Wayfinding from Tumblr

Honestly I didn't even know that you could find design building tips on Tumblr but I was proven wrong. The text post is short and sweet but it is hard to read because of the white background blending in with the grey text.
The post on the blog reinforces the most basic points that past readings have already stated. A good pathfinder sets up a system that the user must rely on their skills rather than outside help. Signs are meant to be obvious and simple leading the user to the place that they are intended to go. They are meant to be simple and not distracting. This is also a point that leads back to the basics of design that emphasizes simplicity and good balance.
While it is tempting to make something based on ones own principles such as how one would take their own personal route to reach their location, the general population does not always think in the same way. It is the designers job to try and combine different ideas to reach one united idea that can be used by everybody. It is the designers responsibility to try and think like the normal person and create something that is easy and accessible.
The blog unfortunately takes the more obvious route with hinting at different ways that a designer can approach the wayfinding project. It suggests common things such as using symbols and signs and arrows. It also makes a huge point on making sure the markers are consistent in font, size, description and or approach. I personally have already seen this information in other readings before this project started and this information is nothing entirely new. But it is not a bad thing to remind yourself of what the goal of the project is and of the more easy ways to make the work load a little less.

Ethnography

As stated in the previous post, design is all about creating a product that can relate to the user who is using it. The design has to be simple and accessible and has to give the user confidence in their own skills to use it correctly. Ethnography is the study of people in environments, ethnographers interact with their subjects by asking them questions and studying them in their natural setting.

The first step in providing a good way to navigate a path without the use of a map is by identifying the most common way that the user gets lost. The next step is by interacting with those new to the environment and asking them common questions that should relate to one another in a way. The final way to make path finding successful is by taking the facts and details learned and providing a solution that guides the user in a non interactive way.

By helping the user make their own decisions by providing arrows and signs they can rely on their own navigation skills without actively seeking assistance. The best kind of path finding is by the user guiding themselves by using the hints provided for them instead of someone guiding them by the hand each and every time.

Interaction design sketchbook reading

The author of this small read tends to focus on the difference between humans and animals, saying that humans hold a design standard for everything that we do in life. By laying out the framework for a design before we start creating it helps us get the most basic steps down. And that the only true way for a designer to learn is by interacting with their environment and learning hands-on rather than from text books.
Technology is always evolving and makes our lives easier by providing us with quick and easy solutions to everyday problems. But maybe we are losing the one thing that makes designers important in this world. Our ability to imagine and to create, sure we can use our computers to map out solutions that we need. But without that ability to foresee the issues and solutions on our own, we cannot create something that is more alive than just being part of the architecture.
The author goes on to explain the major importance of being able to perceive the present and sketch it out by our own hands. That the most successful design is one that helps the designer interact with the user of the design in a way that is indirect. We must be able to design a product that can be used without the user having to ask questions and can use the product within immediate action.
To foresee the problem before hand and to interact with the environment, to guide the user without having to be actively there in a way that helps them grow dependent on their own skills. that is what true path finding is about, the intractability of the user and the product in a way that consciously leads the user to where they want to go.

Wescoes Issues (Pictures)

Problem 1: Besides the classroom numbers that every building has, the different halls do not have arrows or larger signs to show where to go. This is from the first floor, the walls are blank save for the classroom plaques making finding a classroom tedious if you don't know where to go.

 

 

 

Problem 2: This is also from the first floor, again the walls are blank and there are no billboards or signs on this floor to show where the classrooms are. Its easy to get lost down here leaving people who are new to Wescoe wandering for hours.

 

 

Problem 3: There are signs on the main floor of Wescoe, the largest being ones that show the way to the auditoriums that are situated on the outside of the building. While this is an easy way to find a way to the larger lecture halls, for the smaller classrooms on the lower and upper floors such signs such as this one do not exist.

 

 



Problem 4: This is again on the main floor of the Wescoe building, these signs are plastered on the entrance doors to show the way to the auditoriums such as the previous sign that was showcased above. No other signs are present for other classrooms making finding your way to a smaller class a bigger hassle.

 

 

Problem 5: This is the only sign of where the other rooms are located, they do not have any arrows to show which direction you should go. All it shows is the name of the class and which room the professor teaches in. I do not even know if such signs exist on upper floors but the first floor does not have a board such as this one. Again this is on the main floor.

How we were able to display our word

Our word was Compress

We did not display the use of this word in the letters themselves, the letters were too big to be put together in an way that would display the word. Instead we had to decide on how to display our word using the location only.

Our word means to squeeze, to flatten, to mesh together into one form that is smaller than before.

We chose the stacks in the Watson library, the stacks are these tiny stairs that leads into the crowded archives of the library in the back section of the third floor. The stairs are only wide enough for one person at a time and when that person climbs up they are being compressed between the railing as they make their way in either direction.

We decided to place our letters into the stacks to take advantage of the literal sense of the definition. It was the easiest and most likely solution sure, but it was the only place safe for our letters that we could leave unguarded for a period of time. We decided to make the definition literally visible by using a place that would be able to show what compress means without us having to explain.

Photography essay

The essay basically came down to one point: People enjoy to see symmetry and patterns.

Life is full of patterns from color to shades to different ways that shapes come together to form a bigger and better shape. Everything is a pattern, and humans have the inane ability to see and display these natural patterns. Photography is a tool that can be used to bring these patterns to life, photos display something that can be shown without relying on words or descriptions.

Photos are more subtle than movies or diagrams or drawings, the message is hidden and must be found by the viewer rather than just be directly told. I am not a photo major, therefore I lack the ability to display what photos can show.

However I can show messages and patterns through my drawings which are a type of photo on their own. However they are designed by my hand rather than using a viewing tool like a camera. Both forms of photography can display different themes and tones depending on how you manipulate the photo. Its a delicate balance that can sometimes tip out of your favor if the angle is not just right or if there is too much color in one place.

Team dynamics

As a group we did not face as many difficulties as I did with my last group, the four members of the group including me divided up the funds for the supplies and crafts evenly. We also managed to work out meeting times and divided up the tasks for the project evenly without much difficulty.

However when it came to deciding when to meet and where wasn't easy even though we managed to come to an agreement. Most of us had conflicting classtimes, and I did not have a ride so I could not meet my team at night when it is dangerous to walk out in the dark. We were also a little behind the rest of the groups, we didn't spend even amount of times on the workdays doing everything at the same time. Rather we focused on one task at a time until the end, meaning we were struggling a little with time management and how we were going to complete the building the letters process.

As an individual I did not have many issues with this project, at this point I am pretty used to the class so I can manage my stress and time management pretty well. I still tend to miss some things in my process books especially when it comes to photos. But that is either because I threw away those parts because I didn't think they were essential or I didn't bother to put it in the book in order to save money since I don't have enough to print everything. Another issue is again the fact that I cant get a ride after five so I was rather adamant in not working late at night then walking back in the dark and cold to my dorms on the other side of campus.

However we managed to get our letters done in time without too much argument and since our word is really simple and easy it should be easy enough to place where we want to when it comes to touring the campus