Structure and Reading one
So following a great first class I have been thinking of a way of formalising and formatting my thinking .I am doing this to ensure I get the most out of my work and my assignments.I will use the below three steps to help structure my thought process and post class/article analysis.
- The Process (The process of me doing my work)
- My Learning (What I have learned from my class or assignments)
- Reflection (My reflection of what I have just done, what I might do differently or actually continue to do)
As I got some homework on day one, lets put the steps above to the test
Module - Design,Development and Creativity
Class or Article - Article
Lesson or Name - Moggridge, B. (1999) Expressing Experiences in Design
Additional Info - Page 17-25
The Process
After finishing the first article to read, my first observation I feel I need to make is that I will in future read the whole article first and then read it a second time and then consider my analysis. While having the structure I choose is great and it will be good to be able to identify areas that my learning slots in to, at the same time I dont want to stifle my thoughts or structure them too much as design, development and creativity require an element of unstructured thinking.
I think today where I chose to read the article was a mistake. I read the article in a one seater sofa seat surrounded by my laptop, a notebook, a magazine (closed), a tv in front of me (it was off) and for me there was too much going on. I feel next time a more plain empty enviroment such as a table or desk would be more beneficial for the way I work. I can see why the library works for alot of people.
Surprising or unsurprising my age old philosophy of printing out my materials worked a treat, I find reading off paper easier than a digital device. Paper allows me to record my thoughts, scribble and highlight as I read through and I find I learn best with this style.
And lastly not knowing or understanding what my outcome was supposed to be, I struggled with this, but maybe I am pre-empting the process as I know we will discuss the article in class next Monday so hold this space. I might be too eager.
My Learnings
On reading the article my learning kind of developed and as I let what I had just read ferment in my head a few learnings and observations began to develop.
When designing or developing, whether it be a product or service, working towards a holistic design experience is key to providing the optimised experience. I feel in order to achieve this perhaps without having being able to experience it first hard leads me to believe visualisation can play a key role in helping to shape the design, both personal and augmented. If we imagine taking the product or service for a test drive virtually in your head, and if we use a car as an example, let me explain my thought process here.
So lets take the car for a virtual test drive looking at the holistic experience. If I close my eyes and begin to visualise from the begining where I buy my car. Where is the dealership? is it an uptown location? a boutique dealership? or is it an auction room.
When I open the door, the door makes an elegant release noise, the door handle is smooth and nonrestrictive. The new car smell rushes from the car to greet your nostrils on day 50 as if it were day 1.
Driving the car is smooth, the steering wheel is light, I can control all the car features from my black leather steering while....lets stop here I am sure you have the idea now.
This concept allows you to walk through the micro and macro eco-systems your product or service may be experienced within, exposed to and it will allow you to paint a more complete canvas of the product life cycle. It allows you to develop features, functional and non-functional requirements. and have a context for them.
Having read the four article sections 'Making Connections', 'Turning Old in to New' , Giving and Taking' and 'Adding Expressiveness' I feel no matter if you are designing a new digital camera or a new chocolate there is potential to add value, to the product or experience. This can be achieved by developing, re-inventing the old, staying true to the original design but providing a value add however at the core, and at all times considering the user, their needs, wants and desires, connecting them cognitively through conscious, sub-conscious experience and their senses.
Ultimately there is more to design than what meets the eye. While a design can be achieved by one person, a seamless product or service experience is delivered by a team, in a very deliberate way. A product needs to survive in its own ecosystem but also be able to pull from its micro and macro ecosystems. With so much riding on the delivery of new products or service whether it be for a small start up or a large multinational there are numerous pitfalls and I feel a design requires a clear and concise, brief, problem statement and also a very clear and precise outcome statement to align all involved.
Reflection
For my first reading and getting back in to the grove of studying and also clearing my head I made alot of mistakes which hampered me getting off to a good start, from my environment, choice of seating and even the structure I tried to put in place to help formalise my thoughts.
This is a learning process so next time I feel a clear desk, in a room where there are no distractions or potential of interference's will help me focus and absorb more. I think speaking with my lecturers to understand what the desired outcome from the assignment should be would have been beneficial for me because as while I can drive myself to an outcome it might not be the right one. However even if I have carried out the process incorrectly it is a learning experience.
Having studied design and innovation in college it was good to read materials related to my chosen field of initial education, it has also helped me to look at design again in a more holistic manner helping to reopen old archives of information and knowledge stored in my head. Design process, materials, form and function, environment, conditions, supporting materials, complimentary products etc.
This is a refreshing submergence for myself back in to the design, development, creativity and innovation world and it is exactly why I chose this masters and to return to college.
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