Back from Break. Onward and Upward.

Halfway Through and Moving Forward

Welcome back from Spring Break with another edition of Ted Tuesday. This week featured the words of Rogier van der Heide speaking on the functions and concerns of light in our lives and the importance of the interplay between light and darkness.

The comparison of sunlight to artificial lighting is of particular intrigue as you consider how artificial lighting constrains, forces, and unifies the world we have created for ourselves. There was a time, after all, when people lived and worked by the cycles of the sun – at sunset your work was over for the day. And yet now we take our artificial lighting with us everywhere, extending our days as long as possible into the night until fatigue forces us to sleep (or just to drink more caffeine). In this sense light becomes seen as a source of productive hours rather than health and healing.

James Turrell was brought up in the following discussion as an artist whose work focuses on light as it pierces through darkness.

James Turrell. Roden Crater.

James Turrell. Sky Pesher. Walker Art Museum.

His open spaces bring a sense of peace and meditation when the viewer sits in the dark to experience and focus on the light that extends inward. But it is the duality of existence between light and dark that makes this calm possible – alone darkness can bring tension and anxiety of the unknown, and the over-stimulation of light (especially artificial light) can be harsh and wearying after extended hours.

It reminds me of a coworker who once complained about the fluorescent lights required in her basement level office until she was able to replace them with a softer, more ambient lamp. Her daily headaches have stopped, and her office really is now the nicest in the building.

Onwards Towards New Projects

As always, though, class moves on, and since we wrapped up the team design projects before break, it was time to dig into a new topic. The project this time: design a website. And remember:

The user is your guide.
and
The content is the focus.

Each of us was to choose any topic for a site that we felt well versed in explaining and exploring. What are your hobbies? Your interests? What do you want to spend your time talking about?

After a good deal of frustrating brain wracking, I ended up choosing jewelry design – a site focused on providing information, advice, and interaction to potential jewelry designers looking to begin selling their work out in the world. As a jewelry buyer for a retail store, I’ve seen a lot of amazing work:

laser cut architectural earrings by Molly M. Designs

cranberry bronze cast necklace by Silver Seasons

recycled and interchangeable lockets by Olive Bites Studio

as well as a lot of not so great work and designers with really bad price points, technical skills, and selling abilities. So let’s make a site to give people some of that quick user guide info up front! Or just some inspiration and awareness as to who the competition is out there.

But There’s Always a Twist

In the real world, you don’t usually get to design for yourself. So partner up and trade sites. Each of us is now a client – and my jewelry site is now in Annie’s capable designer hands. I provide her the content and information on the topic, and she makes the whole thing look gorgeous.

So What’s Next?

We whipped up content outlines for our designers in class (hopefully), so each designer needs a working site map ready for Thursday.

And review UX chapter 6 as we’ll be needing user research options too.

This time through, the weekly Thursday quiz will feature the only the Krug book: chapters 10, 11, and 12.

And a very special guest speaker for the night – Nick Zdon – so have your questions ready!

Redesign Team Jacki and Claire: G11 Powershot

Project UX Design Team

The subject: Canon’s G11 Powershot Navigation and Interface Screen

Getting Started

Tackling the digital camera interface redesign was quickly noted to be a massively overwhelming task. We’re all camera users, but who’s to say who’s the ultimate camera expert? The number of menus is ridiculous and the complexity of control levels is huge.

How does one even begin redesigning an interface with so many nuances and details and varying uses for a single product?

Answer: Research, Research, Research

User research began, I think, with the intent of figuring out which features people liked and needed the most so we could focus on parring down, redistributing menus, and adjusting the G11’s target audience to allow for streamlining content. But research is always telling, and much to our dismay, it seemed that many people like having so many features available because everyone wants their features.

Here’s a few of the sites you can check out to see how diverse people’s needs and responses truly are:

Canon’s own user review access.
CNet’s review of the Canon G11.
And don’t forget Amazon’s huge access to user reviews.

Also, here’s an excellent introduction/tutorial on the particulars of the Canon G11. Though it’s interesting to note that even as he promotes and praises the camera, even he’s fumbling with the controls and navigation throughout the demo.

Eventually, we found that our research actually helped refocus our goals into a much less daunting task. After all, we certainly aren’t in the position to dictate people’s feature abilities when we’re certainly not the almighty camera experts. Instead, we redirected ourselves on a new route to celebrate the diversity of camera uses and photographer quirks – customization.

Planning the attack

Turns out, Canon does have a menu customization ability (notice that star tab on the first image?), but no one seems to know it exists or how to use it. Our job was to make it front, center, and the main mode of menu setting selection. But there was more than just making it the first tab in the list. Who wants to waste time manipulating settings on a tiny screen with only a scroll wheel for movement control?

Enter the computer and iPad set up interface for inspiration.

You already connect your camera to the computer – it’s digital after all. Why not use that to automate customization and allow the user to work from the comfort of their monitor and mouse instead of inside the cramped camera?

A comparison of the current and proposed task flow charts shows a bit of extra time with the initial set up and customization, but its still a pretty streamline process. And ultimately, we’re trying to eliminate that circular, repetitive motion of even trying to find a particular setting, as well as the frustration of options you have no clue what to do with.

Plus, by dropping the “quick access” buttons inside the custom menus, there’s less physical camera bulk and space to enlarge the LED screen size – both of which were explicit complaints about this model.

