Fear not!
All work pertaining to this Spring’s Major Studio class will be posted here:
Per professor request, I had to come up with a new website for this class’s assignments. Enjoy!
Archive for January, 2008
Major Studio Interactive – Reading Response
January 29, 2008Response to Donald Norman’s Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things:
Full text:
Donald Norman’s chapter on Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things really provides a thorough way of explaining why we use various products in our lives through relatable examples and descriptions. Beginning the chapter by referring to the commercial water bottle as an example of successful design that accomplishes visceral, behavioral, and reflective levels of design set up the platform for the familiar qualities that each level encompasses. I have definitely observed the artistic packaging that many brands of water have, and have been enticed to buy a more expensive brand over another just to experience drinking from a bottle that feels and looks special, thus, appealing to the visceral level. I have held onto the bottle or other items like it, such as a bag or gift box from an expensive boutique because it triggered the reflective level of the design – I wanted to be reminded of the purchase or gift through the experience that the packaging gave. Although I could understand how a good design needs to accomplish these levels based on successful designs for which I have interacted, I was unaware of the specifics that each level targets.
Read the rest of this entry ?
Major Studio: Interactive – Example of “Good Interaction Design”
January 24, 2008
www.iminlikewithyou.com
Three reasons why this is an example of “good interaction design”:
1. It has an endearing visual design (with no ads! major plus!) with a childlike familiarity that increases curiosity, and acts like a virtual playground with a lot going on at the same time, but is not difficult to navigate and learn. It’s not only visually interactive, but it also gives off auditory cues depending on what activity has just occurred on the site (whether a member has logged in, a comment has been posted, or someone has invited you to play a game). You don’t have to be sitting in front of computer to still be actively getting information on the site.
2. Provides many tools and ways to interact with other members through conversations, commentary on news stories, and by playing games with users that you aren’t friends with just for the sake of interacting with other members and learning something about them. For example, users can create games and draw pictures to be shared with other friends on the site. Practically every graphic and picture on the site is interactive in some way.
3. Maintains and promotes a definitive culture that members contribute to and ultimately become a part of. Tagline for the site is “people watching on the internet”. It makes it easy to interact with people who are just on the site to have fun and play around with simple interactive tools because it actively encourages users to do so. Humor plays a big part in the site and helps maintain the culture of the online community. There isn’t a fear that there are creepy cyber stalkers on the site because you don’t have to post any personal information about yourself, aside from things that you want to reveal like what you like, are interested in, or off-beat facts about yourself, to become a member. There isn’t any pressure to join any groups or be indundated with public awareness compaigns, like on Facebook or MySpace.
And if that’s not enough, here are some more screen shots to entice you to check out the ever distracting site:
*disclaimer: Please note that I am not liable for any decrease in your work productivity or real world social life that you may experience after joining this online community
Flash Portfolio site
January 16, 2008Still in progress, but almost there!
***soon to be moved to www.katielevitt.com (stay tuned)***
—any Actionscript gurus out there? let me know – I have some glitches that I’m unable to tackle due to my lack of experience.
