Lecture: Web 2.0 and Convergence
Web based media has changed a great deal since it was first introduced to the public, in recent years we have seen a shift from websites being primarily information based to a high concentration on social networking and user interaction. Furthermore the technologies through which we access these web pages has evolved, there is now a far greater concentration of users choosing smart phones as their medium to access web information than seen in previous years, as a result of this we as designers must consider that the size of the screens used to view WebPages have become significantly smaller. This new generation of media is what is known as web 2.0, in other words, it is the transformation of the web from a high concentration on information to a concentration on user interaction and mass communication.
Convergence media is the flow of media across multiple technologies, in other words it is a user’s ability to access the same information on multiple technologies, for example a web page may be accessed through a computer, phone, iPad, etc. this ability to access media through multiple devices has made information more readily available for users and allows users to upload their own information, creating a larger quantity of information available on these mediums. As designers we must consider convergence media when creating our designs and bear in mind that our designs will be viewed on many different devices with significantly varying screen sizes and resolutions.
Lecture: Interaction-Interactivity
Interaction and interactivity is about designing products that can be used to help people in both their everyday lives as well as their work lives, there are many forms of interactions, they can be as simple as using a vending machine or more complex like operating a computer, interactions can also occur between people and non-electronic items such as reading instruction manuals or there is even interaction between living things, for example a child playing with a puppy is a form of interaction.
When working with interactive design it is important to remember how people interact with and respond to different things, the way a person interacts with a vending machine will be vastly different to how that same person will interact with a computer, and so each item must be designed with its intended use and interaction in mind, this way the end result of the design will be functional, however function is not the only important element when designing for interaction, aesthetic s are also vitally important to the design and must be considered throughout the design process, for example a person who intends to buy a vacuum cleaner will choose one not only based on its functionality but also on its aesthetics.
Lecture: Interactive Design Process
part 1
The design process is made up of a number of stages the first stage is the ‘pre-project’ in this stage designers look at what the client has proposed, the budget and the deadline, from this proposal they identify factors that are unrealistic or will likely be problematic down the line and deal with them right away. The second stage is ‘concept and planning’ this stage marks the first steps towards a design solution, it is here that design research is conducted and user requirements are documented. The next step in the design process is ‘design, prototype and specifications’ it is in this phase that prototypes are developed and user tested, this allows any unforseen problems to be addressed. ‘Production’ is the next step in the design process, by this stage the design problems should all be solved and questions answered. After production ‘testing’ is carried out, this stage provides quality control and ensures all components of the interactive are working. The final stage of the design process is the ‘launch’ this is where the product is released to the public, however the project does not end here, improvements and upgrades for the product are still designed.
part 2
When creating an interactive designers will often create a user persona, this is a fictional product user, they then research and document how this user persona would interact with the product, how and when they would use it, etc. the use of a user persona allows designers to make informed and clear decisions about their design based on how users will interact with the product. User personas are developed through user interviews, in these interviews designers look for common patterns and behaviours amongst users and develop a fictional user from the results of these interviews. Once a user persona is developed the design team will then create a scenario, a narrative context in which the user persona uses the product, the aim of scenarios is to reflect possible ways the interactive will be used in daily activities, for example navigating through an airport.
Alternately to the user persona, a design team may develop an artefact persona, this involves applying a persona to the product rather than the user, this can be an effective way of cutting out speculation and reducing needless arguments about the finer behaviours of a user persona.
Lecture: The Static and Kinetic Screen
Design for electronic mediums has shifted over the years from a static –unmoving and unchanging- platform to a kinetic –constantly moving and changing- platform, as interactive designers it is important to keep this in mind when designing interactives. When using an interactive design the user utilises all of their senses, not just sight, to interact with that design, it is the job of the interactive designer to understand these senses and use them to guide the user through the design, using techniques such as visual hierarchy to achieve this.
Eye tracking is a vital tool for interactive designers, eye tracking allows the designer to follow the path their viewers eyes take when interacting with their design, it allows the designer to see what draws the users attention, what holds the users attention and what is simply missed my the user, this information allows the designer to better understand what attracts their users and allows them to adjust their design so that any important areas previously missed by the user and be made more visually appealing. By considering these things when creating designs interactive designers are able to create more appealing and effective designs for their users.
Lecture: Interface Design Review
When creating interactive design it is important to have a good interface behind it, a good interface should run so well that it is forgotten or unnoticed by the user. The interface of an interactive design is its navigation system, how the user travels around the interactive.
There are many types of interactivity, hypertextual navigation is a form of navigation where the user reads their choices and then selects the option that is best for them. Immersive navigation is the combination of ‘representation of space’ and ‘hypertext’, for example, virtual reality. Registrational interactivity is the ability to write into an interactive, for example the comments section on a blog page or facebook. Whereas interactive communications are based on face-to-face human interaction, or the interaction between two people through a medium such as live chat.
There are six fundamentals we must remember when designing interactive, firstly there is visual focus, this involves using contrast to indicate to users what elements on the design they should focus on, it gives the design visual context and indicates to users areas on interaction, for example a link will have a rollover effect. The second fundamental is problem solving, this involves considering navigation around your interactive, how the user finds their way around, what is the best way to save time for the user. Contextual information should be placed around your interactive, for example placing important information on high levels then detailed information on lower levels. The next fundamental to consider is wholeness, this refers to the grouping of related content, this can be done through similar shapes and colours or the use of boxes to group information. The final fundamental is a choice between linear or nonlinear navigation, linear is navigation that flows in a straight line, meaning you cannot access the last page from the first, you must navigate through the pages between to get there, alternately there is nonlinear navigation, this means that the user can access any page at anytime, there is no clear start and finish.
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