And once you’ve gone through that first time set up, your menus are all there any time you shoot. You’d only ever revisit those steps if you chose to, so really, there are less steps in the long run.

Design Layout

The final designs ended up being strikingly simple in comparison to what originally appeared to be a daunting task.

The computer interface is a single pop-up screen that initiates when the camera is plugged in. Setting choices are organized on the right in a folder-like set up that can expand or contract as desired, and the user simply drags the desired settings to the camera screen at left. Folders can be added or deleted for organizational needs and settings can be removed from the custom screen simply by clicking the red X button. Sync the screen to your camera, and you’re done.

The camera itself got a major button reduction, a larger touch screen interface for increased visibility and mobility, and your custom setting menus are the first tab in the list. Oh, all the original screens are still there, in the receded tabs just in case you find out on the go that you forgot something. It’s more like a shortcut menu – for the shortcuts you want – rather than a specialized function camera.

Still, the design is simple, with only a few basic parts, that maintains the look and current appeal of the Canon brand design. We’re not trying to scare anyone here – just smooth out the process. It’s just that now your camera can be set up the way you want it set up – not the way some overseeing digital camera god-figure wants it set up.

Don’t try to be original. Just try to be good.

Gallery Opening Night and Paul Rand

If you’re going to have the conflict of a night class the same night as a design event opening, it’s certainly of great fortune to have that  class also be a design class, along with the benefit of a teacher who supports the attendance of said event. Which of course is what resulted in our Feb. 17th class starting out at the Paul Rand Brands opening at the CVA gallery.

CVA Gallery Exhibit Postcard

 

So with a slightly restructured class on hand, we spent most of the evening exploring the featured work and the legacy of Paul Rand – first through the gallery exhibit, then through a few short videos Liina presented back in class, and wrapping fully around with each of us whipping out a quick reaction paper to the event. Because, really, experiencing a great seasoned designer’s work and advice does come down to how each person individually interacts with that work. In that, it was quite pleasant to show up a bit earlier than scheduled simply to absorb and internalize what resonated with just me and my needs and reactions. As such, here’s a few of the pieces I found of particular draw:

all images care of http://www.paul-rand.com/

 

Obviously, there’s the appeal, amusement, and natural nostalgia of the vintage style – even down to the actual products and the aged and faded papers of original display purposes. But Rand, as are all of us, was also subject to his own time and influences. Thus, what we experience and learn from his work should go beyond the playful vintage aesthetic – it wasn’t vintage to Rand, after all.

For example, I recall hearing that even within the huge variety of Rand’s designs and varying clients, there are only a scant few fonts he ever used. Logical of course, given the lack of digital output of the time, but still, in our time of an explosion of typography ad choices due to digital output, it could serve well to remember that more isn’t always better or as effective.

Also, as an aside and to prove myself as a child of the technological world – can you possibly imagine not having digital? What would people even do with themselves?

Video Extras

But to wrap up on the Rand, here’s the short clips Liina showed in class. As points for the digital side, there’s an immense collection available for easy picking on YouTube, but let’s focus on the class results for now, shall we?

On to Class Time and Quizzes

Beyond Rand, it was still Thursday, and, exhibit or not, it was still quiz night. But quiz night this time with an added twist featuring a question beyond multiple choice on providing an example – with back up reasoning – on how a company’s design strategy fits with its business strategy. How’s that for added application of reading topics rather than simple passive absorption?

Plus a Journal Check-In

Still, answers were all in good humor – a gallery opening apparently has the power to add a little relaxation and good playful humor into late night studies. And that ease of mind carried nicely over into journal checks; you have to appreciate rolling with the flow, after all, and it lends to a much more entertaining discovery of the good and bad explorations of usability applications.

From PearlBrite’s bouncing navigation and hypnotic music,

to the MN Unemployment Department’s completely unreadable purposes,

and the Catholic Church’s new Confession App available for only $1.99,

there’s always room for usability evaluation.

Moving Forward…

Oh, and let’s not forget that next Tuesday is the big due date that’s been creeping up on us. Whether you’re feeling under control or are shooting for that last minute panic push, just don’t forget any pieces at home Tuesday night! For those keeping lists – because why wouldn’t you keep a list? Life feels better when you get to cross them off! – the pieces to consider include:

-mounted Personas
-mounted Wireframes
-mounted Mood Board (or two)
-mounted Design Boards (minimum of three screens)
-research documentation
prepared PSD and JEPG files for the server

Good luck to all!

Photo Resource

For anyone needing a deep variety and source for royalty free stock photography, try out stock.xchng!

http://www.sxc.hu/

Claire Marrinan

My name is Claire Marrinan, a 27 year old originally from St. Cloud, though currently settled in St. Paul.

I started college with an English degree from St. Catherine’s University, but upon graduation was left with little idea of what to do or make of myself. Writing tends to leave you able to do both everything and nothing, and I have found is best paired with another line of interest. Since then, I’ve found myself working at the Bibelot Shops as the assistant jewelry buyer, and on a sudden spur of motivation, I’ve wound up back in school to focus on a more career driven goal in graphic design. Design blends my interests in art, imagery, type, photo, layout, digital media and writing into a focused direction and future plan.

My online activity primarily involves email, Facebook, and participating an fiction writing community.

Offline, I engage in character design and illustration, costuming, and jewelry.

Today, I have found interactive use with my bed, pencils and sketchbook, and my favorite tea cup.