most of the innovations has happened by accident, which is a random process. Most of the dreams which historian and scientist had seen which was called random at that point of time is a reality today. Orvil & Wilbur Right for Aeroplanes, telephone & cell technology, Microwave etc.
A handicraft in Indian scenario is more expensive than an industrial product that is being sold in the market simply because the handicarft product has more randomness in terms of design and craftmanship...A design created in Handicraft has almost zero percent probability that it can be copied, hence it becomes a unique product.
Well to me design is not a stereotype system..it is only the planning part which may need system but if u are talking about creativity...design is "THINKING OUT OF THE BOX".... now isnt that pretty random!!!!
thanks & regards
rashmi
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
intuitive design part 2
The next concept of design is when we allow the subconscious mind of the user to work a “tch” sound tells us that the key has been pressed, a dent on the cap propels us to push, and doors with vertical handle tempt us to pull. A regular round sphere tempts us to be rotated .Here Norman’s concept of mapping works. But the user is able to use it if and only if he or she has had such cognitive reference. These kinds of designs make the user intuitive in nature.
Intuitive design
I look at intuitive design like this, but in any case it’s through a multiplied cognitive process.
The first concept of intuitive design can be when the product is intuitive- The logic of intuitive surface. The screen rotation system of the apple I-phone and I pod, where without the user using any intelligence gets the screen rotated to the direction of his vision. Or the example of Sony cyber shot camera, which picks up the smile of the subject being clicked and automatically shutters out the image. The concept of music system adjustment to the environment it is set up with. The system judges the cubic meter of space it has to dispense the sound into an automatically adjusts the sound, bass treble etc to give the right mix. It is a self sound engineering concept. We can also take the example of an automatic open door, which senses the arrival of the customers and slithers to opposite sides to give way to the user to enter, the elevator staircase which moves up by itself. Another example can be of the concept of tennis game in Nintendo Wii, where the sensors adjudge the ball and almost give a real time feel to the player. All these are examples of auto functioning sensor designs where the user neednot show his cognitive abilities. However there is a requirement of user to know the basic utility of the equipment failing which he would not even understand the function and the support it is receiving from the design.
The first concept of intuitive design can be when the product is intuitive- The logic of intuitive surface. The screen rotation system of the apple I-phone and I pod, where without the user using any intelligence gets the screen rotated to the direction of his vision. Or the example of Sony cyber shot camera, which picks up the smile of the subject being clicked and automatically shutters out the image. The concept of music system adjustment to the environment it is set up with. The system judges the cubic meter of space it has to dispense the sound into an automatically adjusts the sound, bass treble etc to give the right mix. It is a self sound engineering concept. We can also take the example of an automatic open door, which senses the arrival of the customers and slithers to opposite sides to give way to the user to enter, the elevator staircase which moves up by itself. Another example can be of the concept of tennis game in Nintendo Wii, where the sensors adjudge the ball and almost give a real time feel to the player. All these are examples of auto functioning sensor designs where the user neednot show his cognitive abilities. However there is a requirement of user to know the basic utility of the equipment failing which he would not even understand the function and the support it is receiving from the design.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
earlier post Crtl+C / Crtl+V
Posted by aum at 12:28 PM 1 comments
Saturday, December 23, 2006
What is Design?
If we look at from the pages of Paleolithic (the stone-age) history, we will see that every thing created was a solution to some requirement…….!!!
Sometimes the invention just came to notice and u called it a discovery (Newton & his apple), and sometimes you discovered a need and invented a new product. (Steam-engine & R.L Stevenson)….. but they were all ideas and concepts at the beginning. Imagine if Orvil & Wilbur Wright would not have thought of flying, would we get Aeroplanes and Cheap Air- Travels for holidays. Design, what I perceive is same at the concept level. It mainly differs when you segregate in terms of profession as fashion, architecture, software, media and the rest. This is because the tools are different, the mediums are different, the jargons are different…..but you may ask what is similar then????
Design if you see in a very broad perspective can be created in two ways
a. Providing solution to a need………..
b. Up-grading the existing design…….
Design if you all agree, I would like to call it as saleable and customer friendly art, in one way. A design is a bad design if the ratio of people is not able to relate to it.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
What is Design?
If we look at from the pages of Paleolithic (the stone-age) history, we will see that every thing created was a solution to some requirement…….!!!
