And there was one.

But it was the best. Chocolate glazed, chocolate creme filled. And super high calories to boot.

Overall, the Project One was decent. Any shortcomings you can blame on me. You guys struggled through my India business trip a bit earlier than my previous class, so I will consider that as I review your work.

Project Two is all about sharing. What does it mean to share. How do you share. Why do you share. What do you share. Who do you share with. When do you share. And where do you do your sharing.

Oh, the endless possibilities. This will be hard. Brace for impact.  :)

New Project Two description is uploaded for your viewing pleasure. Also, reading assignment by Nicol McDonald "Action, Interaction, Reaction" is uploaded and we will talk about it March 21.

Last FT session for the semester? Maybe not...

It's not the conversations that was challenging. It was the time difference. Now I am more or less adapted to India Standard Time, 4 in the morning just isn't so much fun. My Tuesday morning pretty much ate me alive. I think I crashed after I got back to the hotel. Not that it matters, but I thought I'd share.  :)

And then there was four.

So I guess we will meet at the same time, same channel, same random order. No, just kidding. I will go back to the order in which the file was received. Just wanted to say to you I appreciate all your patience as I am away on travel.

On the project, please refer to the diagram below. You are refining/iterating your chosen widget concept. You will have another iteration due for Monday, March 5. Explore and create to answer the questions you have. You can only solve the problems visually, not just by thinking about it. Even in interactions, screens are visual representations. So you must see it to resolve interaction problems, at least at your stage of development. Later, if this becomes a part of your deep knowledge, you can dream in wireframes and hifi screens.

See you Thursday afternoon.

Hello from India

Well, that was a long flight. 23 hours in the air can't be good for you. Sure, you get free German beer, but it can not cure all ills, right? Okay, don't answer that.

Indian breakfast, Dosa with various chutney

For Monday,  Feb. 27, we will have a remote session and review your Widget concepts. Also, I will go over your Exercise 1 & 2.

✓+  Exceeds expectations, glorious harmony between presentation, information, and design.
✓    Meets expectations, 2 of the 3 ideas are there.
✓-   Does not meet expectations, 1 of 3 are there and could use another round of iteration.

For Wednesday, Feb. 29, you are expected to refine your widget concept and and start addressing all the affordances to your widget: color, typography, layout. And of course, refining your concept of the widget. Please send in your widgets via PDF, by 3 PM. We will have another remote session.

Also, Project 1 description is under Course Materials.  (Sorry for being late on this.)

Oh, yes, and some photos during our last session when you shared your widget concepts.

Thanks for making this work.

So what to do with user research

All of you were able to cluster your research findings into emergent patterns and give it a name. With that done, looking a bit deeper into your research should reveal what you learned, discovered from your research. Based on that, hopefully this will inform you potential opportunities on what you can make.

To be a designer is to accept your OCD

Now, your inspiration does not solely come from user research but this research should inform you with user behaviors, intent and possibly needs that's being unmet. Addressing that is where potentially new product ideas exist.

We will review in-progress work for your Exercise 2 Wednesday. Prepare to show three things:

• Documentation of your research clustering/synthesis
• 3-5 learned/discovered behaviors/insights of users
• Brainstorming and possible ideas for applications
• Email them to me by 3PM, Wednesday

So, before I end I feel my explanation For Personas was incoherent, at best. I will take another pass at that soon. 

So you want to talk with people?

User research for design borrows many tools from anthropology, ethnography, psychology and many other fields of expertise that involves learning about people. For this class we will focus on 3 methods.

1. Fly-on-the-wall
2. Talk/think aloud
3. Directed story telling

During any of these sessions, you should have a note pad to take notes, pens/markers etc. to write/sketch, and when appropriate a voice recorder/camera to take record/photos/video.

From that point, you will need to synthesize the research you gathered. Quick and easy tools for this are stacks of colored post-it notes, preferably the square ones, and permanent Sharpie markers.

With this, you will record one fact/observations on 1 post-it notes and generate a pile of post-it notes per each participants you spoke with. With that you will construct an affinity model/diagram to analyze your findings.

What to do with all these Post-It notes

From there, you can start seeing patterns, discover needs, etc. from your conversations with your participants.

I've included 3 PDF's for your reference under User Research Examples.

Oh Buttons, where art thou?

Interesting compare/contrast of yesterday/today. Physical affordances seemingliy being replaced by virtual ones. Do we see a buttonless future? Gasp!

Left: before iPhone, Right: after iPhone

Affordances.

Like in England, Ireland also drives in the other direction. But apparently, the city has enough visitors to warrant this on every intersection.

Now, what happens if English wasn't your native language?

This signage, painted thickly on the ground, helped me more than once. Old habits die hard. And this will lead us into affordances. I will save this conversation for class.

For Monday, you should prepare the following.

• Bring in your IA and WF, printed on 11x17, each on its own piece of paper, b&w.
• Put it up on the wall, IA top, WF bottom.

Do make sure you've finished the readings, please. Because if I feel the class didn't read the papers, I have been known to do a pop quiz or two.  :)

See you all stateside.