Smashing Magazine Articles - Storytelling
These articles really spoke to me. Just today, I was working on a creative brief for our next television commercial and was trying to convey our audience's mindset under new circumstances for our product. I struggled to put it on paper. I don't know why I never made the connection before, but storytelling seems like the easiest way to communicate something like that for ANY design. To the writer's point, it brings the conversation to a level in which all stakeholders can understand. It also puts an emotional spin on the information – which is so important in direct response television.
More importantly, seeing the complex group of contributors that come into play when developing user experiences digitally, I see why a story can help get the project off the ground quicker. You spend less time explaining acronyms and jargon, and more time connecting with the user and making decision within your area of expertise based on that knowledge. I'd say it's a clear cut way to get to informed decisions for all parties. And that seems to be a recipe for success in the end.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
IDIA Readings 4/1
Saffer 7
It's hard for me to even think about adaptive design considering I'm still so new to interaction design overall. The amount of work that goes into a simple mobile app is enough to make my eyes cross, so the idea of foreseeing how adaptation could strengthen its usage is a bit mind boggling. On the other hand, maybe it's a "work smart not hard" idea, and by allowing your design to adapt, you actually make LESS decisions then when designing the supposed "dumb" apps we use today. It's amazing how far we've come in just a decade, and astonishing to think that the rate of improvement in data, storage, and design is only going to exponentially grow faster as each day/month/year passes. Adaptation design seems to be the next important factor in getting ahead of the design curve and developing for future success with an interactive product. I can see now why there are certain apps that really speak to me, and others that don't. It's the interaction and adaptation design that best fits me and my habits that keeps me coming back to use them.
It's hard for me to even think about adaptive design considering I'm still so new to interaction design overall. The amount of work that goes into a simple mobile app is enough to make my eyes cross, so the idea of foreseeing how adaptation could strengthen its usage is a bit mind boggling. On the other hand, maybe it's a "work smart not hard" idea, and by allowing your design to adapt, you actually make LESS decisions then when designing the supposed "dumb" apps we use today. It's amazing how far we've come in just a decade, and astonishing to think that the rate of improvement in data, storage, and design is only going to exponentially grow faster as each day/month/year passes. Adaptation design seems to be the next important factor in getting ahead of the design curve and developing for future success with an interactive product. I can see now why there are certain apps that really speak to me, and others that don't. It's the interaction and adaptation design that best fits me and my habits that keeps me coming back to use them.
Monday, March 3, 2014
IDIA Readings 3/4
Saffer 8
As my company finally comes into the world of digital - we sell Medicare for seniors so we are a bit behind - one of the biggest topics of discussion is customer experience. This seems to be what Saffer is talking about with service design. It's about what the process looks like for a user of a service or company and their experience with the brand. And because that experience will often dictate whether they are a promoter or detractor in the end, it's important that the design be intelligently thought through. Right now, we have clear holes in our customer experience, even down to the main website visit. Our main company site is robust and offers a customer portal, but a link that takes you to our part of the site and our products feels antiquated. We are constantly talking about that broke user experience and how bad it must be to go through it. And we're doing something about it, but it takes time so we are feeling the pain. Especially when customers like to use our recently added Facebook page to complain about it.
As my company finally comes into the world of digital - we sell Medicare for seniors so we are a bit behind - one of the biggest topics of discussion is customer experience. This seems to be what Saffer is talking about with service design. It's about what the process looks like for a user of a service or company and their experience with the brand. And because that experience will often dictate whether they are a promoter or detractor in the end, it's important that the design be intelligently thought through. Right now, we have clear holes in our customer experience, even down to the main website visit. Our main company site is robust and offers a customer portal, but a link that takes you to our part of the site and our products feels antiquated. We are constantly talking about that broke user experience and how bad it must be to go through it. And we're doing something about it, but it takes time so we are feeling the pain. Especially when customers like to use our recently added Facebook page to complain about it.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
IDIA Readings 2/25
Berry Picking
Berry Picking was quite the read. I guess I've never truly analyzed how even I search the web. It can be a black hole indeed, and does make it very difficult for predicting behaviors. When I was in undergrad, the library was still the prime place to go for research. Nowadays, I would bet there is a large group of teens who seldom, if ever, step foot in a real library and not virtually. But why would they? With so much information at your fingertips on the web, it makes a hard case to promote the old way of searching through books. Web searching is fast and efficient, if you stay focused. A big downfall though is validity of the research found. It's important the users research their sources, which is a step quite unnecessary in the old-fashioned way. Unlike what most people think, it's not always true just because the internet says so. As fruitful as berry picking can be, one must be cautious in the information they choose to use.