Sometimes the invention just came to notice and u called it a discovery (Newton & his apple), and sometimes you discovered a need and invented a new product. (Steam-engine & R.L Stevenson)….. but they were all ideas and concepts at the beginning. Imagine if Orvil & Wilbur Wright would not have thought of flying, would we get Aeroplanes and Cheap Air- Travels for holidays. Design, what I perceive is same at the concept level. It mainly differs when you segregate in terms of profession as fashion, architecture, software, media and the rest. This is because the tools are different, the mediums are different, the jargons are different…..but you may ask what is similar then????
Design if you see in a very broad perspective can be created in two ways
a. Providing solution to a need………..
b. Up-grading the existing design…….
Design if you all agree, I would like to call it as saleable and customer friendly art, in one way. A design is a bad design if the ratio of people is not able to relate to it.
my older post Ctrl+C / Crtl+V mode
Posted by aum at 2:31 AM 0 comments
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Some people call design an idea, some people call design a solution, some people feel design is aestheric, some yet feel something customer oriented art....Design to me is a process. A process which grows, analyses, calculates and deciphers a lot more than the obvious solution
A process which is methodical, analytical and logical. Me thinks a designer needs to have more common sense than aestheic sense for designing, an ear to listen and then an eye for detail...
A design is usually not a single person credit. Its a team..from concept to consumer...
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Some people call design an idea, some people call design a solution, some people feel design is aestheric, some yet feel something customer oriented art....Design to me is a process. A process which grows, analyses, calculates and deciphers a lot more than the obvious solution
A process which is methodical, analytical and logical. Me thinks a designer needs to have more common sense than aestheic sense for designing, an ear to listen and then an eye for detail...
A design is usually not a single person credit. Its a team..from concept to consumer...
Some of my earlier blogs Crtl+ C / Ctrl + V mode
Relationships
To tell you one of my experiences that I had on one of the railways booking counters……….As the inquiry clerk pointed me out, a machine which would answer my queries I had to stand before the big square machine with a screen of bright colors made dull …or may be the screen was actually waning off…or was it the very thought of using it triggered me off…….
Whatever it was I had to be brave enough to face that…But what took me off my feet was I could not figure out how to use it… little due to the tension of the queue behind me with frustrated faces …some due to the fact that all the text giving directions was erased due to handling and the interface was totally incomprehensible for any user who is not used this “genius box”…
If a computer literate like us would be in such a panic mode to use something like that, I wondered what would majority of Indians do? Having in mind that railway is the most convenient means for the commons when airline fares have dropped and the computer ones are already booking tickets in their virus free and high speed internet access… Well, I guess the relation between user (me) and the genius box was not good…
Design for me is a relationship and designer is the one who builds that bond. The relation may be in terms of aesthetics, functionality, comfort, support, brand…whatever your mind allows you to desire……. A design becomes a good concept when the relationship between the user and used gets smooth, effortless and yet gives the small feeling of “my- type”…
design for me
What is Intuition design
Intuition as a word literally is used a sixth sense or a clairvoyance. But may be not same in design. The word intuitive designing has been popularized by the software interaction Industry. The word connotes a design which has a system which subconsciously allows the user to understand the utility procedure. Probably because the user has a semi-conscious expectation and idea of how the product should behave or may be the inbuilt system does not allow the user to realize that he is actually doing something complicated. This I understand after reading a few articles. I would like to refer the blog of Mr. Jared Spoolhttp://www.uie.com/articles/design_intuitive...
This is also very much applicable in product design also. I think in product industry this intuition works very much in different names - like ergonomics, design and emotion, aesthetics, affordances,constraints and mappings ( as explained by my favorite Donald Norman in his book- Design for Every Day Things :)
Intuition as a word literally is used a sixth sense or a clairvoyance. But may be not same in design. The word intuitive designing has been popularized by the software interaction Industry. The word connotes a design which has a system which subconsciously allows the user to understand the utility procedure. Probably because the user has a semi-conscious expectation and idea of how the product should behave or may be the inbuilt system does not allow the user to realize that he is actually doing something complicated. This I understand after reading a few articles. I would like to refer the blog of Mr. Jared Spoolhttp://www.uie.com/articles/design_intuitive...
This is also very much applicable in product design also. I think in product industry this intuition works very much in different names - like ergonomics, design and emotion, aesthetics, affordances,constraints and mappings ( as explained by my favorite Donald Norman in his book- Design for Every Day Things :)
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