Google, design, and you

Our presentation starts out with the concept of design laws. The speaker uses computer generated optical illusions in the first part to show how we as humans see things. He talks about design principles such as proximity (grouping similar items together, the law of similarity (which looks to be the same/similar to repetition, or using a common theme throughout your design). He also brings up readability in the way that we read pages. Traditionally for English speakers, this is left to right and top to bottom (though it varies depending on the language, the Japanese for example typically read right to left). He emphasizes the importance of keeping things consistent for the user, since consistency is something that users are often looking for and find comfort in.

Another part he mentions is the use of peripheral vision. His example is when we are using our computer (or other device), when we get a notification of some sort (text, email, update, etc.) our eyes are immediately drawn towards it and we recognize it. Just like when the test subject walks into the chamber just in time to see the tiger that’s going to eat him/her.

The next part that is discussed is recognition. Users tend to notice the general shape of objects and recognize what they mean before they recognize the actual object (the silhouette of the phone vs the 3D rendering of the phone). This also is used in the recycling example he gives where if a recycling bin is circular, it’s a better indication that the bin is intended for cans or plastic bottles as opposed to paper/cardboard.

Our presenter then covers the idea of color-blindness, which is something that doesn't seem to get taken into consideration very often. Using the example of the map though, he shows that it doesn't have to be a barrier because it isn't just color that is used. Shapes, shades and values all help a person recognize what they are looking at even if they cannot correctly read the colors. Continuing in color, the use of color can aid in recognition. Like the Kubrick that we watched earlier, splashes of a particular color can help your object stand out over other things. The example he uses is the letters. I did find it easier to pick out the red letters in less time than to pick out the letter “G” (I still wouldn't have won the plush Android though).

Memory is the next piece of the design puzzle. The importance of our short-term or working memory is focused on. The idea of interruptions breaking our concentration and flow of work being a big part. An example I’ll use is when playing video games. With the current generation of gaming, notifications have become commonplace (achievements, friends coming/leaving online, required updates, etc.) and I do find those to be very distracting when I’m in the flow of a game (especially if it’s a game that requires total concentration, like pinball. Yes...I love pinball). This can be applied to a programmer who is writing code, or a writer who is working on a novel (or a blog post). In addition to getting distracted, we can also forget what we were working on or where we are in our work. Such as a programmer forgetting what line of code he/she was in. This is a large reason why I try to remember to turn off a lot (but not all) of the notifications I can get on my phone...they’re just too distracting!

The focus is brought back to repetition. In the example he uses is in reminding the user over and over again how something works for the first few times of use. Eventually the user will remember the command and will no longer need the reminder. The important thing for this is to keep the reminder in a consistent spot, and not overuse it to the point that the user become annoyed and no longer wants to use your app (if you keep telling me over and over again to do something long after I've learned it, I may stop using your program purely out of spite...and so may other users).

The final item brought up is the idea of time. Don’t let the user feel that you’re wasting their time. As the presenter shows, even just making a few tweaks can at the very least, give the impression that something is taking less time, even though it’s actually the same amount of time as previously. The example with the progress bars is perfect. When he went from the bar filling fast and then slowing down, it felt as if time had slowed down with it, and progress was being made very slowly. The exact opposite happened when he switched up the bar to go from slow to fast, I felt as if the progress was being made faster even though the speed of the bars were identical. If the user doesn't feel like they’re waiting, they’re going to be a happier user.

I really feel like I learned a lot from the video. There are so many different aspects of designing to make things a better and nicer user experience. If I use the skills that I’ve learned up to this point, and the skills I’ll continue to learn, I see no reasons why I won’t be able to design items that people will be happy to use and watch!

Of course though…

...in the end…

...no matter what you do…

...the tiger will still eat you.

Simple Bull****

While I may not be a huge Apple fan (I really despise iTunes, though I love my iPod), I do feel that they tapped into a psyche that no one else did previously. The article states that Apple used Picasso’s bull lithographs as examples of taking something complex and breaking it down to the most simple pieces.

It’s hard to argue that Apple has been more successful at doing this than anyone else. The first, and I think best example of this is the original iMac that was introduced in the late 90s. Prior to that, home computers required a lot of setting up, cables, and a good amount of knowledge on operation. Apple took the idea of the PC and simplified it down to it’s most basic components...the mouse, keyboard, and monitor. Sure, the computer was built into the monitor, but most people who wanted the iMac didn't care. Apple tapped into a market of people who had not yet made the jump into the home computer market. It was a brilliant decision that is likely a strong reason Apple has as many fanatics out there as it does.

They would continue to stick with the idea of simplicity with their other two major products...the iPod and the iPhone. MP3 players existed prior the iPod, but Apple decided to build a player that was white (very different from the black everything on the market), and would have only a couple of buttons. The white color would give it a very clean look, which also made it stand out beyond anything else on the market. Throughout the years they would continue to simplify the design by removing all the buttons except for the “click wheel” (which would eventually not even click but would become touch sensitive), as well as reduce the size from a deck of cards to smaller than a USB thumbdrive. During all these revisions, it would still retain the same usability and functions (with the exception of the iPod Shuffle).

Finally, Apple would take the idea of simplicity to the world of smartphones. Now, in this situation, Apple would make the iPhone the first smartphone on the market with a touchscreen and no physical keyboard at all. They made the icons on the display simple to read and use, restricted the ability to open it and mess around with it (again, for simplicity reasons primarily), and gave it a nice, sleek body to house it all in. Since it’s release, hundreds of smartphones have flooded the market...some better than the iPhone and many that are not. However, none of them can match the design of the iPhone for sleekness and cleanliness.

Apple has truly taken the idea of simplifying the bull to the highest levels, and it’s understandable to see why they've been so successful in it as they have.

Red Kubrick

As someone who has been a fan of Stanley Kubrick since I was in high school, I was rather excited to see this supercut. I was aware of some of the themes that he used in his movies (the one I was most familiar with was that he shot a lot of his movies in 1-point perspective), I was unaware of his use of the color red. Being familiar with his movies though, it seems like something I should have noticed previously.

Red is such a striking color, and he uses it to great effect. The effect I noticed that he uses it the most was as a sense of danger. You have the obvious with the bloody hallway/elevator from The Shining to the more subtle like the red lights of the airlock in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Even HAL 9000's red eye shows that he (it) is the villain of the movie, even if you don't know it yet.

The other uses I noticed included the orgy scene from Eyes Wide Shut, which gives a sense of something not quite right. Because that movie is all about relationship, it's appropriate that the scene be bathed in red to give a sense of what is happening is taboo.

I kind of wish the video was longer just so the viewer could get a better sense of the emotions that Kubrick was trying to convey. The use of the music from A Clockwork Orange was quite nice as well!