How Children Search the Internet
Berry Picking was quite the read. I guess I've never truly analyzed how even I search the web. It can be a black hole indeed, and does make it very difficult for predicting behaviors. When I was in undergrad, the library was still the prime place to go for research. Nowadays, I would bet there is a large group of teens who seldom, if ever, step foot in a real library and not virtually. But why would they? With so much information at your fingertips on the web, it makes a hard case to promote the old way of searching through books. Web searching is fast and efficient, if you stay focused. A big downfall though is validity of the research found. It's important the users research their sources, which is a step quite unnecessary in the old-fashioned way. Unlike what most people think, it's not always true just because the internet says so. As fruitful as berry picking can be, one must be cautious in the information they choose to use.
How Children Search the Internet
Sometimes it's so hard to put ourselves in others' shoes and I find this to be the case when it comes to children. What seems so obvious to us, is a complete challenge or even miss on the part of a child. I wasn't shocked but rather dumbfounded that these findings didn't seem more obvious to me. Except for the vocabulary and spelling. I can tell you from my own experience with nieces and nephews that I'm amazed how many mistakes they make in texts, emails, and the such. It's as if all proper skills are left behind when using the casual world of digital communication. I find this as a gap amongst the younger generation of professionals, and quite honestly, also with some older executives.
I do think the one that surpassed me the most was the lack of screen use when typing. I don't even look at my hands, but then again, I had "typewriting" as a high school course….on an electric typewriter, note even on a computer! It's unreal. Although, I do think some things come more natural to children due to their exposure. They are growing up with this stuff, whereas my generation had to learn it along the way.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
IDIA Readings 2/11
Saffer 4
Design research is clearly an advantage to any designer. And while I agree with most of the sentiments Saffer has regarding the time and effort one should take in doing research, it's just not always feasible for all design. I do agree that when it comes to interaction design, it's probably more important. However, sometimes you just need to get it out there and watch how it's used and make tweaks along the way. I guess it depends on the scope and cost. This approach obviously wouldn't work for designing a new car. But a new paper clip? Maybe.
Snyder 4-7, 9
This has probably been the most useful reading thus far. As a primarily print designer, I want to dive right into the aesthetics of a mobile app. And while I know a lot of thought and prep should go into it before that stage, I hesitate as to where I begin. Some of the advice Snyder provides around paper prototyping seems clear, although I'm still unsure how it will actually work in use. She does note that first-time prototypers may find the initial usability tests cumbersome but with the right prep and pilots, hiccups can be minimized.
Chapter 6 regarding task design was especially enlightening. Snyder did an excellent job of laying out how and why you build certain tasks to test your design.
I've never really seen this type of testing. Most usability tests I've had the chance to work on (albeit only at results and design changes stages) were with live sites. I'm still wavering on which is faster – hand drawing or basic coding. However, it makes sense that the hand drawn version allows for easy changes while testing. That makes sense, I've just need seen it done this way. From a user perspective, I think the combination of interface screen shots with hand drawn pieces might be the way to go. This is particularly true if the interface is not being built from scratch.
