1) Reflect on what you're learning about "playing the whole game" of HCI Design. What do you know now that you didn't know even 2-3 weeks ago? Be specific; give examples. Share what you are learning (write a paragraph or so).
I have learned a good deal about playing the whole game but I think that the most important thing that I have learned is how to keep things user-centered rather than technology centered. In my project 4 my partner and I found in our usability tests that certain people had different opinions on how to use certain features. Our refrigerator offered up healthy food options and one user we tested felt as though it would be better to have a locking mechanism on the fridge that can only be unlocked by using the screen, while the other felt completely differently. This was interesting as we had to decide what we thought the general consensus of users would prefer so we left out the locking feature thinking that people are often in a rush and would not have time to go through a process to open their fridge.
I agree a user-centered design is the most important aspect of design, whether it be web design, network design, or any design for that matter. I think this point can be applied to a lot of other class in the school of informatics and computing. So many projects I have worked on with fellow students who always feel they need to implement the newest and greatest technology in our projects. A lot of the time the user just does not give a shit or even notice a difference in what is taking place. Most of the time we as technology gurus just do this to get our hands on the newest things or it is sort of a pat on the back. I think that is wrong and wasteful to try and implement these solutions that do not have the user in mind. So I am glad that we are all learning in this class what Corbitt has pointed out, that user-centered design is much better than technology centered design.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thoughts, the both of you. I'd encourage you to look past the tech and answer the question, "What if I want my toaster to just make toast?" What if you (the user) just want your refrigerator to keep things cold? This is not to say that you can't make a device better, but what are user's perceptions of a device and how will that play into your design process?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete