Nate Kaylor
Week 3 Discussion Topics
I think one of the main ways design has evolved in the contemporary setting is in regards to the user’s perception. Buchanan’s article covers this basis in depth. He states that the new era of ‘communications’ , “…shift attention toward audiences as active participants in reaching conclusions rather than passive recipients of preformed messages” (Pg. 12) We live in a interconnected age of endless forms of “communications” both inputted and outputted form the public. I’ll take the point of view of businesses that gather intel via cell phones and computers to better target their clientele. An obvious one being, ads that are interspersed at the beginning and throughout youtube or hulu videos. Hulu asks you with each ad if it is a product relevant specifically to you. This information can be tailored both towards the individual user, and the user’s demographic (via information entered in when signing up for hulu such as age, and location) This new form of communication, as the quote from Buchanan states, involves the user in a way that was never possible before these forms of technology were implemented.
The fundamental philosophy of Buchanan’s article resonates on a significant level with me and my naturally multidisciplinary approach to design. The article speaks from a necessity to shift the public impression of design in the world. In the collegiate level this has gotten pretty bad in my opinion, as someone who is interested in something like architecture or engineering who also draws inspiration through art and design classes. It has been my experience that much value comes out of mixing the creative arts with the technical side of collegiate curriculum, and it seems the tendency at universities is to separate the two so that as an architecture student, you’re not necessary required to take any form of creative art classes. So I am in thorough agreement with Buchanan when he states “…that all men and women may benefit from an early understanding of the disciplines of design in the contemporary world.” (pg 9) We no longer live in a ‘tradesman’ society, were you make a living by a single specialization, I think the future at an education level needs to consider these ideas.
My immediate impression of the IDEO design process attachments was that is somehow was hypocritical of the company’s philosophies seen in last weeks video. The whole idea of the new age of design is to no longer confine it in traditional constraints, right?
This very specific (40+) page – document of design “instruction” seems like a very limited way to be creative and innovative with any kind of design discipline. This page specifically startled me. The idea of confining the actual creative process into a half page designated block is a scary thought. Especially in my experience with design, it seems like I approach the initial creative stages differently every time: I’ll do page after page of cat-scratch sketches, or a bunch of 3d model stuff on the computer. People need to have the freedom to start from anywhere in design. So now to play devil’s advocate: The IDEO process does do a successful job in promoting the kinds of tangible thoughts from last weeks reading materials. Such as considering the user’s needs. These kinds of steps need to be taken in order to trigger successful design, although I feel a better approach would look a lot less specific than IDEO’s manual.
Chloe Lockman’s response:
1. Love the point about companies like facebook (personal experience) secretly taking your information online then tailoring your ads toward that. Its like forced active participation. We have no idea we are participating in this process. Weird.
2. I also totally agree about the architecture school thing. I think architecture students would benefit greatly if we were encouraged to take classes outside of architecture. I would love to take a marketing/advertising class, as well as graphic design and art or something. We are so tightly wound into this 5 year schedule that there’s no time for anything other than architecture, then they expect us to be well rounded when we graduate. We would be much better designers if we were pushed outside of our bubble.
Andrew Meier’s Response
I noticed how on Facebook, all the add on the side of the screen related to me somehow and at first i thought it was weird but then i noticed a pattern in what i looked up on my browser, if i looked up a part for my car, for the next week that part or the website would appear as a tab on my side screen. If i searched for a car i liked, i would see car insurance adds on my side bars.
As far as the 40+ page IDEO book, i guess i kind of agree with you but i see it a little differently. I see the book as a kick starter; like once you fill out this page, you don’t just stop there, you keep going on another sheet or whatever medium you want to use. I’m also similar to you in that I like to do pages of quick sketches but for me, I can usually produce more stuff if i have something to work off of. But thats just how I work.
Nate Kaylor: Design Thinking 