AARP Guidelines
I'm happy to note, as a marketer in the seniors' space, that we are following some of these guidelines. Although, it's interesting to see how much they do depend on consistent visual queues to guide them through a website. As a generation who did not grow up using the internet, I can understand why. Another behavior that grabbed my attention was that Edith was clearly the weaker user, but did well within sites she had already visited. This tells me that with common use, it can be picked up. The goal is to make that learning curve decrease or diminish altogether so first-time or novice users can navigate easily.
I thought is was a very well planned study. Mapping the personas on the 4-factor chart showing their age, aptitude, attitude, and ability was really helpful to set them up to expectation and measurement. The research uncovered some obvious and some not-so-obvious issues with most sites. I think if web designers followed more 508 guidelines, they may actually help resolve some of the difficulties seniors face using the web without even knowing – especially when it comes to text size.
Design research is clearly an advantage to any designer. And while I agree with most of the sentiments Saffer has regarding the time and effort one should take in doing research, it's just not always feasible for all design. I do agree that when it comes to interaction design, it's probably more important. However, sometimes you just need to get it out there and watch how it's used and make tweaks along the way. I guess it depends on the scope and cost. This approach obviously wouldn't work for designing a new car. But a new paper clip? Maybe.
Snyder 4-7, 9
This has probably been the most useful reading thus far. As a primarily print designer, I want to dive right into the aesthetics of a mobile app. And while I know a lot of thought and prep should go into it before that stage, I hesitate as to where I begin. Some of the advice Snyder provides around paper prototyping seems clear, although I'm still unsure how it will actually work in use. She does note that first-time prototypers may find the initial usability tests cumbersome but with the right prep and pilots, hiccups can be minimized.
Chapter 6 regarding task design was especially enlightening. Snyder did an excellent job of laying out how and why you build certain tasks to test your design.
I've never really seen this type of testing. Most usability tests I've had the chance to work on (albeit only at results and design changes stages) were with live sites. I'm still wavering on which is faster – hand drawing or basic coding. However, it makes sense that the hand drawn version allows for easy changes while testing. That makes sense, I've just need seen it done this way. From a user perspective, I think the combination of interface screen shots with hand drawn pieces might be the way to go. This is particularly true if the interface is not being built from scratch.
AARP Guidelines
I'm happy to note, as a marketer in the seniors' space, that we are following some of these guidelines. Although, it's interesting to see how much they do depend on consistent visual queues to guide them through a website. As a generation who did not grow up using the internet, I can understand why. Another behavior that grabbed my attention was that Edith was clearly the weaker user, but did well within sites she had already visited. This tells me that with common use, it can be picked up. The goal is to make that learning curve decrease or diminish altogether so first-time or novice users can navigate easily.
I thought is was a very well planned study. Mapping the personas on the 4-factor chart showing their age, aptitude, attitude, and ability was really helpful to set them up to expectation and measurement. The research uncovered some obvious and some not-so-obvious issues with most sites. I think if web designers followed more 508 guidelines, they may actually help resolve some of the difficulties seniors face using the web without even knowing – especially when it comes to text size.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
IDIA Readings 2/4
Saffer 1, 5
Having most of my background in print design, I wasn't really sure what interaction design was. Chapter one does a good job of explaining it, not only as it pertains to technology, but to all interactions in life. When asked to name an experience with interaction design from everyday use, I had a hard time coming up with something. Then it hit me. Interaction design is almost everywhere. It's part of how you use your microwave – which I'll note took me several days to figure out when I first bought my house. It's part of how you turn on a shower, blow dry your hair, and make breakfast. And because it's very much about the use of products or services and not the products or services themselves, it's very personal. The idea of using personas to work through interaction design development is so smart. It brings that humanized element to design, and that's exactly what is needed for interaction design.
Buxton 1-5
I really find it interesting that Apple is continuously used as a case study for all types of design discussions. Just in the past few weeks, books, professors and colleagues alike have shared the Apple story and mostly when talking about success. What I find interesting about the Apple story is that they were at the forefront of so many great ideas and yet they did little to no user testing. Their key? Keeping it simple. If it made sense, it worked. Oh, you want to select something? Then just touch it. It's that easy. Apple made interaction design what it is today, in my opinion.
