1. Select a brief passage from Chapter Three Emotional Design by Donald Norman and post it on your blog. Explain why you thought it was interesting.
"The principles underlying visceral design are wired in, consistent across people and cultures. If you design according to these rules, your design will always be attractive, even if somewhat simple. If you design for the sophisticated, for the reflective level, your design can readily become dated because this level is sensitive to cultural differences, trends in fashion, and continual fluctuation. Today's sophistication runs the risk of becoming tomorrows discard. Great designs, like great art and literature, can break the rules and survive forever, but only a few are gifted enough to be great."
I thought this passage was so interesting because it highlights the importance of simplicity when designing. I think it's very easy for designers to get carried away and overload design to try to make it unique and new. I totally agree that good design should be able to cross cultural borders, and that the visceral level is whats really important when attracting people to a design.
2. Norman uses the terms Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, Reflective Design. Do these categories seem useful to you? Would other names or phrases make the categories clearer?
Yes, I think that categories are useful for defining and organizing ideas, and I found them really helpful when I read the chapter. I think that visceral design is an excellent name, although I think behavioral design and reflective design are a bit confusing. Behavioral design is about use and function, and the name could be clearer. Reflective design is about message and meaning, and I think it too could be better named...however I don't know what I would call them instead-- maybe functional design and image design.

1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?

I felt the author's key point was that good design must cater to human emotions. By doing so, it must reach us on three different levels, the visceral, behavioral, and reflective. 

2. How does this chapter compare to the earlier writing (The Design of Everyday Things) by the same author?

I thought that this chapter expressed many of the same basic concepts of design that the chapter in the first book did, and that it's underlying message was that design should be human-centered. The focus of the second was, as the name suggests, more emotional, and it had recent examples.

3. Give examples, from your own experience, of 1) something that succeeds as Visceral Design, 2) something that succeeds as Behavioral Design, and 3) a Reflective Design success? What do you think makes each thing successful.

At the risk of sounding obsessed, the one product that stands out to me for all of these design categories is Apple's iPod. On a Visceral level, the iPod is essentially, pretty. It looks and feels nice, and it' s something that feels nice and is visually appealing. On a Behavioral level, the iPod does everything it says it will and more. It functions exceptionally well, and meets the needs of a handheld music and entertainment device. Lastly, on a Reflective level, there are few products that match the iPod. Few products have had such a cultural impact. It promotes a good self-image and it sends a positive message about the owner. 

1. Select a brief passage from Chapter One of The Design of Everyday Things (Donald Norman) and post it on your blog. Explain why you thought it was interesting.
"Whenever the number of functions and required operations exceeds the number of controls, the design becomes arbitrary, unnatural, and complicated. The same technology that simplifies life by providing more functions in each device also complicates life by making the device harder to learn, harder to use. This is the paradox of technology."
I thought this passage was particularly interesting because the "paradox of technology" is something I have thought about often, and it has consistently proven to be true. The notion of technology following a trend and curve is something that I think is easy for people to grasp, and it's helpful when thinking about technology from the perspective of a designer or as a consumer.
2. Norman's book was first published in 1988 and it still influences designers today. Why do you think this book continues to be influential 20 years later?
Although I found the book to be a bit dated, it still has a lasting effect on the world of design because it discusses very important and timeless issues relating to design. No matter what year it is, people will react to natural design, visibility, mapping, and other key elements discussed in the book.
3. Based on this chapter, what factors would you include on a checklist for evaluating the design of a product?
I would include factors like, visibility, natural design/signals, affordance, constraints, mapping, and cost vs. usability.

1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?
I felt that the author's key points in this chapter were that design is first and foremost based on the psychology of everyday things and the fundamentals that go along with it like visibility, appropriate clues, and action feedback, and that the fundamental principles of designing for people provides a good conceptual model and makes things visible.
2. Think of a specific object that you have had difficulty using. How did design contribute to making it difficult to use? Does the usability problem arise from one of the principles that Norman discusses in this chapter?
I know the example of a phone was used often, but this past summer I worked as a temporary office administrator in a small environmental engineering office where I lived. My main responsibility was to answer the phone, and I often had difficulties transferring and holding calls that came in. The worst experience was when I accidentally called someone and thought that they had called me. That led to an awkward exchange...
The design of the phone was too complicated. I could not remember all the different combinations of buttons that I needed to transfer, hold, and call out. Like Norman said, there were too many functions.
3. How did the designers of the iPod address the principles that Norman discusses here?
The iPod is so wonderful because it is both beautiful and extremely easy to use! The iPod designers used natural design when creating the original wheel, and it is also used with the touchscreen on the latest models. The iPod is simple, and uses constraints. There is only so much you can do with the limited buttons, and the user interface is simple and visible.

Response to "The Perfect Thing" by Steven Levy:

1. What elements of the design process does this article illustrate?

This article illustrates most of the basic elements of the design process. The iPod went through many stages of research, analysis, trial, and evaluation, until a final product was selected. It talked about the lengthy process of designing the iPod's hardwear, softwear, and it's exterior, and how each part underwent many trials and tests before it was approved for production.

2. What factors would you use to evaluate a "perfect thing"?

I think that it is impossible to create a "perfect thing", but if I were to evaluate a potential one, I would do so using a trial and error system where all aspects of the product could be tested. A "perfect thing" would be held to a standard where its form and function blended perfectly and it was flawless in how it worked and how it looked.

3. Whether you own and iPod or not, you probably have some opinions of this product. what do you feel are its strengths and weaknesses?

I do in fact own an iPod. I have the 1st generation 32 GB iPod touch, and currently I am upset over the fact that it's only about 3 1/2 months old and already obsolete...thanks Apple. Despite the fact that its no longer the newest and coolest (or rather "funnest") iPod on the block, I think it's pretty darn cool. I absolutely love the touchscreen, accelerometer, internet ability, itunes button, and all the applications and games. It's wonderful, and has many strengths. I do think it has a weak battery ( I understand it is a highly functioning piece of technology), and I would like external speakers, a built in camera, and more memory. Maybe I should just buy an iPhone...?

So let me preface by saying that I have never blogged before. This is a totally new experience for me, and I think it will be a great way to cut down on papers for class.
What a great idea.
My name is Hannah Kehoe, I will be eighteen next Wednesday (the 24th), and I have called Michigan my home for the past 16 years. I was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, but have lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the majority of my relatively short life. I love my home, my city, my family, and my friends all very much. I have always found it fascinating that some people look to college as an escape from home, as this is not my feeling at all. Even though there are many things that I am finding hard about college, I still look forward to seeing how I will be able to transform here at Kzoo.