Class Reader 4
Graduate Studio: Technology A Pratt Communications Design
10.08.15 Facilitator:Binhuan Note Taker: Maria Editor/Publisher: Pekah
Reading Materials: • Towards Relational Design, Andrew Blauvelt • The Birth of the User, Ellen Lupton • About Face Ch. 8: The Principles of Interaction Design, Alan Cooper et al Q1: What is relational design? A: The reading starts with the history-three stages of design about what is design ans what design means to people. Relational design is about the context, which addresses broader topics than two of the previous stages. The topics would include social, political and natural issues. It is more comprehensive and functional. It has similarity with cross-discipline design. Also, it can be understood as a result of new technology, especially the computer and this informational era, since people are connected and became users. So, there are relations between those broad topics as well as new relationship between people in the new era. And the new tools make more relations possible. But it is more difficult to define the term "relational design" in a specific way. Maybe, the trend of design has more potentials and ambiguity. A: Relational design is more user-related. The design should be user centered and designers have to create useful system assisting users.
Q2: There are two contexts in Lupton's exploration. What are the two media and different behaviors in two contexts (digital reading and paper reading)?
A: These two media have different purposes. We can read on iPad, which is much cheaper than buying paper books many times, and it is easy to carry, very useful. Reading in electronic version also leads to more interaction. We can look up the meaning on Internet immediately. But ultimately, it depends on personal preference. A: In these two media, we have different screens to focus on. As I know many people have the symptom that they cannot focus on white and bright electronic screen for a long time. They even have trouble watching images or text on black electronic screen. A: Now there are new ways to assist reading such as reading online, but it is quite hard sometimes because our bodies cannot catch up with our minds in processing messages. A: Electronic screens provide us with other experiences of receiving information. Actually, those are two methods that cannot replace each other because they have different purposes and they will forward to different explorations in the future. For instance, there are many video ads on the electronic screens in Time Square, but there are also many static ads and signs. These two kinds of screens are combined and blended together, supporting each other. A: They are useful in different contexts. Our generation gets used to both of the way due to the environment where we grow up. But the next generation might be more adapted to new technology. A: More personalities are shown on paper media as we can mark on paper books. Those marks could be very memorable and sometimes even become form of art. In opposite, in digital media, we read following the rules to focus on digitals for too long. People will be tired of getting information too much and they cannot choose what they really want to read, they cannot focus on the digital way of presentation as well. A: Now some of us use Kindle, which has the screen looks like paper, and we can also make marks on it. However, there is still something uncomfortable reading on Kindle. The size of margin in pages might be an important factor. Text on digital book is usually too crowded and looks boring, while in paper book the proper white margin makes people feel relaxed. But there is the fact that paper book is much heavier, not convenient to carry. So it is very hard to make a decision.
A: Different cultures have different ways to represent information. The core issue is that our habit of reading has been changed. In fact, paper book is not the one in danger, instead, reading is in danger. Reading as a human behavior is much different from the one in the past. Maybe it is because the over custom of material. Now it is hard for people to read and write traditional essay. Essays on digital media have different structures, and they are often shorter and simpler. So people now think in a different way. We are more likely to only look at the skin, titles, and pictures.
Q3: Icon and text, which one is better? A: Text is more clear, serious and powerful. For example, people prefer to write love letter in text instead of sending expression icon or draw pictures. Icon is effective sometime, but it also needs text to explain. A: Using Emoji is a great way to express emotion. It is much easier to understand. So to show emotion, icon is better than text. A: Language has great complexity, it is much clear but hard and boring to read sometime, and icon is more useful in occasions such as when we are talking in a casual way. A: There is an Emoji icon features two hands. That is one of the most confusing icons. In eastern culture, we regard it as putting the palms togetehr, which is praying, a rite in Buddhism. But in western culture it has a meaning of "give me five".
Q4: How pattern in interactive design relates to transmedia design? A: Pattern is a system, generalization of a specific platform. For instance, book and web are different platforms. Patterns have the consistency. For example, in branding, we do a broad of design work. We design logo, font, and visual element. There is a system of what should we do and its variations. That is a pattern in branding. We do same work in those projects. It is kind of model, principle and prototype in specific field. It is coherent and responsibe, just like we set up layout and archive to arrange image and text.
Q5: What is the relationship between the practice of relational design and interactive design?
A: User experience is extremely valuable today in both relational design and interactive design. Researchers get data feedback, which could indicate which part is popular or unpopular in an app, and in which way customer can be excited about the project. We as designers have to figure out everyone's desire to create new thinking. And now our customers are shifting the role from readers to users. So we have to do design that fit the habit of users. We need the power to interpret, not also to follow the author. Creating persona is a good way to do research. That is better than subjective observation. A: Restraints are also an important factor. Every particular platform has its restraints. For example, on Facebook, we will have trouble finding photos long ago and it shows our comments in personal pages. We cannot change interface structures, but we can organize information by our own in Tumblr. Sometimes we can download layout. Different platforms have different strengths and weaknesses.