The idea of designing for the wild is a great one. The story about the avalanche, while frightening, is a true testament to what good interaction can do. Under pressure and in a new situation, these people were able to work the system and ultimately save their friend. It's a much more dire situation than most people will be in, but it calls out to the main focus of interaction design – that good design will make it easy for people to use a product or service because it falls in line with the way they think and/or act.
Design is obviously important, and just like noted in these readings, there is often not enough research or thought put into it before executing. In a perfect world, we'd all research, test, adjust and test again. But in real life, it's hard to come by. And yes, it pays off in the end but hindsight is always 20/20 and it's hard to get people to see benefit sometimes…at least in my world.
Having most of my background in print design, I wasn't really sure what interaction design was. Chapter one does a good job of explaining it, not only as it pertains to technology, but to all interactions in life. When asked to name an experience with interaction design from everyday use, I had a hard time coming up with something. Then it hit me. Interaction design is almost everywhere. It's part of how you use your microwave – which I'll note took me several days to figure out when I first bought my house. It's part of how you turn on a shower, blow dry your hair, and make breakfast. And because it's very much about the use of products or services and not the products or services themselves, it's very personal. The idea of using personas to work through interaction design development is so smart. It brings that humanized element to design, and that's exactly what is needed for interaction design.
Buxton 1-5
I really find it interesting that Apple is continuously used as a case study for all types of design discussions. Just in the past few weeks, books, professors and colleagues alike have shared the Apple story and mostly when talking about success. What I find interesting about the Apple story is that they were at the forefront of so many great ideas and yet they did little to no user testing. Their key? Keeping it simple. If it made sense, it worked. Oh, you want to select something? Then just touch it. It's that easy. Apple made interaction design what it is today, in my opinion.
The idea of designing for the wild is a great one. The story about the avalanche, while frightening, is a true testament to what good interaction can do. Under pressure and in a new situation, these people were able to work the system and ultimately save their friend. It's a much more dire situation than most people will be in, but it calls out to the main focus of interaction design – that good design will make it easy for people to use a product or service because it falls in line with the way they think and/or act.
Design is obviously important, and just like noted in these readings, there is often not enough research or thought put into it before executing. In a perfect world, we'd all research, test, adjust and test again. But in real life, it's hard to come by. And yes, it pays off in the end but hindsight is always 20/20 and it's hard to get people to see benefit sometimes…at least in my world.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Interaction Design Adventure
This semester, I'll be posting learnings from my grad course in Interaction Design. Let's see how this plays out. Should be interesting!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Logo evolution
Some brands keep the same logo for decades, but some like to reinvent the wheel every once in a while. It's amazing to see the transformations that some logos have taken as the years pass and design grows. Sure, there is risk involved, but if it keeps the brand fresh without offending brand loyal customers, I'm all for it. Some of the biggest names in branding have done it a lot...probably more than you are or I am aware of. And that's a good sign that they did it right with little disruption.
Pepsi is by far my favorite evolution. It came a long way, and ironically started out looking very much like Coke.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Logo redesigns
There is a time in a brand's life where it may need to revisit the drawing board. Redesigning a logo has challenges. You don't want to stray too far or risk losing any brand awareness...that is, of course, unless you are trying to run from something. I wonder when and why it's a good time to redesign a logo. Here are a few redesigns I found at Logo Guru and my take on them:
I like this one for Airtel. I think it has a much more modern feel and brings some softness to it with the addition of the curved lines and more casual text.
Oh Dodge. Why oh why did you think this was a good idea. The Ram has power. Your new stripes do not. Can it get any more generic than this?
I'm in the middle on this one. I like the redesign – it's clean and light – but I'm not sure the need was there to change. Maybe it's subtle enough that it just freshens up the brand, and if that was the goal, then good job to the designers.
Monday, December 13, 2010
How Design Conference 2011
I haven't made it here yet, but hope to one day. This event always falls in my industry's busy season, and so I'm cursed to have to watch it pass by each year. Not sure it's the right reason to find another job, but I sometimes contemplate that. But seriously, I've heard great things about this conference and encourage designers from all backgrounds to check it out.
http://www.howconference.com/GeneralMenu/
http://www.howconference.com/GeneralMenu/
Friday, December 10, 2010
Show & Tell 12-11-10
Let's be honest – graphic design is fun. And we are the lucky ones who have a career doing something that is fun. We don't enter data, we don't crunch numbers, and we don't push paperwork. We love our careers but that doesn't mean they don't come with hurdles and challenges, especially when you mix graphic design with the business side of things.
As designers, we make things look good…but we also have to make it sell, intrigue, gain attention, persuade, show, tell, inspire, etc. And sometimes with no direction and nowhere to start.
The link below will take you to a good design blog that has some real-world advice for designers. Filled with tips and ideas to help you on the business side of design, this blog also has links to galleries, contests, and lots more to explore. I haven't been following long, but plan to do so now that I've found it.
http://theperfectdesign.com/blog/
As designers, we make things look good…but we also have to make it sell, intrigue, gain attention, persuade, show, tell, inspire, etc. And sometimes with no direction and nowhere to start.
The link below will take you to a good design blog that has some real-world advice for designers. Filled with tips and ideas to help you on the business side of design, this blog also has links to galleries, contests, and lots more to explore. I haven't been following long, but plan to do so now that I've found it.
http://theperfectdesign.com/blog/
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Logo ideas
I find designing logos to be one of the most fun and yet most challenging projects. Starting from scratch with no limitations can be overwhelming at times. What colors? What shape? What look and feel? And to top it off, what can I do differently?
If you find yourself stumped, gain some inspiration from Logo Pond's gallery (click to view). Sometimes seeing work from other designers can create a spark in your own workflow. Here are few of my favorites:
If you find yourself stumped, gain some inspiration from Logo Pond's gallery (click to view). Sometimes seeing work from other designers can create a spark in your own workflow. Here are few of my favorites:
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Olympic logos for 2014
Sometimes you can have more than one good idea for a project. Design is subjective, and that's what makes it entertaining and challenging at the same time. There is never one right answer or direction, but what do you do when you've got a few good ideas? Which direction do you go and how do you narrow it down? This was the plight of some logo designers for the 2014 Olympics. The two options are below. Click the link to see the discussion on each version...there is a great discussion of the designs through commentators.
http://www.mcwade.com/DesignTalk/2009/12/does-sochis-olympic-logo-work/
http://www.mcwade.com/DesignTalk/2009/12/does-sochis-olympic-logo-work/
Friday, December 3, 2010
According to the internet...
play – noun#4: fun or jest, as opposed to seriousness: I said it merely in play.
As I post this month's definition of "play," I think about what it means to me. The great thing about design is that it can be just that – fun or jest. Yes, it's true that while at work, my boss may not appreciate my bastardizing of the logo in fun. However, great ideas that work in the business sense can be built from this sort of play with design. Try an absurd color. Make a crazy lopsided shape. Layer 15 things on top of each other. We all know that play is how you get to mockups, and mockups can get you to "that's exactly what I was looking for." A phrase all designer love to hear.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Show & Tell 12-04-10
A Twisted Film
This short film will not disappoint. I love a good horror flick, and at the start, I thought I was going to get just that. I don't want to give away the ending though, so take a few minutes and watch it. This film is a prime example of how the filmmaker holds the power to make you feel what they want you to feel. The cinematography and sound are excellent as well. It has a true film feel to it with the great depth of field present.
Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4meeZifCVro
This short film will not disappoint. I love a good horror flick, and at the start, I thought I was going to get just that. I don't want to give away the ending though, so take a few minutes and watch it. This film is a prime example of how the filmmaker holds the power to make you feel what they want you to feel. The cinematography and sound are excellent as well. It has a true film feel to it with the great depth of field present.
Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4meeZifCVro
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Old Spice - does this really work?
I have to admit, as much as I hate these Old Spice commercials, I do remember them...and watch them. Do they work? What is so great about them? I know sales spiked after these started running, but why? I guess I'll have to give it to the fact that these are silly ads and maybe they are appealing to a silly generation – one that probably never new Old Spice was even around. It goes to show that sometimes absurd concepts can be exactly what was needed to....uh....spice things up?
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Illustrator can do what?
Illustrator is an awesome program. I have the most challenges with it, but feel most rewarded when I accomplish something in it. Vector art is more than art. It's math and art infused together...two things I actual like, and yes, I know it's weird for a designer to like math. I think it's the objectiveness of it. It offsets the subjectiveness of art.
Anyway, many designers steer clear of vector art instead of trying to understand it. And maybe the problem is that we're not aware of its capabilities. Here's a great site that shows some of the wonderful things Illustrator and vector art can accomplish.
http://www.attitudedesign.co.uk/7-things-you-didnt-know-adobe-illustrator-could-do/
Anyway, many designers steer clear of vector art instead of trying to understand it. And maybe the problem is that we're not aware of its capabilities. Here's a great site that shows some of the wonderful things Illustrator and vector art can accomplish.
http://www.attitudedesign.co.uk/7-things-you-didnt-know-adobe-illustrator-could-do/
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Photoshop in the wrong hands
I always get nervous when a client says, "I just bought photoshop." People don't buy a mechanic's book and all of the sudden think they can rebuild a Porsche. But why do people insist that all you need to be a good designer is software? Yes, Photoshop is power, and power can be fun. But when you suck at it, you just look stupid. Check out these award-winning Photoshop jobs...sadly done by some professionals, it seems.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Hard topics, good ads
When the subject is tough, creating an ad that get the message across can also be tough. Heavy topics like obesity and drunk driving can stop a designer in their tracks. You've got to find the fine line between cliche and effective. Visually representing statistics in a way that gets someone to stop and read an ad is not a goal many can reach. Below are some examples of ads that did a good job. Simple yet effective.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Show & Tell 11-20-10
Info graphics - the good, the bad, and the ugly...
I'm hoping that I'm not the only one who is still having a little difficulty in determining what makes a great info graphic and what makes a mess. It's supposed to be engaging and not easily understood at first, yet not confusing or misconstrued. You want your audience to enjoy looking at it, but it shouldn't be covered in images and graphics that don't have meaning. All in all, this may be the biggest challenge of my career yet...but I'm working on it. In the meantime, checking out samples online helps at least to conjure up ideas. Here are few of recent ones I've found:
I actually think the main gaphic is interesting, showing overlapping time in his career between academics and employment. I'm still unsure if this is good for the purpose of a resume though. Does it obscure the data too much? I agree the bottom two graphs are maybe overkill, but I'm still digging the main info graphic here.
I'm hoping that I'm not the only one who is still having a little difficulty in determining what makes a great info graphic and what makes a mess. It's supposed to be engaging and not easily understood at first, yet not confusing or misconstrued. You want your audience to enjoy looking at it, but it shouldn't be covered in images and graphics that don't have meaning. All in all, this may be the biggest challenge of my career yet...but I'm working on it. In the meantime, checking out samples online helps at least to conjure up ideas. Here are few of recent ones I've found:
I actually think the main gaphic is interesting, showing overlapping time in his career between academics and employment. I'm still unsure if this is good for the purpose of a resume though. Does it obscure the data too much? I agree the bottom two graphs are maybe overkill, but I'm still digging the main info graphic here.
Below are some examples of info graphics that could use a little work. The complexity of the graphics in the geological timeline overpowers the actual information you get from it. Additionally, the Weatherford one is basically a flow chart, mixed with terrible clip art characters and scenes. No real exciting information here. And as for the video game stats, this is a lot of data that is related, but not dependently, and covered up with colors and graphics galore. To me, these are uninspired info graphics, even if it did take the artist countless hours to create.
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